August Plant Update

August 30, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

August was summer's bounty and did not disappoint. So many flowers, fruits, storms, veggies, and sun!! We've gotten to go to the beach, parks, and explore our own backyard.

On our butterfly trek we saw thee delicate flowers. Anyone know what they are?

The mushrooms near us have been bananas! We have seen so many huge mushrooms making huge fairy rings. Have you had a lot of mushrooms where you live?

What were your plant observations this month?

On Not Being in Vermont

August 28, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

Can you be homesick for a place you never lived?

My mother and I had vacationed in the same part of Vermont for 17 - 20 Summers (after that amount of time, one losses track!). We spent almost a month there year after year until about 7 or 8 years ago. Bc of work, and wanting to save to buy a house, we decided not to go. It was a tough choice to break the tradition. If we hadn't made that choice, I'd be in Vermont right now.

Every year, leading up to August, I think more and more about Vermont. I can't completely describe why it's such a special place. It's more than a place to me, in fact, but a symbol of a way of life that I strive for. Vermont to me embodies slow, simple lifestyle, no waste mentality, fresh food resources, community reliance, and a balance between nature, industry, and a peaceful life.

Obviously that's just want it embodies, to me, not what it actually is. But it is a state that strives to keep big box stores out, to value different and alternative lifestyles, renewable energies, farming, clean living, and statewide community.

While thinking about it this year, I want my nostalgia to motivate me towards my evolving lifestyle. For the end of August, I'll be meditating on what I want my life to look like for the end of this year, what I want my life to look like going forward, and what that means for this blog space. My time in Vermont will be an inspiration for me.

Hopefully getting back to Vermont will be part of our near future, but for now, I can use my memories to motivate my present!

Is there a place that inspires your day to day? Where is your home away from home?

Something Nice

August 22, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

When friends park their house in your driveway.

What's something nice your feeling this week?

In Search of Milkweed

August 20, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

We are already thinking about and planning our next year's garden. One big focus we have is attracting more pollinators! We are starting to gather seeds from friends, buying them off the internet, and seeking them out around where we live.

We recently set out to find some milkweed near us. It was too early for us to gather seeds, but we had fun spotting the plant! We plan to go back later in the Summer or early Fall to see if we can view more butterflies!

What are some of your favorite pollinator attractors? Is anyone else planning their 2019 garden?

Art and Nature in Cleveland Ohio

August 9, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

Whenever I go on a trip I like to take some time to see some art, a museum, a gallery, and I try to see some nature, a park, a garden, And I love to see a combo of the two.

When I went to Cleveland in June, I didn't get to seek out any museums or botanic gardens, but luckily, just walking around the city, I got to see quite a bit of art and nature!

I loved how much street art and how many murals were just peeping out around town. It gave the city a very new and cared for feel. With the old architecture, and repurposed spaces, made the whole city feel like it would survive anything and still live on.

A city on a body of water is a glorious thing and it was nice to walk only a few minutes from the heart of town and find yourself on a curving river or expansive lake at sunset.

Parks and little bits of nature were all over, and people were out enjoying them at the start of Summer!

Although Cleveland isn't the most ideal walking city, it was the perfect way for me to get acquainted with it! Next visit, I hope to get to a museum, park, or combo of art and nature, but for a first visit I got the perfect taste!

Plastic Free July Wrap Up: Plastic Audit

August 6, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

In 2017 I started my zero waste journey. Zero Waste is the goal, mindful practice is the action. When I use the term Zero Waste, that is my ultimate goal, but Less Waste would be a more accurate description of my evolving lifestyle.

Now that I have gone all the way through my second Plastic Free July, let's take a look back at what my goals were and how I carried them out!

- Audit my trash for the month of July. I have done this before while I was starting out along my ZW journey, and I do it every once in a while to see where I'm at. This month, I plan to mostly audit our recycling.
I kept all my plastic trash separate this month, even items that can be recycled. I also brought plastic waste that was generated outside the house, home with me. It came out to one full paper grocery bag for the whole month.
The biggest plastic waste I had this month were items that I already had but cleaned up and had to throw away or recycle. This contained several recyclable plastic containers, like berry boxes and a flax milk box. There were also a few reusable containers that cracked or broke and I could recycle. We ate out in July and even if we asked we sometimes got condiment containers. We also had a food in a paper boat, but it had a plastic lining. We choose to get milkshake from a place with paper cups, but they changed from waxed to plastic lined so those were waste.
The items I had the most of when I went back through the bag were plastic bags!! Not grocery bags, of course, but some berry bags, cat litter bags, chip bags, bird seed bags, cheese plastic, etc ... These will all get recycled at a local drop off point.

