Post by Veggiechef on Jan 30, 2010 18:09:19 GMT
This organization was featured recently on a locally produced show on my PBS station. The Backyard Revolution is a group of people in Nelson County, VA who are dedicated to simple, sustainable living and preserving the cultural heritage of our fore bearers. Here are some of their tips which I found on their Blog:
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Green & Focused for the New Year
Well it’s a beautiful New Year and there’s a light snow on the ground yet we are already seeing proof of the bright things to come. Feeling the crunch of holiday spending and time off, we’ve decided to exercise a few changes here in our household, some perhaps not as voluntary as others, but all opening doors and leading to paths with freer mindsets, less baggage, and a more creative, and involved existence.
We called a round-table discussion and came up with some great and highly doable ideas that can be implemented to live a more simple existence, curb spending, reduce debt and get the most from our own Backyard!
Commit to Daily Quiet Time
To begin with, I’ve committed to not only nurturing my Backyard – but to getting familiar with the very core of it – my own mind by establishing a daily personal quiet time. Call it what you will – meditation, devotion, prayer, visualization – sitting down and allowing yourself to be still for even just 10 minutes a day can have huge effects on the peace and general flow of your life. When we’re quiet and take time to stop action, focus on breathing and be a witness to our thoughts, we realize that our thoughts aren’t us – meaning we do have control over what we think. This understanding leads us to a more conscious awareness. Where focus goes, energy flows. Why is this helpful? Because it assists us in…
Focusing on the Positive
When we become more aware of the kinds of thoughts we are thinking, it allows us to choose to replace outdated negative patterns with new, more positive ones. Try the 3 to 1 rule. When you find yourself thinking or saying something negative to or about someone, including ourselves, follow it up with 3 positive statements… It works wonders!
Just Stop Spending
When we get down to it, unless it’s groceries, bills, or housing costs, you can probably make due without it. You can even turn this into a family competition, seeing who can spend the least amount of money within a certain amount of time. It really helps to work with other members of your household when trying to spend less money.
Reduce exposure to commercial advertising
It’s difficult to realize how much the media influences our buying decisions until you remove yourself from the influence. Getting proactive with it helps immensely!
Here are a few ideas on starting the process:
STOP UNWANTED CATALOGS
When you get a catalog, don’t even open it – just put her right into the recycling bin, then check out CatalogChoice.org – this is a great green service that allows you to choose and officially request the cessation of catalog mailings.
* You benefit by reducing mailbox clutter, and the amount of time you spend sifting through unwanted mail.
* Your participation benefits merchants, lowering their cost of distribution and helping them better target their market.
* Your participation promotes the use of best practices in the direct mailing industry.
* Your participation will collectively make a positive impact on our environment. Together we reduce the energy consumed, the carbon emissions, and the lost forests resulting from the current annual production and discarding of unwanted catalogs.
STOP CREDIT CARD OFFERS – call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT, to stop credit cards offers.
SIGN UP ON THE NATIONAL ‘DO NOT CALL’ LIST AND STOP MARKETING CALLS - by calling 1-888-382-1222.
BE SELECTIVE ABOUT YOUR MAG SUBSCRIPTIONS – check out the library if you have a favorite magazine, there are so many available and reduce home based mental clutter!
Minimize or even get rid of your television.
If you are paying for it, STOP! Watching videos and/or DVDs works alright, but in general, what else could you be doing? Try creating one day a week where the television simply doesn’t get turned on. See if you miss it as much as you think you would!
Reduce clutter
Let go of things you don’t truly care about or want to see everyday. If it doesn’t nurture your spirit, release it and make room for more abundance and even better things to come in. One closet a week, one drawer or cabinet a week – all these little efforts will add up and make a tremendous difference! It will also help recondition you to a more simple selection. You can give things away to charity or maybe even sell some things!
Bake or Cook One New Thing a Week
Cooking is a skill like any other. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. Explore the endless possibilities in your own kitchen and turn it into quality time with your loved ones. Save money on fuel, restaurants, and really eat healthy!
Family recipes are one of the most underrated foundations of tradition in our culture today. What would life be without Grandma’s home-baked apple pie! Call up Mom, Grandma, or anybody whose cooking has meant a lot to you over the years, get their recipes, and keep the tradition going!
Shop Locally
Pledging to spend even $20 a week on local foods, services, or items adds up to millions of dollars a year going straight back into our own communities. It’s fresher, healthier, seasonal, more interesting, and is a great way to familiarize yourself with your region’s agricultural heritage. Plus, it’s supportive of local producers and economy. There’s every reason to shop locally!
Get a Library Card
What a resource a local library can be. Family friendly and completely GREEN… Becoming familiar with your local library can virtually eliminate the need to purchase most books, magazines, and newspapers and can even help curb movie rental fees! Explore!
