Thinking About Less

 Less is best!?  We all tend to go overboard on most things in life.  Maybe we all need to start thinking LESS!!  Less isn't a bad thing at all.  It can save your health and it can save money and it can save the environment.  It is time to look around and find out how LESS will work in your life!

We all know less STUFF seems to make our lives and our homes more manageable.  You have less stress with less junk in your home.  It is calming and serene.

Less EATING can help us manage our health.  Not many out there who couldn't lose a pound or two.  Smaller servings and one helping is sufficient most of the time.  Remember meat servings shouldn't be any larger than a fist.  Meat shouldn't be a main course, but a side like everything else.  Less fatty and junk food is healthy as well.  Eating too much has become a global problem and a global health problem.  We often eat out of boredom and truly 3 meals a day is not necessary - it is a habit.

Break those bad habits and get a healthier body and save money and resources.

Use LESS water!!!!  We are so wasteful of our water resources.  Never wash dishes with the faucet running.  Catch extra water for plants, animals or drinking when waiting for water to heat up.  Think of catching extra water when showering to flush or use on gardens, etc.  DRIPS are extremely wasteful.  A single drip of a faucet - dripping once a second - wastes thousands of gallons of water a year!!!!!!

Fixing that drip could be as simple as replacing the inner washer or you may need to replace the faucet.  They aren't that expensive and most can be replaced easily (I have done it myself).

If you are permitted - have rain barrels to catch nature's water.  That is so beneficial to gardens and plants and it works well for bird baths and animal bowls.

It can also be kept in jugs at the end of the season to use in an emergency, should municipal water go out.  You can also buy life straws and cleaning tablets that allows you to drink it in a emergency as well.

Use less POWER.  Electricity can be costly.  Think about alternative sources of light.  Lanterns, battery operated lights, solar, candles.

You can use solar lights from outdoors in a pinch if you lose power.  There are also lanterns that can be purchased that you keep near a window to draw solar power and they are great for evenings.

If you have an alternative heat source that is great as well.  Turn OFF lights when not in a room!!!!!!  There is no need to have lights on during the day and sure no need to have them on in an empty room.  Use a night light if necessary.

I have a neighbor that drives me nuts - they leave front & back porch lights on 24/7 as well as their basement light.  They use the basement for laundry only!  WHY would you need to leave on all the time?  I have a dusk to dawn light on my garage for security reasons -and I have flashlights I can use - no need for 24/7 lighting!!!!!!!!!

I open blinds during the day for light and heat from the sun - it is amazing how well it works.  All natural!

LESS A/C or HEAT - germs grow in hot environments.  The cooler your home the less germs that thrive.  I remember having a teacher in high school that always had a couple windows open even on the coldest days.  I thought he was crazy then - but he always told us about germs thriving.  It is true.  I use fresh air as much as possible in the spring/summer/fall.  I know some have allergies and can't do that - but most could.  If it gets upper 40's or 50's in winter I let fresh air in to air the house.  Keep the thermostat down a couple degrees in the winter and only use A/C if necessary in summer - it is healthy and it saves a chunk of change.

Today my recommendation is LESS - TV, NEWS, FB, SOCIAL MEDIA!!!!!!!!  Those things have become toxic to our mental well being and to our society.   Turn them off!

Read a book, take a walk, learn a craft, commune with nature, de-clutter your home, porch sit, talk with others, pray, exercise, meditate, listen to music............anything but soaking in hatred and toxic information.

Use and buy less PACKAGING.  We are so bad about recycling.  Look for items that have less plastic packaging.  Buy loose items instead of packaged items.  Buy larger packages and breakdown at home into glass or freezer or share with others.  Figure out new uses for paper or cardboard (most can be easily recycled).  Use your own shopping bags when permitted.  Make net produce bags to use at the store - they weigh basically nothing and you can use over and over and launder. (I keep those mesh bags from the produce dept.. and reuse)

Less packaging saves money (yes you pay for that packaging), save the environment and just makes good sense.

So yep - LESS can be MORE!!!!!

Using less can mean more money in your pocket, it can mean being heathier, it can mean more natural resources available for all,  it can mean less garbage on the earth, it can mean a prettier and healthier earth......... it can mean so much MORE of everything!

Start a new habit this year and use LESS of everything if you can.