We also had a few pens, we are working through allllll the pens we have so we don't buy new. And we went through a weedwacker wire. Is there a none plastic alternative for this?

- Take the time to recycle the items that are difficult to recycle. We are donating clothes, dropping off our electronics, bringing our plastic bags to drop off centers, and other annoying tasks this month. We still accumulate some of these items, so disposing of them properly is super important.
We did so well with this goal! We recycled plastic bags, electronics, dropped off clothes for donation and books to the library! It felt great to send these items to their proper places and get them out of our house!

- Focus on building our garden for this year and years to come! We recently (finally) planted our front bed and now we are hooked! We cannot wait to create more avenues for us to grow our own food and rely less on conventional, and often plastic packed, fruit and veg.
Our garden is going nuts! One of our favorite things to eat in the summer is cherry and grape tomatoes but we don't eat them often bc they are hard to find without plastic. This Summer, bc or our garden, we are tomato rich!! It's felt amazing to grow our own food this July and we can't wait to garden more and more!

- Utilize local farmer's markets! Summer is the best time for fresh fruits and veggies and I want to eat them all! The farmer's market is a great to get them, plastic free!
Partly bc we have grown our own food, we didn't got to the farmers markets too much in July. But we did have a few great visit to get corn and other Summer goodies.

- Continue to refuse disposable plastics like straws, plastic bags, plastic cups and coffee cups, single use plastic containers, etc... and get better at it!! The more you practice, the easier it becomes!
We did a great job with this in July! Re refused like crazy and made strides to not accept plastic that sometimes slips thru the cracks. We also went out of our comfort zone and got many items in our own containers!

- Preach! Mostly, I try not to be too preachy about my Zero Waste journey, but PFJ is the perfect time to let people know about the horrors of disposable plastics, give them some insight into my lifestyle and ideals, and to hopefully spark them to think to these ideas!
I think I did more of this this month. And it was good!! We have a few restaurants who know us and ask us questions and help us out. I also talked about my drive for a plastic free lifestyle with family and friends. I posted stories and instas and talked to a lot of people on social media!

Overall, I'm sure happy with Plastic Free July. It wasn't entirely plastic free, but it was a great eye opener and a great step forward!

How was your Plastic Free July? Share your triumphs and fails in the comments!

Bullet Journal Check In: August - A Look Back at Full Pages

August 5, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

It's been a minute since we checked in with my Bullet Journal. I still use it every day and it still helps me feel balanced and productive. My BuJo is not that pretty. I have a minimalist style but my journal is very functional so I don't often take the time to make it look perfect.

One thing I love about migrating and starting a new month is to look back at completed pages, and trackers! When I did my August monthly spread, I looked back at some full calendar pages, and the first pages of each month. This journal started this May so I have a few month to look back on.

Fabriano grid notebooks are my favorite notebooks to use for bullet journalling so far. The covers of my journals always et super ugly and dirty! I put my coffee cup and my breakfast on them a lot of days.

The first few pages of my journals are always my index, it was nice that this page was all full by August. I always find stickers and usually stick them in my BuJo.

The first page of each month is a monthly calendar overview and my task lists. Here I'll show two months so you can see how I migrate over, or repeat tasks month to month.

Both these months were pretty busy and I love looking back and seeing how full they look!

One of the joys of bullet journalling is full pages, crossing things off and migrating things to the next month. My journal is never that pretty, I use different pens and it can be messy, I put my coffee cup on it and it gets stains. But I still love the way it looks and find full pages super satisfying!

If you have full Bullet Journal pages that you love, share them!

So You Forgot Your Plastic Free Kit...

July 30, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

What do you do?!

First off, don't panic. You can still minimize your waste and the most important step is to just be mindful. Because I still often forget my kit, I have some experience in figuring out what to do with out it.

Go Without!
First and foremost if I forget my kit, I'll often just not do things that would generate plastic. Sometimes this means not using/eating/drinking/buying whatever it is, but more often, it's just setting aside the idea of the most convenient method.
Example: If I'm thirsty but don't have my cup, I might choose to get water from a water fountain or coffee in a "for here" cup.

Eat In
Take away is convenient, but if I don't have the plastic free means to take it with me, I might choose to eat in so I don't have to use disposables.

Eat it All
If I know I don't have a container to bring home my left overs, or compost, I try to think about it before I eat. I'll choose to eat a little less so as not to need a to-go container or doggy bag.