Check out Community Education and Resources in your area
Learning a new skill or finding out about a subject of interest to you is one of the most productive ways to spend time…we are so blessed with opportunities here in Central Virginia…pick a topic and turn on the proverbial light switch! It could lead to things you’ve only dreamed about!
DANCE!
There are so many opportunities to take part in fun, socially engaging exercise! Just google dance in Charlottesville and see what you come up with. Usually for a few dollars, you will get a live band, a fun workout, and the chance to interact with people in the area you might normally, never meet.
Cut out one big screen movie a month
Replace it with local, live theater or a music show. Support local CULTURE instead of Hollywood….at least once a month – it makes such a difference!
Volunteer
There are so many opportunities to help those less fortunate and this experience really does add to the sense of appreciation for all we’ve been blessed with in our own lives. Give it a shot!
Do It YourSelf!
We’ve created a land of outsourcing and it just wasn’t like that ‘back in the day’. Find one thing a week you usually pay someone else to do and turn it into a family activity or even a meditative exercise.
Learn about Edible and Medicinal Plants in our region
Wildcrafting and Folk Medicine are two areas that empower us to remember how self-reliant most folks used to be. When you know what is available to place on the dinner table from your own Backyard, as well as what close-to-miracle cures are right there at our fingertips, it leads us to a deeper connection with our earth which, well, tops just about anything. Takes a lifetime to acquire the breadth of knowledge of various region’s resources so find an expert in your area, take a class, search out a mentor, read a book…explore the wealth of potential just outside the door!
Learn more about Hunting and seasonal Food Fare
Contact the VDGIF and find a class on how to hunt and prepare game for your family. This is an extraordinary was to feed everyone economically while being outside and gaining a greater knowledge of our natural surroundings.
Reduce electricity usage switch by switch.
Just unplugging stereos, tvs, computers and microwaves can add up to tremendous savings – Use candles at night, wash clothes on cold, bundle up instead of cranking the heat, and take fewer showers. Be inventive and go natural!
Overpay
On any bill you pay interest on. Let’s say you add $3 to that amount for your next payment. So, my payment is $250.02. I paid $253, then $256, then $259, and so on. This will reduce your required minimum payment and add up to sturdy long term savings.
GET OUTSIDE AND EXPLORE YOUR OWN BACKYARD!
Used to be more time was spent outside than indoors in unnatural environments – this is not what was intended! Whether it’s birding or hiking, planting a garden or planning one – create outside time everyday… Great for the soul, the body, and our planet!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Green & Focused for the New Year
Well it’s a beautiful New Year and there’s a light snow on the ground yet we are already seeing proof of the bright things to come. Feeling the crunch of holiday spending and time off, we’ve decided to exercise a few changes here in our household, some perhaps not as voluntary as others, but all opening doors and leading to paths with freer mindsets, less baggage, and a more creative, and involved existence.
We called a round-table discussion and came up with some great and highly doable ideas that can be implemented to live a more simple existence, curb spending, reduce debt and get the most from our own Backyard!
Commit to Daily Quiet Time
To begin with, I’ve committed to not only nurturing my Backyard – but to getting familiar with the very core of it – my own mind by establishing a daily personal quiet time. Call it what you will – meditation, devotion, prayer, visualization – sitting down and allowing yourself to be still for even just 10 minutes a day can have huge effects on the peace and general flow of your life. When we’re quiet and take time to stop action, focus on breathing and be a witness to our thoughts, we realize that our thoughts aren’t us – meaning we do have control over what we think. This understanding leads us to a more conscious awareness. Where focus goes, energy flows. Why is this helpful? Because it assists us in…
Focusing on the Positive
When we become more aware of the kinds of thoughts we are thinking, it allows us to choose to replace outdated negative patterns with new, more positive ones. Try the 3 to 1 rule. When you find yourself thinking or saying something negative to or about someone, including ourselves, follow it up with 3 positive statements… It works wonders!
Just Stop Spending
When we get down to it, unless it’s groceries, bills, or housing costs, you can probably make due without it. You can even turn this into a family competition, seeing who can spend the least amount of money within a certain amount of time. It really helps to work with other members of your household when trying to spend less money.
Reduce exposure to commercial advertising
It’s difficult to realize how much the media influences our buying decisions until you remove yourself from the influence. Getting proactive with it helps immensely!
Here are a few ideas on starting the process:
STOP UNWANTED CATALOGS
When you get a catalog, don’t even open it – just put her right into the recycling bin, then check out CatalogChoice.org – this is a great green service that allows you to choose and officially request the cessation of catalog mailings.
* You benefit by reducing mailbox clutter, and the amount of time you spend sifting through unwanted mail.
