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Friday Five: Blogs I Heart, volume 1

April 18, 2014 by Jana 6 Comments

My brain is exhausted this week. Between the seriously fucked up weather, still not having a debit card to replace the one with the stolen numbers, and revamping my blogger mentoring program’s site for what feels like the 98th consecutive week, not to mention sleeping like shit, I’ve got nothing left. Like seriously, nothing. I’m surprised I’m even forming coherent sentences at this point.

Fortunately, there are dozens and dozens of bloggers around who have working brains and write really good blogs to prove it. So rather than spewing drivel, I’m giving you 5 ladies whose blogs you should read instead:

Life According to Steph—I met Steph freshman year of college and many, many years later she’s still one of the smartest, funniest, most opinionated people I know. Her blog is a wonderful array of general thoughts, organizational tips, recipes, pictures of pugs, and overall awesomeness. I promise, you will laugh out loud, and sometimes learn something really helpful, when you read her posts. So you should do that. Now. I’ll be here when you get back.

Beauty School Dropout–I’m a new reader to Sarah’s blog but it’s one that I visit regularly. She talks about topics that I totally relate to, like being a parent, her monthly goals and her progress (she gives herself a grade each month rather than a pass/fail system, which is I think is a fantastic ideas), shares lots of pictures, and overall just seems like someone I’d be friends with in real life (honestly, I feel that way about all the ladies on this list). Make sure you add her blog to your to-read list.

This is obviously NOT Sarah. But it's how her blog got its name so totally relevant. — This is obviously NOT Sarah. But it’s how her blog got its name so totally relevant.

Till Then, Smile Often—Kerry’s blog, like Steph’s, is a great mix of topics. One of my favorites ones, aside from the ones about her dog Seamus and her book reviews, is her Be The Change movement where she gives ideas for random acts of kindness. My favorites so far are to leave a box of tennis balls at a dog park and to leave a stack of quarters at a laundromat. How easy and inexpensive are those to do? And think of the difference they’ll make for someone! For more ideas, make sure to check her out!

She Crab Soup—The best part about Kelli’s blog? You mean, besides the great writing, awesome picture practice project (which I’m really trying to do), the fact that she’s completely relatable, and she’s also a (former) criminal justice person? She lives at the beach and shares lots of pictures! And the pictures are amazing. Go look at her site right now and you’ll see what I mean.

According to Athena—Athena is someone I’ve known for a couple of years now (we met through blogging) and she’s also my personal goals accountability partner and FinCon roommate. Like me, she love books and music and wine. It’s no wonder we get along so well! Her blog leans towards the personal finance side but she incorporates travel, daily life, and random thoughts. Her blog is worth the visit, especially for the music. So go read her blog and get your groove on at the same time.

someecards.com - I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of the wine I'm guzzling in order to tolerate you.

P.S. This is not how I feel about Athena but rather something I’m fairly certain she’d say. It’s why I love her.

P.P.S. I know this post isn’t at all pioneer related but I’m pretty sure even they took a day off now and then.

I think I’m going to make this a monthly feature. Because it was SO hard to choose and I want to give all the blogs I read their due accolades.

What are some of your favorite blogs?

Linking up with the Northeast Bloggers Network:

Encouraging the non-reader

April 16, 2014 by Jana 9 Comments

If I remember my American history correctly (which, let’s face it, I might not. You know, because I’m getting old), pioneers loved books (well, the ones who could read loved books). And given the fact that books and magazines were not published with the frequency that they are today, and were not as readily available as they are today, they treasured the ones they could get their hands on.

I get it. I love books. Like, a lot. I genuinely cannot remember a time in my life that I couldn’t read or had bookshelves full of books or a list of more books to read than I could ever find time for. Everything about books makes me happy and I’m pretty sure one of my dream jobs would be working as a book buyer for my state’s library system. Buying books with someone else’s money?!

Sign. Me. Up.