Foil and Paper
When my eyes are still bigger than my stomach and I do end up having left overs, or when I need something at the store, but don't have my bags, I choose paper or aluminum foil instead of plastic or styrofoam. Choosing a more sustainable, recyclable, or compostable option is better than nothing.
Example: If I choose to shop but don't have a reusable bag for bulk items, most grocery shops have a paper bag you can use. If you can't find one in the bakery section, ask someone at check out. Same goes for packing up my groceries for transport. At the diner, I'll ask for just a piece of foil rather than getting the bigger more wasteful option. Foil can be cleaned, reused and recycled, paper bags can be reused or put in the compost.

Choose No Bag
More often than not, I'll just go without a bag if I forget one. We've carried entire grocery orders home in our hands if we forget our bags. You can't do this all the time, but if it's an option, I'll consider it!!

And sometimes, there's nothing you can do, you have to use a plastic cup, fork, portion container, etc... so if all else fails:

Bring it Home
If I have to get a disposable plastic item, even though I tried my hardest not to, I bring it home and reuse or recycle it. I have often been out and been served a plastic fork, despite having brought my own reusable one. I will save that fork, leave it in my bag, car or jacket pocket and reuse it another time. This has come in handy more times than I can count. I still feel bad about having to dispose of it eventually, but at least I know that it got a little more use.
Example: Reuse plastic cups, flatware, etc... Recycle portion cups, and other disposables at home so you know where they end up, compost napkins, wooden chopsticks, and other single use non plastic items, too!

Plastic is everywhere and it's really hard to try not to use it. The most important thing is to be mindful of the choices you make and put aside your own convenience. Start where you are and do what you can. Maybe your Plastic Free Kit is just getting started, so you have to use a plastic fork. If you choose to carry that fork in your kit for a while, hooray! Maybe your kit is extensive, but you left it at home, it happens! Maybe you asked for a glass but your drink still came in plastic, oh well, you tried! It's important to remember to learn from these incidents and try for better next time.

Hopefully these tips will help and inspire those starting on a plastic free journey!
Do you have tips for getting started? Share them below!

July Plant Update

July 28, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

We've been having such a mild Summer, but in July we've seen some very hot days so far. The plants liked it and it was a great month for plant observations. Flowers were prominent but the real stars of July were all the critters!

Our local garden center is a favorite spot to visit for Summer blooms.

Can anyone tell me what kind of caterpillar this is?

This bee is doing all the good work in our garden!

Our morning glories are finally blooming!

Love these day lilies that were here before we moved in.

Our garden, mid July. I will be posting a garden tour, soon! See it in late July in my last post.

What does every else July plants look like?

Five Days in Cleveland Ohio | Part Two

July 24, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

In my usual style, I crammed a lot into five days when I recently visited Cleveland Ohio. I wanted to highlight the architecture and the feel of the city and you can see that in my last post. There was so much more I wanted to include, so for this part two post, here are some of the places I went and saw.

Bc I was in Cleveland for a wedding I stayed in the Hyatt Arcade, a very historic and fancy hotel I most likely wouldn't have chosen myself. This ended up being perfect for me bc it exemplified the reuse of historic buildings that I enjoyed so much in this city.

I visited a few cute coffee shops, one was right in the ground floor of the hotel!

Cleveland is known for having a ton of great breweries and I was lucky enough to visit four of them in the 5 days I was there. My two favorites were Great Lakes Brewing on the West Side and Noble Beast which is in Downtown.

A must visit for Cleveland is the West Side Market and I almost missed it! The first day I tried to go, it was closed! I made it a point to go back and it was well worth it. I could have spent a lot of time and money exploring this classic indoor food market.

I went to a bunch of other sweet spots and I'm sure there are many more to explore when I go back!

Have you visited Cleveland Ohio? Do you live there? Do you have suggestions of places to visit?

Five Days in Cleveland Ohio | Part One

July 22, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

In late May and early June I had the opportunity to visit Cleveland. I had never been there before, except briefly passing through. I had a few days to wondering around and I loved the city!

I stayed in Downtown Cleveland and spent time walking around, seeing some landmarks, and going to the aquarium. One of the things that struck me most about the city was the amazing architecture and how many old buildings were repurposed into something new. Many were also used for their original purpose and still going strong, like the West Side Market, a bustling food hall full of shops and restaurants. Or small local spots that seemed straight from the 40s.

Here are some of my photos from Cleveland, OH.

I have so much more to show of Cleveland! Look for a Part Two of my trip! Do any of my readers come from or live in Cleveland? What are your favorite places?