* Your participation benefits merchants, lowering their cost of distribution and helping them better target their market.
* Your participation promotes the use of best practices in the direct mailing industry.
* Your participation will collectively make a positive impact on our environment. Together we reduce the energy consumed, the carbon emissions, and the lost forests resulting from the current annual production and discarding of unwanted catalogs.
STOP CREDIT CARD OFFERS – call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT, to stop credit cards offers.
SIGN UP ON THE NATIONAL ‘DO NOT CALL’ LIST AND STOP MARKETING CALLS - by calling 1-888-382-1222.
BE SELECTIVE ABOUT YOUR MAG SUBSCRIPTIONS – check out the library if you have a favorite magazine, there are so many available and reduce home based mental clutter!
Minimize or even get rid of your television.
If you are paying for it, STOP! Watching videos and/or DVDs works alright, but in general, what else could you be doing? Try creating one day a week where the television simply doesn’t get turned on. See if you miss it as much as you think you would!
Reduce clutter
Let go of things you don’t truly care about or want to see everyday. If it doesn’t nurture your spirit, release it and make room for more abundance and even better things to come in. One closet a week, one drawer or cabinet a week – all these little efforts will add up and make a tremendous difference! It will also help recondition you to a more simple selection. You can give things away to charity or maybe even sell some things!
Bake or Cook One New Thing a Week
Cooking is a skill like any other. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. Explore the endless possibilities in your own kitchen and turn it into quality time with your loved ones. Save money on fuel, restaurants, and really eat healthy!
Family recipes are one of the most underrated foundations of tradition in our culture today. What would life be without Grandma’s home-baked apple pie! Call up Mom, Grandma, or anybody whose cooking has meant a lot to you over the years, get their recipes, and keep the tradition going!
Shop Locally
Pledging to spend even $20 a week on local foods, services, or items adds up to millions of dollars a year going straight back into our own communities. It’s fresher, healthier, seasonal, more interesting, and is a great way to familiarize yourself with your region’s agricultural heritage. Plus, it’s supportive of local producers and economy. There’s every reason to shop locally!
Get a Library Card
What a resource a local library can be. Family friendly and completely GREEN… Becoming familiar with your local library can virtually eliminate the need to purchase most books, magazines, and newspapers and can even help curb movie rental fees! Explore!
Check out Community Education and Resources in your area
Learning a new skill or finding out about a subject of interest to you is one of the most productive ways to spend time…we are so blessed with opportunities here in Central Virginia…pick a topic and turn on the proverbial light switch! It could lead to things you’ve only dreamed about!
DANCE!
There are so many opportunities to take part in fun, socially engaging exercise! Just google dance in Charlottesville and see what you come up with. Usually for a few dollars, you will get a live band, a fun workout, and the chance to interact with people in the area you might normally, never meet.
Cut out one big screen movie a month
Replace it with local, live theater or a music show. Support local CULTURE instead of Hollywood….at least once a month – it makes such a difference!
Volunteer
There are so many opportunities to help those less fortunate and this experience really does add to the sense of appreciation for all we’ve been blessed with in our own lives. Give it a shot!
Do It YourSelf!
We’ve created a land of outsourcing and it just wasn’t like that ‘back in the day’. Find one thing a week you usually pay someone else to do and turn it into a family activity or even a meditative exercise.
Learn about Edible and Medicinal Plants in our region
Wildcrafting and Folk Medicine are two areas that empower us to remember how self-reliant most folks used to be. When you know what is available to place on the dinner table from your own Backyard, as well as what close-to-miracle cures are right there at our fingertips, it leads us to a deeper connection with our earth which, well, tops just about anything. Takes a lifetime to acquire the breadth of knowledge of various region’s resources so find an expert in your area, take a class, search out a mentor, read a book…explore the wealth of potential just outside the door!
Learn more about Hunting and seasonal Food Fare
Contact the VDGIF and find a class on how to hunt and prepare game for your family. This is an extraordinary was to feed everyone economically while being outside and gaining a greater knowledge of our natural surroundings.
Reduce electricity usage switch by switch.
Just unplugging stereos, tvs, computers and microwaves can add up to tremendous savings – Use candles at night, wash clothes on cold, bundle up instead of cranking the heat, and take fewer showers. Be inventive and go natural!
Overpay
On any bill you pay interest on. Let’s say you add $3 to that amount for your next payment. So, my payment is $250.02. I paid $253, then $256, then $259, and so on. This will reduce your required minimum payment and add up to sturdy long term savings.
GET OUTSIDE AND EXPLORE YOUR OWN BACKYARD!
Used to be more time was spent outside than indoors in unnatural environments – this is not what was intended! Whether it’s birding or hiking, planting a garden or planning one – create outside time everyday… Great for the soul, the body, and our planet!