Given my enthusiasm for books, it makes me sad when people tell me they don’t like to read, especially when you think about the pioneers who wanted books and had no access to them. I once worked with a woman who told me she hadn’t been to a library since her son, who was 22 at the time, was a toddler. I wept a little inside at that comment. But it’s people like her that I want to reach. It’s people like her that I want to come around and understand the immense value and power of books.

But how?

That’s the hard part.

So I started brainstorming some ideas for getting those who don’t enjoy reading to read more (and enjoy it!). Or, at the very least, to give it a shot. Here’s what I came up with:

Start a book club
Invite some friends or co-workers and choose a book with widespread appeal (even if you don’t understand the appeal of the book. Yes, 50 Shades series, I’m looking at you). Make it an enjoyable experience and hold the monthly discussions at a restaurant or hold a potluck. Talk about the book in general rather than philosophical terms. If you don’t want to start a book club, recommend one that you know about (like the Little House book club I’m hosting).

Attend an author reading
Sometimes seeing an author passionately speak about a book or read passages from it is enough to get you hooked. I saw Garth Stein do a talk/reading about The Art of Racing in the Rain a few years ago and I am an even bigger fan now. If someone you know isn’t into reading, try to convince them to go with you to something like that, especially if it’s free. They might make a personal connection to the author and give his or her books a try.

Buy books as gifts
I know that for someone who doesn’t like to read, a book may seem like a strange gift. But maybe she doesn’t read because the thought of picking out a book is overwhelming or they just don’t know what they like to read or he doesn’t have the money to buy books or something else. If you take some time to think about that person’s interests, likes, hobbies, etc., I’m certain you will find something enjoyable for that person to read. Then, she might read it because it a) was free and b) is in the house.

Some other ideas I came up with are: drive someone to the library and on the way, espouse the benefits using it; talk about or mention books you’re reading in conversations (as in “Did you see the trailer for Gone Girl? What a great book! I hope the movie does it justice.”); or you can mention all the ways that your kids’ school encourages them to read or the free programs to get books to kids (PJ Library, Imagination Library) and how you wish adults had that. This might open up a conversation, too.

I understand that book brainwashing might not be effective on everyone. But if one person converts from a non-reader to a reader, then it’s worth it.

What would you do to convince someone to start reading more or just start reading?

Tips for beginner container gardening

April 14, 2014 by Jana 8 Comments

One of the reasons I started this project was to prove that you do not need 846 acres to live a more pioneer-like life. I wanted to show that you can live in a townhouse (which is what I lived in when the idea originated), apartment, house with almost no yard space, or any other dwelling and still develop the skills that helped keep the pioneers alive. Particularly gardening. Because, you know. Food.

Not my plant. I wouldn't grow cauliflower. I found this picture on Flickr. — Not my plant. I wouldn’t grow cauliflower. I found this picture on Flickr.

Having lived in a townhouse with very ~~strict~~ thorough and comprehensive HOA rules for 9 years prior to moving into our house, I know how hard it is to want to be more self-sufficient in your food production yet not have the ability to do it. Fortunately, my husband and I found the best way to get around the rules and limited space.

Container gardening.

Container gardening is absolutely perfect for not only beginner gardeners but also those who can’t plant food or honestly, are too lazy to do it (which is me. Completely. All that digging and raking and shit? No thank you). It also gives you the satisfaction of growing some of your own food without having to deal with pain in the ass HOA board members or having to lose some precious backyard space, although you will have to deal with losing some patio or balcony space. Unless you use a window box and only plant things like herbs and spices. Which is fine, too. Fresh herbs and spices are awesome.