My Plastic Free Kit

July 21, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

One way I'm participating in Plastic Free July is to be better about bringing my Plastic Free Kit with me where ever I go. Since starting my zero waste, low impact journey, always having my kit with me has been a struggle but I find when I do bring it it makes my life so much easier.

Creating and carrying a plastic free kit is a great way to start your own plastic free or low waste journey. You don't have to buy anything new to create one, you can use items you already have! The hardest part of having a kit is remembering to bring it with you!

So, what is a plastic free kit? For me, the kit is simply a few items I try to bring with me to help me avoid waste and disposable items. What you have in your kit depends on what you will use most and what will help you avoid using plastic disposables. Your kit can be one or two items, or a whole bunch. Your kit can always be the same items, or can change depending on what you're doing or where you are going. Here is what I usually carry in my kit:

1. A Reusable Cup - Usually insulated to keep hot or cold drinks. Sometimes glass or metal. The one pictured is one I found at my work's lost and found but I have several that I have accumulated over the years. I like reusable cups that have a clear size printed on them.

2. A Small Container. I use this for leftovers or salad bars mostly. But it can also hold bulk items, snacks, or compost I want to bring back home. The one seen here I got last year from the Mighty Nest website. But you don't need to buy anything new!! I also use old tupperware, glass jars, or reused take-out containers for this purpose.

3. A Cloth Napkin. Here I have just a tea towel, but I also have a few thrifted napkin sets, so I'll also bring one of those. This is useful for wiping one's mouth but also for wrapping leftovers and tying into a bag for fruit and veg among many other uses.

4. Produce Bag. I like to keep an extra bag on hand. Cloth bags take up barely any space and are so useful. Use for fruit and veg, carrying groceries or other purchases, loan to a friend, etc... The one pictured was gifted from my BFF; it was her grandmothers!!

5. A Flatware Set:

My set has a a bamboo spoon, fork, and chopsticks. I bought these and the little carrying case last year. It came with a knife, but I find I never use that, so don't carry it. I love the chopsticks tho (highly recommend carrying some chops!). I also carry several metal straws. I don't use straws for most drinks but love milkshakes and smoothies so want to be prepared! You never know when a friend might need one, too.
My advice here would to NOT buy any new forks, knives, spoons, etc!! We all have flatware hanging around that can make a set, or spend a few pennies to get some flatware at a local thrift or charity shop. I like using these bamboo items, but regret buying new when I already had plenty. The carrying case is also not needed.
I would advice investing in some reusable straws.

6. A Carry All Canvas Bag. Once I have all my items I need a bag to carry them in! I prefer a canvas bag bc it's pretty sturdy, can get wet, can take some ware and can be used for a shopping bag, or in other ways as well. I've been using the one seen here, which was a gift, bc it's pretty small but tucks under my arm, and still holds a lot.

I switch out items, this cup for that one, etc... when one needs washed or I left one at work or what have you. If I know I want to get smoothie bowl, I'll bring a bigger container. If I know I'm eating with friend or family, I'll bulk up some items. If I'm going shopping, I'll bring more bags. My kit is fluid and that makes it easy for me. Over all the kit is small and light and easy to carry.

I tend to leave my kit in the car, where I can easily grab it if we are out and about. If we're home and walking around I might grab it to carry with us. My biggest challenge is remembering to bring it with me when I leave the car. I tend to forget until I've gotten far enough away that I don't want to go back. For Plastic Free July I've been more mindful about it and it makes a big difference!!

Have you started your Plastic Free Kit? What was your first item?

The Lighthouse

July 19, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

One of my goals in 2018 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I'm not sure where I got this copy of The Lighthouse, one in a series of Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, by PD James, but I'm guessing it was a book sale or stoop. I don't make it a point to pick up her novels when I see them in the wild, but I should!

I've read several PD James books and her eloquent, subtle, and evocative writing has a way of being lengthy, intricate and simple at the same time. She will form a sentence, that when looked at as a whole, seems exceedingly complex and complicated, but when read, flows so naturally and easily, it is a joy to read.

Combe Island doesn't just seem like a perfect, idyllic, restful spot where a person of very stressful and crucial, high profile job might come to find absolute seclusion, rest, and peace, it was designed that way. It's staff and occupants pride themselves of the total serenity given to the rich and powerful, so they are completely shocked when murder rocks the tiny island. Dalgliesh and his small team are the only appropriate response for such delicate matters.

