Saving your toes from winter woes

So it's that time of year that you look out the window and go, "ughh. Really?" and feel an overwhelming sense of dread as you imagine scraping your car off. Well, if you're here in Ohio, that's the case anyway.

At first it looks pretty, falling like a delicate white powder. Then you see piles of grayish slush on the streets. The bottoms of your pants get soaked, and you hide indoors until absolutely necessary to be otherwise. I'd like to write off snow as a terrible, awful thing because I'm (already) tired of seeing it. But there are things we can do, of course, to lessen the blow and make things better for our home and family.

The tip I'd like to discuss here: take off your flippin' shoes! This one is truly close to my heart-- as there is an unmentioned person in my household that swears up and down that he did in fact take his shoes off at the door and yet I still seem to step in water puddles all over the kitchen... interesting, no?

Why is it important to not track this water all over the house? Aside from avoiding wet socks, there are a few reasons why this is important:

1. Melting salts could be tracked into your home and can be potentially dangerous to pets if ingested. It's also terrible for their paws.

2. Tracked water and melting salts can cause damage to the finish on many types of flooring, such as marble, polished concrete, or certain types of tile and grout.

3. Puddles of water on hard surfaced floors are safety hazards. You certainly wouldn't want a loved one to slip and fall! Or a stranger to sue you for neglect....

I'm sure there are a variety of other reasons, but you get my point. Having a rug by the door and not tracking snow is very important-- and less annoying than the alternative.

As for the snow? Grab some hot chocolate and imagine someplace warm. Things could certainly be worse!

Because nothing particular has caught my attention on the interwebs today, and I have had no profound epiphanies, I'm left to talk about my breakfast. Yes, my breakfast. It may not look like much up there. You're probably thinking, "what in the world is that pile of stuff on that plate? What in the world does this have to do with conscious living or the home?" The pile consists of an english muffin (high fiber type), a fried egg, some sauteed asparagus and spinach, and some leftover garlic and hotsauce from Aladdin's. As for the other question... well, aside from that fact that is is food, and therefore found in the home... I don't really know. But it was a darn good open-faced English Muffin Egg Sammich. I would recommend you to make one of your own.

I guess one point I could make here is how great cooking is. I know not many of us really have time for it, but it makes life so much healthier than hitting up fast food or eating at restaurants constantly. I've also found it to be an excellent group activity-- between friends and family members. So if you haven't recently, bust out the pots and pans. Go crazy! And don't forget to buy local :)

Sometimes it's about appreciatin' whatcha got

Photo Link Here


I encountered some financial hardship in the last couple days. Like many other Americans, I sat and thought, "why me?" The economy is terrible, and I'm struggling to "make ends meet." While it's true that I'm going to have to pull some fancy footwork to get the bills paid, I had to take a step back and look at my situation. I was complaining about my situation to a friend, and I realized I was doing so on a laptop. I was sitting at the dining room table, eating my dinner. I certainly wasn't eating ramen, and I certainly don't have to wait in line for a couple hours for a meager plate of food to feed an entire family.

I'm not saying that those of us who by some stroke of accident or miracle ended up living in a country that has the infrastructure and resources to give us our basics don't have the right to improve our situations. However, I don't think we spend nearly enough time appreciating what we have. Our culture implores us to want more. More. And then even more. I think there's merit in trying to improve the standard of living, but how much do we really need? We have a "stuff" culture, and I'm just as guilty as anyone else. My closet is over-stuffed with clothing I don't wear. Every morning I drink coffee with flavored creamer. Excess finds itself even in the life of a poor college kid.

So I'm not going to tell you to give up your lattes, or post depressing photos of starving Haitian children (we see them on the news every day as it is). And I'm also not going to assume that everyone reading this is a well-off member of American society. I'm just trying to put things in perspective. If you look at the map above, you see that a large portion of the country's citizens are living in poverty. That obviously does not encompass the countless others in other areas of the world. It's a bit of an eye opener.

