Ann Leach

Stuffocation by James Wallman The material equivalent of the obesity epidemic. That's how author James Wallman defines Stuffocation. All the time and money we spent buying stuff, we thought we were improving life, making ourselves (our families) happier, improving the economy, thumbing our noses at terrorists. But evidence shows this isn't the case. We're more depressed, anxious, in debt, and lonely than ever. So, now what?    In his book, James takes a look at minimalism, the medium chill (as opposed to the big chill), and simple living; and then casts them all aside for the one thing they all have incommon -- experientialism. Then he spends the second half of the book defining, tearing down and then defending experientialism. I found this book to be well researched, well presented, and an easy, comprehensive read. It has certainly helped me expand and shape my thinking about minimalism and my values and goals after the  Big Declutter which defines minim...

I've been flirting around the edges of a capsule wardrobe for a few years without ever fully embracing the entire concept of a mixy-matchy collection of clothes. The closest I've even been was last summer when I had 4 outfits I rotated through each week That same collection of 4 outfits makes up the base of my wardrobe here in Australia - 3 pr capri pants, 4 brightly colored t-shirts, and 2 long-sleeve shirts for layering over. And I've added a couple pair of jeans since it's colder here than I expected. But otherwise my collection has stayed the same - a mixture of a lot of different colors without any sense of mixy-matchy. And then.... I go to put away my freshly laundered clothes this evening, and I have a moment of inspiration as I look into my closet. What I see is that a LOT of my long-sleeve shirts are blue and white, and I have one more pair of white capri pants and a bright yellow shirt still hanging with them. Blue (which is and always has been my favorite co...

After much sorting, donating, disposing, and giving away of "stuff", and shipping not a whole lot, Husband and I have decided to be much more intentional and thoughtful about the things we buy as we set up our new home. We are taking the time to define the characteristics and values of our family so we can ask before each potential purchase "Does this fit with our family's values? Does this fit with who we are?" The mattresses and bedsteads were non-negotiable. We have to have a comfortable place to sleep, preferably up off the floor. And so, our for first purchases. we were able to shop together online and find a bedstead we both like. Daughter was able to choose hers too. Husband had them all set up by the time we arrived. That gets us up off the floor for sleeping, and on to the living room. Our house has two dining/living rooms, both off the kitchen, but in different directions. (It may be an Australia thing. We saw a lot of houses with 2 living/dinin...

When moving to a  new community, getting involved, meeting new friends can be a challenge. I know, I lived in a suburb of Lima for 13 years without making friends, which isn't to say I didn't try, because I did try; but it just didn't happen for me, in that community. And then one day, I changed communities. Rather than the bedroom community which had no library branch, local athletic center, or other local gathering places to meetup with other community members, I turned south (8 miles) to the small town of Wapakoneta, where I quickly and easily, met and made friends through activities at the library and YMCA. Often, I would run into the same folks around town at the store, gas station, bank, etc. And these lessons of local community and connection, Husband and I applied to our move to Melbourne, Australia, population 4 million. We investigated, and intentionally looked for suburbs of Melbourne that have the features of a village -- local library, local athletic c...

First impressions of Australia started on the airplanes. On our first leg (Chicago - LA), our seatmate said not one word to  us, and the flight attendants were efficient. No one really seemed to be happy to be there, or in the moment. On the second leg (LA - Melbourne), our seatmate was a chatty, friendly, Australian man, 35 y/o, who woks for FILAS shoes, returning to home in Melbourne from holidays in Canada with friends. He happily showed my daughter how to operate the remote for her viewing screen, and played thumnb wars and rock, paper, scissors with her. The flight attendants were all helpful (down on knees with flashlight searching for a lost sandal) and cheerful. They all seemed happy to be on the flight. Isabelle made fast friends with them all to the point she scored some QANTAS pajamas for her dad, and we were invited to see the flight deck and have a chat with the captain -- a privilege I've never had before and thoroughly enjoyed. there is no doubt in my mind we ...

I got the ok from the library to start a new discussion group, and I've decided to go with Parenting as the topic! I'm sooooo excited!! Meetings will be the last Tuesday of the month, 6:00 pm, at the Wapakoneta Library, downstairs. Our first meeting will be Tuesday, June 28 and will be a meet and greet for everyone to come in, share some of their parenting successes and challenges, and help set the direction for future books. The first book up for discussion is The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler. I came across this book recently on a random stroll through the parenting books, am so  inspired by it, and am looking forward to discussing it with other parents. "In  The Secrets of Happy Families ,  New York Times  bestselling author Bruce Feiler has drawn up a blueprint for modern families — a new approach to family dynamics, inspired by cutting-edge techniques gathered from experts in the disciplines of science, business, sports...