I put off reading this book for a long time bc it is late in the series of James' most famous detective. Despite it being the 13th book, and taking place in the middle of many of the characters lives, it was easy to jump in having not read many (if any at all) of the other novels. I guess I should have known. Reading this book definitely made me want to read the ones that came before and learn more about the central characters and how they came to be. Besides the revered and astute Dalgleish and his crew, The Lighthouse has the mismatched characters of Combe island for you to get to know. This mystery kept me guessing until the last fourth of the book, and only when I wasn't reading did I think "how will it end?". While reading, I was just hoping to soak up more of the action and intrigue. I would recommend this book to anyone who like mysteries with stoic detectives, anglophiles (like myself), and people who like books set on islands.

What is your favorite book set on an island? Who is your favorite serial detective?

Goals for the Rest of 2018

July 15, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

Last week, I decide it was time to reassess my goals for 2018. Here's what I came up with:

1. Seek Balance - Balance in life, work, and art.

2. Strive to create - Rediscovering things that that help me create and be inspired is a priority for the rest of the year. Letters, tattoos, thrifting, styling, and more might be part of this goal.

3. Be a better blogger - This goes hand in hand with how I feel creative and how I can focus on that goal.

4. Live a mindful and intentional life - Continuing to save money, improve our mental and physical health, provide for and enjoying family and friends, create a curated lifestyle and home, make improvements on our environment at home and abroad, read more, create healthy living routines, etc... all fit into this goal.

5. Continue my zero waste and low impact journey - Every month is plastic free july! Every day is a chance to reduce waste and improve our lives and health!

To help me keep on track and achieve some of these new mid year goals, I've devised a series of weekly challenges for myself. I'm still working on this and so far, my weekly challenges are more more bi weekly. Some have had good success, some still need some tweaking.

What are your goals for the rest of 2018? Have they changed over time?

Mad Cat Capsule: Summer 2018 (July - Sept)

July 12, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

My Summer 2018 capsule came together pretty organically but also took a long time to finalize. It was kind of a meandering process this time around. It really started bc I had been thrifting quite a bit and found items that I loved that didn't work for spring or in my spring capsule. I chose one of those items to be my color inspiration for Summer and got started from there.

I started putting this capsule together in early June, about a month before I would be finished with my Spring capsule. I usually have this kind of fluidity in the last month of each season, sometimes it starts earlier in the month, sometimes later. My colors for Summer are purples (light and rich), yellows (buttery and bright), light blue, bright pinks, grey (of course!), black and white, and a few pops of red.

Here is the inspiration for my Summer Capsule. I've never had a muumuu before and I could not pass this one by! I knew I wanted to use some of my purple pieces for Summer which I think goes well with this palate. Here is the capsule I built around this dress.

Starting with my new thrifted muumuu, I knew I also wanted to wear my black and white striped American Apparel dress, so I went with a combo of geometric, plain, and floral/butterflies for dresses.
6 dresses - butterfly muumuu (thrifted), AA dress (ethical, made in USA), blue roxy geometric zipper dress (thrifted), floral with pockets (thrifted), denim "nurse" dress (thrifted and vintage, Not Pictured), linen "nurse" dress (thrifted and vintage. Not pictured)

I've been obsessed with vintage silk tops.
4 silk tops - purple, yellow, pink and black & white (all vintage and thrifted).

I found these two great semi long sleeve but very light tees recently.
2 long sleeve tees - Linen 3/4 sleeve, grey mesh front long sleeve top (both thrifted).

I got a crop "moon" tee at the clothing swap we did last year and it's inspired me to try more crop tops.
3 crop tops - moons (clothing swap), button back b&w (clothing swap), cream lace (a gift, going on 5-6 years old).

Lots of tee shirts are a must for warm weather (or any weather!).
8 tees - fancy sleeved blue (clothing swap), japan (thrifted), blue AA v neck, grey AA v neck (both over 10 years old and ethically made), tie dye (10+ years old), cat/whale tee (10+ years old), work tee, blue forgotten boardwalk tee (not pictured).

Gotta have a lot of over shirt options.
6 over shirts / sweaters - vans hole sweater, maroon cardigan, lightweight grey cardigan (5-6 years old), blue FAB (found at bar) shirt, dot denim shirt (thrifted), light purple button down (thrifted). Last three not pictured.

This season I'm looking for some trousers (both in my own collection and in thrift shops) so I might add to my pants, but for now, it's all about jeans.
5 pants - engineer jeans (thrifted), banana republic jeans (thrifted), grey jeans (thrifted), everlane jeans (ethically made), bright blue pants (thrifted and not pictured).

I feel like I'm forgetting a skirt? I found the pink skirt at the same time as the muumuu!
3 skirts - pink midi skirt (thrifted), purple with pockets (thrifted), blue stripes (15+ years old).