But let’s say you decide to do some container gardening and use a window box for something pretty like flowers or as a trap for Twiddlebugs. First, I commend you on making a good choice. Second, if you’re going to have a container garden, there are some lessons I learned from years of ~~doing it~~ watching my husband that I think will make your garden successful:

Pick one to two plants. Three at the most. Any more than that and your containers will start to overtake your small space and then it becomes some sort of vegetable jungle instead of a garden. No one wants to battle a rogue tomato plant on their way to work.
Pick plants you will actually eat. Radishes may be easy to grow but if you’re not going to eat them because you’re not a Fraggle, it’s a waste of money and labor. The point of a garden is to have fresh fruit and vegetables and save money at the supermarket. That doesn’t happen if you’re planting stuff you won’t use. It’s food waste and money waste, and your pioneer friends would be upset.
Evaluate your space. You’d have to do this with a regular garden, too, but for container gardening, you need to know precisely how much room you have, which spot is the best, and how much sun it does or doesn’t get. This will also impact what plants you grow. If the only spot you have is mostly shady, you can’t grow a plant that needs full sun. So after you evaluate your space and know what you can grow, make sure you’re paying attention to the necessary growing conditions of the plants you select.
Pick plants that will produce a lot. If you are growing only a few plants, you want them to give you a whole lot of food. Plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries are known for being great producers. But have a plan for the extras to avoid food waste. Some suggestions: start canning, give some away or sell some to your neighbors in a quasi-farmer’s market setting.
Get creative. Even if you have a tiny, tiny balcony and don’t want to give up space, you can still garden. Besides using the aforementioned window boxes, did you know that there are tomato plants that grow upside down? You can also grow similar types of plants in one container, giving you variety without the real estate. How about some hanging plants? A little creative planning can give you a good garden and enable you to still have some room.

Don’t forget: even though you’re growing the plants in a container, you still need to water, prep the soil, prune, and do all of the other stuff you would if you had planted them in the ground. Fortunately, it’s not nearly as much work. But it is still work. Work that’s worth it, though. Because anytime you can eat your work, that’s a good thing.

Have you done container gardening? What tips and suggestions did I miss?

Pity party, table for 1

April 9, 2014 by Jana 11 Comments

So it’s only Wednesday and this week pretty much sucks. In addition to some personal stuff, I’m battling the onset of a depressive episode, I’ve had my debit card number stolen, and yesterday, I found out that I need reading glasses. That last one not particularly hard because as if I wasn’t already feeling old, that sealed the fact that I am, in fact, closer to 40 than 30. Even if I feel maybe 17 on a good day.

But we’ll talk about my birthday and feelings on getting older in June. When I was born.

All of this has me feeling really bad for myself. In a “woe is me, my life sucks, and this is the worst week EVER” type self-pity. And as much as I want to crawl into bed with a book and sleep until the week is over, I need to get over this shit. I mean, when Pa Ingalls lost his entire wheat crop to grasshoppers, he didn’t cry or act out; he cleaned up and moved on. When Mary went blind, she didn’t stop sewing or learning; she just went about them differently.

And quite frankly, losing your entire source of income or your site is way worse than what I’m dealing with.

I’m not religious but I have several close friends who are, and I’ve heard them talking about finding what they’re thankful for in the midst of bad situations. I feel like this is something that the pioneers would do–being grateful in a shitty situation. Given my week, I think I’m going to give it a shot.

Here goes.

Instead of being pissed off that my debit card number was stolen, I’m grateful that my bank is so vigilant about that stuff and I received an email notifying me of the suspicious purchase within 30 minutes of it happening. I’m grateful they have a 24 hour customer service line and they were able to freeze my card immediately. I am also grateful that all of the bills I paid using the card went through and none of my accounts are delinquent as a result. And I’m grateful that my husband has a different card number so we still have access to our money.
Instead of being upset that I need reading glasses, I’m grateful for our health insurance that affords me the ability to have a yearly eye exam so my deteriorating eyes could get help before it became a major problem. I’m grateful that we have an FSA that had enough money in it so we could pay for the glasses because this was not at all a planned expense (so no accrued debt for the glasses). And I’m grateful other than needing glasses, I have no other issues with my eyes.
The depression thing is a little harder. I’m not particularly thrilled about it, but I’m grateful that I know what the symptoms are so I can ward them off as best I can. I’m grateful that I have friends I can talk to who understand what this feels like, I’m grateful I have a blog where I can vent about it, and I’m grateful that I have the kind of schedule that allows for the type of self-care I need.