So this post I'm going to request you take a look at your life, your home. Don't run out and sell all of your personal belongings to donate the money to charity (unless you really want to). But think about the the things you've "needed" recently and ask yourself if it truly is a need... or just a want. Take a look at your home, and don't think "what more can I buy," but think, "how can I improve the space I have using what I've got?" Sometimes it's just a matter of rearranging a room to better suit your needs, or organizing a space around a particular activity. Spend more time with your family and friends. Take a look and reassess what is important in your life.

It's not about cutting out all consumerism, it's about living consciously-- and taking the time to appreciate your situation for what it is.

Curried Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

I know it's wintertime, and buying fresh produce can be expensive. Regardless, I just wanted to stress to everyone that buying local is important. As much as I bash capitalism at times (I think we all need to take a step back and look at how driven we are by media and "things"), it's important to practice conscious consumerism. Buying local is one way we can give back to the community while improving our health-- and cooking is a great activity to do with family or friends.

Here's a recipe I created from ground up (literally? haha). It's a healthy option, and great for the colder winter months :)

Curried Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

4 tbsp. Butter
½ small sweet onion, diced
1½ tbsp. fresh minced ginger
3 medium carrots, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1½ tbsp. minced garlic
5 medium sweet potatoes or yams, mashed coarsely
1 can chicken broth (or vegetarian broth)
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1¼ c. milk
¼ c. sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, optional

Saute onion, carrots, zucchini, garlic, and ginger in butter until onion is translucent and carrots are slightly tender. Add broth and let boil for 5 minutes, or until carrots are at your desired tenderness. Add curry powder and cinnamon, then stir in mashed potatoes*. Add milk to desired consistency and let cook another 5 minutes. Add sour cream, then salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

*I mashed half of the potatoes coarsely, then the other half til smooth. This gives the soup a bit more texture.

Eco-friendly Options in Terrazzo

There are a few reasons why I think Enviroglas is a great option for your bathroom or kitchen. I mean, it's ecologically sound, and a great option for recycling glass. They've made terrazzo highly affordable here, and that's always a perk. But in all honesty, it's just cool. I'm a personal lover of innovation and mixing being green with unique decor just makes me fell all warm and fuzzy inside.

And let's be honest, here, you have the option of bespeckling your countertops with glow in the dark aggregate. That's pretty epic.

Just bear in mind the importance of having clean terrazzo. I would suggest having it sealed for sure (naturally in the kitchen the stone will get wet. You dont want water damage). And keeping it free of food and such. Salt will wear down finish, among other things. A clean kitchen is a clean mind, anyway, right?

So if you're looking to incorporate recycled products into the building of your home, here ya go, folks. Remember that many natural stone products can be eco-friendly-- just in terms of care. Many don't require harmful chemicals to be properly taken care of.

Look out for more products and tips to make your home more environmentally friendly :)

How we live is a choice we make

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." -George Moore

I find this quote to be really moving for a couple reasons. Sure, it's comforting to think about home as the place where we find happiness. But the reality is that we create that happiness for ourselves through the home. I don't think the home includes only the furniture and belongings we accumulate throughout our lives. It obviously includes the other people who live there, that we care about. But how we choose to present ourselves through our home, and ultimately how we live our lives through our home is very important. It's not just about things, it's about living consciously. That could mean creating space that functions more harmoniously for your children, or living green. All of these are choices we make.

I think what George is trying to say here is that we go looking for the answers everywhere else, and we have to find them within ourselves.

So what am I talking about, pray tell? I'm talking about finding solutions for your home and life that will allow you to find sanctuary in your own space. Sure, that could mean I'm going to give you the low-down on lighting options for your home. Or the best tips for cleaning marble floors. But I'm also going to talk about how you can strengthen family bonds through a family game night or give you recipes that help you to live life a bit healthier. Your home is your life, and you cant just focus on one aspect of it. You have to look at the big picture.

I hope to shed some insight, and I hope your journey to conscious living is an enjoyable one :)