I wear shorts mostly when chilling at home (never at work), but I do like to have a few for summer.
3 shorts - levis button fly, roxy white (5-6 years old), denim cutoffs (15 years plus, not pictured).

I use tanks mostly for layering or hanging around, but again in summer, you gotta have em.
5 strappy tanks - yellow, blue, purple, bright pink with lace (15+ plus), terry halter (15+ years).
3 ribbed tanks - grey (10+ years. Not pictured), black (10+ years), bright pink.

Besides, bare feet, the only shoes I need for summer are my flops!! Unfortunately I can't wear them all the time. I recently thrifted a great pair of vintage sandals that I can't wait to wear (pictured below). I also want to wear my salt water sandals this year.
8 shoes - Emily boots, tan flats, cat sneaks, grey cons (10+ years), zip boots (thrifted), flops (second hand from a friend), vintage black sandals (vintage and thrifted), salt water sandals (10+ years, made in the USA. Does anyone know the ethics on this company?).

As always this capsule doesn't include sleep wear, swim wear, outerwear or loungewear. No undies, socks, bras, accessories, or jewelry are included either. This capsule comes in at 56 items, 41 of which fall under slow fashion.

Between Spring and Summer, I had some revelations about how capsule wardrobes have helped me find my personal style. I'm planning on sharing those with you in another post, but for now I'm just really excited to wear this capsule!

What capsule are you wearing right now? How do you feel about my choices for Summer? Are there items that you would have left out? Are you interested in seeing outfits I might make from this pieces?

5 Steps to Get You Started for Plastic Free July

July 10, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

Plastic Free July is a month to give up or at least be mindful of not using disposable items like plastic straws, bottled water, plastic bags, disposable coffee cups, etc... and it's a time to be mindful of your plastic consumption in general. This is a great time to think about how our purchases and practices effects the world.

Plastic Free July doesn't suggest you tear through your house abolishing every item of plastic, you can start going plastic free this minute, by simply deciding that you want to.

This can be a a really intimidating undertaking, even if it's only a minute or a month at a time. Here are a few steps you can take today to get you started to have a great Plastic Free July:

1. Get Over Your Own Convenience.
The majority of the plastic we use daily was created to make life "more convenient" for us. Plastic water bottles to get water anywhere and easily, straws to keep our teeth from staining and make our drinks that much closer to our faces, plastic grocery bags, plastic tooth brushes you can buy and just throw out, disposable razors, etc... etc... these items might be helpful to us in the short term but ultimately it's the waste of these items that are creating problems there is currently no solution for, like micro plastics in our oceans and drinking water, like pollution in our rivers and cities. By thinking and being mindful and putting our own convenience aside, we can start to think about healing these problems. Bringing your own water bottle instead of buying plastic might be slightly inconvenient, but it makes a huge impact and all you have to do is get over the idea that everything should be convenient for you!

2. Think About The Life Of Items You Use.
When you buy that disposable plastic water bottle, think about the factory where it was made, the machines filling it, the stream they blocked to get the water, the towns that effected, the truck driver bringing it to the grocery, the stocker putting it on the shelves, and how it got to you. Then think about where you will throw it in the trash, who will pick it up, where it will go, how long it'll be there or if it will make it's way somewhere else, like onto the beach, into the ocean, and into our water. I find this exercise makes it easy to make the decision whether I need an item or if I really don't. Before I buy anything I think about how I will throw it away which has made a huge change in what I buy. This is a simple moment of mindfulness practice that anyone can do. And you can start right now.

3. Learn to Refuse.
One of the easiest ways to cut down on the plastic you use is just to refuse the plastic that is given to you every day out of hand. Ask for no straw at the restaurant, ask for paper bags at the check out, buy soda in cans not plastic bottles, there's a ton of alternatives out there! Once you start refusing the items that are given but you don't need, it's easier to seek out non plastic alternatives.

4. Choose Something To Give Up.
Now that you are getting comfortable saying, "no straw please", or asking for a real cup at the coffee shop, it's time to pick a thing that can give up. Maybe you can give up plastic coated paper coffee cups and bring your own reusable mug. Maybe a water bottle to replace plastic water bottles. Maybe a metal fork so you don't use a plastic one. Now, this doesn't mean you have to run out and buy a bunch of stuff!! You can bring a fork from home, a mug you already have, a tote bag you had lying around, you can reuse the last plastic water bottle you bought until you're ready to get a new one. It's not hard or expensive to have a reusable item and give up a disposable one.