A month or so ago, I started buying our milk from a local dairy. It comes in half-gallon glass jars with plastic lids, has 5% milk fat (yum!), and costs $3, which is a little pricey, but it's worth it. It's worth that price for so many reasons, including:  We're supporting a small, local dairy. The flavor and creaminess are wonderful. And the only trash generated is the plastic cap. We pay a $2 deposit on each jar which is refunded when we return them. So the other day, I was chatting away and popped off with "Wouldn't it be great if our only trash was the lids from the milk?! Hahaha"  *giant pause* Whoooaa... what if that was our only trash? And how can I make that happen? This week, I am paying special attention to the trash as it goes into the bin, and there is a fair amount of trash coming through the mail. I will call into the post office next week to find out how much of it can be blocked before it comes in the mail box. Meat comes in recyclable containe...

... is the book I am finishing up this morning. And I am compelled to share this paragraph from the epilogue: "I've only recently become aware of my good fortune in having grown up in an environment where everyone knew everyone else. In our community no one was a stranger. If we met an unfamiliar face on the way to the Farmers Store, we offered a greeting because we knew that person had to be a guest in the house of someone we knew. We were privileged to live with the comforting conviction that we had absolutely nothing to fear from people. Of course, we were quite aware that there were dangerous forces and conditions over which we had no control, but we were confident that no person was out to do us injury. This atmosphere created in us a sense of security, a sense of belonging in the world. Is there a more valuable gift than that?" We, here in the US, are constantly on the lookout for the bad to happen. Bad courts us through the media all day long. And it has ...

.... packing (waste-free) lunches. Waste-free lunches is an idea we picked up from the kindy (preschool) our daughter attended over in Australia. The day ran from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm which, obviously, includes lunch time. But contrary to most preschools here in the US, there was no hot lunch served. The children were expected to bring a packed lunch from home. And it was to contain no throw-away waste. No plastic wrap. No paper napkins. No pre-packaged chips. Or cookies. Or string cheese. Or throw-away yogurt containers. Or juice boxes.  A long way from most packed lunches here in the US. And we adapted. I browsed the thrift stores to pick up a few plastic containers with lids; as well as a lunch box and a stainless steel water bottle, which she still has. Once we adopted the mindset, it wasn't hard at all. And our lunches are still packed this way now.  Fresh foods are packed in washable containers. Forks and spoons from the drawer are included (usually). An...

Planning the Garden The Baker Creek Seed catalog came in the mail!!! And yes, I've been page-turning, dreaming about all the seeds I'd like to order and putting out a garden again. Kenn and I went for a walk and talked about where we'd like to put the garden. We've had it behind the barn, which was good for water access, but not so good for weeding. Out of sight, out of mind and all that. This year, we're going to put it out kind of in the space between the house and the chicken coop. It will require a long hose for watering, but unless we're up to installing a new water line (which we're not), almost anywhere will require a water hose. I'm dreaming of tomatoes, green beans, lettuces, and so many other fresh veggies. Maybe we'll even get out some fruit trees. In a perfect world, we'd get a couple of bee hives and plant a special bee garden. Oh! And a butterfly garden. It's so easy and fun to dream. It's so easy to get in...

Maple Fest 2016 Our county parks department puts on a Maple Fest in the even numbered years. And so, out we went. This is a modern tapping system - plastic spilees, plastic tubes, and a plastic collection bag. Not a typical collection bucket, but it let us see the sap dripping out of the tree. Sap can run for as little as 6 days or as much as 6 weeks. It all depends on the temperatures. Trees are typically tapped in late winter or early spring, but it isn't the date they go by, but the temperatures. To make the sap run, temps must be below freezing at night and above freezing during the day. Maple trees (ash, dogwood and one other) grow branches directly opposite each other. That plus the 5-pronged leaf make them easy to identify. Native americans were the first to collect maple sap and cook it down to sugar which was easily stored. They heated the sap by heating rocks by the fire and setting the hot rocks into a container (hollowed log, tightly...

Books The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith -- a book put together by a blogger about decorating - it doesn't have to be perfect. Why We Get Fat  by Gary Taubess -- a book about the science behind why carbohydrates are a larger part of the problem than fats and calories. When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning -- the best book I read this week, and I highly recommend it! "W hen America entered World War II in 1941, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned 100 million books. Outraged librarians launched a campaign to send free books to American troops and gathered 20 million hardcover donations. In 1943, the War Department and the publishing industry stepped in with an extraordinary program: 120 million small, lightweight paperbacks for troops to carry in their pockets and rucksacks in every theater of war. These Armed Services Editions were beloved by the troops and are still fondly remembered today. Soldiers read them while waiting to land a...

In another post, I mentioned joining a book discussion group, which has to be one of the best decisions I've made in a while. I am having so much fun meeting the other members and talking about books. It's adding a whole layer to reading that I haven't ever had before. And I'm inspired to kick off another discussion group (or two). One on sustainable living, much like the one I started back in Australia. And another on parenting. Although I'm not sure I really want to take on two at the same time. I have asked the adult program coordinator at the library about these topics and am still waiting to hear back. But both of these topics are passions for me and to meet with like-minded folks, share ideas, and talk about books on the topics would be wonderful! For the sustainable living, of course it would be driven by the members, focusing on topics the group is asking about and suggesting. But that's not to say I don't have ideas and books o...