5. Start a Plastic Free Kit.
Now that you've given up using a plastic fork for your lunch and bring a metal fork from home, pick the next thing to give up. Maybe you're used to refusing a plastic straw but you really miss straws, now might be the time to invest in a metal straw. Now you carry a reusable fork and straw! Now you have a Plastic Free Kit! You can continue to give plastic disposable items, and replace them with reusable items. Again, this doesn't mean you have to run out and buy a bunch of stuff. You can, if you want, but you can also look around your house for these swaps, ask your friends and family if they have something that might help you, or seek low cost alternatives at the local thrift store.

I hope these steps help you on your plastic free journey and let you have an easier and less intimidating Plastic Free July. It's about starting where you are and doing what you can. It's about shifting your mindset and your habits. It's not easy but it is simple. Mindfulness is the key.

Need more details? Let me know what you want to learn more about! Let me know what wasn't clear. Want more plastic free tips? Share your PFJ questions and insights in the comments.

Whitesbog Revisited

July 8, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

This is our third year going to the Whitesbog Blueberry Festival and it's one of our favorite June events!! This year was much cooler and cloudy than previous years. It was really nice to do some exploring, eating and observing when it wasn't a million degrees.

We also saw this amazing dog!! How cute and tough is he?

I love to visit and revisit the places we love around NJ. It's so great to see an area in all different weather. Where are your favorite places to visit in your state?

Mid Year Goal Review

July 7, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

Here we are in in July and I've definitely been feeling that mid year slump. My unexpected blogging hiatus has lasted much longer than I intended, I'm having trouble motivating myself to get back started, I'm having trouble motivating to sew and art, I'm struggling a little to be happy and content at work. To try and change this mental slump, I've been brainstorming, reading, and watching some videos that might help inspire and motivate me!

One step I've decided to take is to reassess the goals I made in the beginning of the year. This is something I have never done before. It never occurred to me to change my goals mid year but why not? If the goals I set are not working for me, I should mold them into something that does. My goals should work for me as much as I work towards them.

Here are my original goals for 2018 and how I might modify them:

Be Balanced in Home Life/Art/Personal Endeavors and Work
Since 2015 working on personal endeavors as much as my job has been one of my main goals. At some times this works, at others it does not. In 2018, I would like to continue on this path but to change it slightly. What I find most difficult sometimes is splitting my focus, trying to keep my work, art, life and job separate but equal. This year I want to focus on keeping them Balanced.

Finding a balance between work and personal art and achievements is a constant struggle. Mid year, I want to take time to figure out what I need to do to be creative and productive in my non professional life. And happier in my professional one.

Sew and Quilt More
In 2017 my quilting fell off the map a little after a strong start to the year. I want to get back in the habit of working on quilting more days than I don't. I want to have more finishes in 2018 than last year. There are a bunch of projects (not quilts) that I have been wanting to work on; I'd like to get these done this year! I want to keep up with all my community sewing projects, like YOTS, OMG, and FALs.

This goal is taking a break. I have been unmotivated in sewing and feeling guilty about it. I know it's something I will always come back to so why stress myself out feeling bad about it?

Be a Better Blogger
I want to keep up my progress on my blog and set some goals for myself. I want to make sure I blog at least 23 days each month, explore my favorite columns more, create new content, and make bloggy connections. I want to get back in the habit of writing in my live journal, and use it more as a free flowing, personal, brain dump, style actual journal. I plan to get some items that will help me at work, but I plan to use them for my blogging life as well. I plan to try a standing desk. I have to learn to get better about answering comments!!

This goal still really motivates me!!! Every year I take a blogging hiatus and this year I feel like it was not planned but has already happened. With that out of the way, I can concentrate on blogging hard for the rest of the year! I can't wait to blog more and have some great content ideaas coming up. But LiveJournal doesn't work for me, so that's a no go.

Zero Waste Journey
Last year I began my zero waste journey. In 2018, I plan to continue this journey and take more steps towards becoming plastic free. At the moment, I feel like I still hold myself back from taking easy steps towards this goal, so becoming more mindful and incorporating more ZW routines into my daily life are key for this goal.

This is another one that I am even more excited and motivated about it!! I am so happy about where I am in my ZW journey.

Be Purposeful and Mindful in My Home Life and Relationships
This is a big goal, but I can break it down.
First and foremost, I want to spend more time with my husband and the cats, and make that time more purposeful. We live very busy lives and sometimes togetherness and quality time get pushed to the side. I want to make sure I'm mindful of the little things, like taking photos together, going on walks, exploring, beach combing, and being together intentionally. I want to make sure we are caring for the cats, appreciating where we live and the seasons.
I made strides in decluttering and keeping the house clean, happy and healthy in 2017. This year I want to get even better. I want to tackle a few bigger projects around the house, like finishing our kitchen renovation, fixing up our bathroom, organizing and purging the basement, plus more. I want to continue to take good care of the plants.
I want to continue to see and be mindful about connecting with my family and friends. This includes my immediate family, who live close, but also those that live far away, and friends near and far.
This year, I want to focus on gardening, taking care of our yard, growing food, and composting. Since moving we have wanted to make our property more comfortable and useful. This is the year to do that in earnest.

This is a big goal! But I think we are doing a really great job with this one. We spent 30 minutes the other night pulling caterpillars off our tomato plants and having a great time. That seems like a perfect embodiment of family togetherness and care.

Improve My Health, Wellness, and Mental Well Being.
A lot of things last year worked towards this goal, but in 2018 I want to be more mindful and more intent on really taking care of my health. In February, I turn 39 and I want to make sure that I get healthier and happier as I get older. I want to walk and exercise more regularly and purposely. I want to swim in the summer and learn to do yoga and home workouts. 2018 will be the year I can touch my toes!!
My first full year of having a capsule wardrobe is approaching and I have loved this challenge and routine. I plan to implement even more consciousness about my style and outward appearence to feel better about myself in 2018.
I want to continue to eat and be more mindful of having a plant based diet. I want to make sure that we are eating locally and sustainably as much as possible. I want to increase our health using suppliments, vitamins, essenital oils, and exercise. I also want to make sure I'm maintaining my health by taking my inhaler. My asthma has gotten worse in the last few months and I know this is due to not being strict on taking my meds and also not exercising properly.
Reading, drawing, sewing, creating, and organization have always helped my mental well being and this year I want to focus on all these areas. Watching tv does the opposite, so I want to be mindful of moving away from this fun but unproductive activity.

Another big goal!! Mid year I want to really concentrate on health so that at the end of the year, I don't fall in to laziness. I always struggle more in the Winter months, so I want to make sure I have some good habits in place before then. Everything mentioned in the goal has a place in my mid year review.

Make Time To Travel and Explore
This should be a priority for us but it must be balanced with being at home in our own space. Challenges like exploring one new place per month, doing an overnight every two months, seeing art once a month, going to the beach once a week, etc... might help strike this balance.

This hasn't been a priority for us, and honestly, I haven't thought about it too much. This might happen when it happens but mid year, it's not a goal.

Write 2 Letters Per Month
Writing letters gave me so much joy last year, but I never made the time to do it in a purposeful way. In 2018, I plan to change that.

I really want to get back into this!!

Create 1 Tattoo Per Month
I have very slowly been learning to do Stick and Poke tattoos. This year it's time to branch out and seriously improve this skill. One tattoo per mouth is really ambitious but it's a good goal to strive for.

No progress has been made on this, and it's not going to be a huge goal going forward. If it happens, I'll be happy, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it.

Save Money
We did a good job at saving money and at not over spending in 2017. 2018 is the first year since we moved to NJ that I will work full time all year and I want to have some money saved to show for it.

We've been really mindful of this goal and I think we are on the right track.

I think one of the biggest takeaways for me is to reassess my art and how to be creative. Sewing, tattoos, and other things I've tried to focus on are not doing it for me but I am inspired by clothes, blogging, and other new endeavors!! I'm ready to move forward in those directions.
Going thru my goals has really let me think about what I want for the rest of the year. I think I need a little while to ruminate and come up with my new goals list.

Have you ever changed your goals mid year? Did it help you stay motivated?

Plastic Free July

July 5, 2018 Ana Mo Shoshin

Happy Plastic Free July!

2017 was the first year that I even knew what PFJ was, and it came right at the right time of my life. I was just learning about Zero Waste and the Low Impact Movement. I was thinking about it a lot at that time. But I wasn't ready to really paricipate in PFJ. I was a little at a loss as to how to even do that. But July 2017 was, if I can pin point it, the time where I really started my Zero Waste, Low Impact, journey. That was the month I first tried to refuse straws on the regular, I bought a water bottle and tried to use it, and that was when Low Impact became a serious undercurrent in my life.

So here we are a year later, and this year, I was ready for Plastic Free July! This year, refusing straws is second nature, bringing my water bottle is becoming the norm, I try to always get items in my own containers instead of a disposable container, we no longer use plastic wrap or garbage bags! Continuing these practices is part of my PFJ2018. I also created a list for my self for things to work on this year:

- Utilize local farmer's markets! Summer is the best time for fresh fruits and veggies and I want to eat them all! The farmer's market is a great to get them, plastic free!