Aside from the scarf I'll share below, I have been doing no crafts, no sewing for the last couple of months. Oh, I have lots of plans and even a few false starts, but nothing has come through. And it shows. I've been grumpy, distracted, and (dare I say it) bored. Kenn wants to snuggle and watch tv, which sounds like a nice offer, but truly it drives me crazy to sit and do nothing while watching tv. I'm not a watcher. I'm a doer. For the past few weeks, I've been kicking around an idea in my mind of a cross stitch sampler to hang just inside our door, welcoming friends into our home. And with that general idea in mind, I ordered a book off  paperbackswap  and a couple more from the library. I paged through those and set them aside...  until yesterday when it hit me that it was time to create.      This is my first sketch, pulling together the ideas of what I wanted to create -- a landscape oriented cross stitch sampler and welcoming fra...

WHO has time to read? I mean really.. between running the children here and there, work, errands, meeting with friends, cleaning, and everything else...  who has time to read??!! You do. And I believe reading, whether it is for enjoyment or education, work or pleasure, is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. And your children. By taking just 30 minutes to read every day, in one year, you will read 182 hours. How many books can you read in 182 hours? 40? Probably. How much could you learn? How many times would you LOL? (Wait maybe I'm the only one who LOL when reading.) How much more relaxed might you be? Take the time. Every day. And read. Books Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen -- a stand-by that I always enjoy diving back into for some escapism Talkers, Watchers, & Doers  by Cheri Fuller - a talk about learning styles, how to identify them, and the strengths & weaknesses of each How to Teach Your Child: Simple Tools for Homesch...

Choosing what to wear can be so difficult. Nothing matches. I have too much to choose from. I have nothing to wear. There has to be a better, simpler way. Am I right? I've decided to go the capsule wardrobe route and finally, I am very happy with what I'm wearing. Although it was a rocky road getting here. I've had WAY too many clothes. And I've had (in my own mind) not enough clothes, clothes that don't match, clothes which were bought randomly, and clothes others told me look great. I've even tried the "I'll just wear scrubs at home since I'm a sahm" collection. And finally, I've put together a collection of clothes that are me. I love my capsule wardrobe. Last autumn, I took $30 and headed out to the thrift stores with an idea of the look I wanted to create for myself, in a word - layers. And came home with these 4 outfits that I rotate through each week. Boring? No, not me! This is a simple raspberry short-sleeve tshirt und...

Supper for March... time to change things up a bit as pizza every Friday is boring. Since we love spaghetti, I am going to alternate between chicken and beef spaghetti on Fridays, add in a soup meal each week, and make sure we have a slow cooker meal every Wednesday as that's a busy day for us, coming and going. So here we go with suppers for March.... 1 - Creamy potato & vegetable soup 2 - chicken, rice, & vegetables in chicken broth in the slow cooker 3 - pork steak, roasted veg 4 - beef spaghetti 5 - shepherd pie 6 - chicken breast w/alfredo sauce, asparagus 7 - beef sausage, hash browns, green beans & bacon 8 - beef & vegetable soup 9 - pork roast & vegetables in the slow cooker 10 - beef gravy over toast & peas 11 - chicken spaghetti 12 - leftovers 13 - fish w/lemon butter sauce, brussel sprouts 14 - beef sausage, hash browns, green beans & bacon 15- lentil soup 16 - chicken ala king in the slow cooker 17 - pork steak, roasted ve...

Books How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish Illinois, Indiana,  Ohio Month-by-Month Gardening  by Beth Botts Kindle Books While cleaning up my kindle this week, I came across some books I had started, but not finished. So while I didn't read these books in their entirety this week, I did (finally) complete them. Radical Frugality: Living in America on $8,000 a Year  by Nic Adams Objectivism: What Ayn Rand Left Us  by Ashton Cruise How to Write Great Blog Posts that Engage Readers  by Steve Scott Let's Go! Field Trips for Teachers, Homeschoolers and Active Families  b Traci Matt Blogs   The Non-Consumer Advocate  by Katy Wolk-Stanley   down to earth  by Rhonda Hetzel What are you reading this week?  Please share in the comments. Peace -- Ann

I do! And I love it!! It's been probably 3 or 4 years since I first came across  paperbackswap  in a facebook group I enjoy. Most people were singing its praises (endless supply of desirable books at minimal cost), and some where sharing their own frustrations (the pressure of getting a book in the mail in a timely manner). I checked it out, explored the FAQs, costs, etc. and decided it was for me. Weeee! Membership in the club is free... sort of. There is no charge for joining, but there is a swap fee for every book you order after your first two (2) which are truly free, well after you post your first 10 books. Confused? Let's try that again. The Standard annual membership fee is $20 which allows the member an unlimited number of swaps received at no extra cost. The Limited annual membership fee is $12 and allows the member 30 swaps received at no extra cost. And the Ala Carte annual membership (this is the default setting) which costs 49 cents for each sw...