Gratitude is hard, yo.

But.

Having written all that out, I can’t say that I feel 100% better but it definitely did help to see how much worse it could be. I have a lot more to be happy about than I do to be upset. And wallowing in self-pity, while it feels good, isn’t going to improve anything. I own big girl panties for a reason. I think with them, and my new, healthy does of gratitude, I can make it through the rest of the week.

And, if none of that works, I can always look at this picture of Hank, the baseball dog. Because he is my favorite thing of the year so far.

It’s not pretty, it’s our garden

April 7, 2014 by Jana 15 Comments

Two months into this project, I’ve learned 3 key lessons:

1. Being a pioneer is hard work. Dirty, grueling, get your hands dirty hard work.
2. Being a pioneer takes a lot of patience. Like, a lot. More than I have some days.
3. Being a pioneer is pretty damn expensive, particularly when you’re just getting started and you need to buy materials. No wonder it took the Oregon Trail travelers a year to save the money to get started.

Case in point: our garden.

When I decided I wanted to embark on the adventure that is pioneer living, I knew I had to get my husband on board. Mainly because I needed his support on some of the skills I’m attempting to learn (we’ll talk more about this another day, but let’s just say yarn is an asshole) but also because I needed him to do the literal and figurative heavy lifting on putting together our garden. Because gardening was essential to pioneers. You know, so they could eat and not starve to death.

So of course I had to do it.

Fortunately, the husband enjoys gardening whereas I enjoy the concept of gardening. So we had a family discussion regarding what we were going to plant but I stepped back and let him do whatever it was he needed to do to get it started. Because, quite frankly, I’m better off staying away from plant life. I am the grim reaper of the plant world. I’m pretty sure plants begin to die if I even think about going near them.

And let me just say this–Friends, if you have a spouse who is overly enthusiastic about gardening and you truly don’t give a shit, you will have to endure many conversations about tilling, amending soil, early crops, late crops, composting, containers, bugs, fertilizer, and more topics that will bore you to literal tears. I have found the best way to handle the situation is to smile, nod, and say “whatever you need to do is fine with me”.

Giving the husband free reign over the garden made him almost as happy as if I told him I assembled Tiger Woods, Cal Ripken, and John Elway and they were all going to play golf at Augusta National. He took the authority and ran with it. At his insistence, all winter, we worked on our compost pile, planned where in our backyard we’d have the garden, and he even created a very detailed chart/blueprint with the different plots, plants, and layout.

This made me realize it was a good thing he was in charge of this particular project. Because if left up to me, we’d have approximately nothing accomplished.

After what felt like an eternity of olanning and talking, the weather finally cooperated this weekend and we were able to get the plots dug and some of the seeds planted. Apparently, there are some seeds that need to be started inside rather than outside and we worked on that, too.

While he was digging, my daughter and I wrote out plant markers on Popsicle sticks so we know what plants are where:

When he was done digging, this is what everything looked like (note: he still has 3-4 more plots to dig but apparently our backyard is crap and he needs a tiller. In a lucky turn of events, we finally don’t have to play for something and he’s borrowing one from a co-worker):

Then we planted the seeds and he and our daughter watered them. I avoided this part because I really, really hate mud and having it on me makes me cringe. (Also, real men use a pink Dora watering can. Back off ladies, he’s mine):

When it was all done, it looked like this. I know it doesn’t seem like much now but I’m hoping that in a few months, when I wrote a follow-up, you’ll see actual plants instead of just dirt. Excuse me. Soil.

Everything about planting the garden made me unhappy. The dirt. The money we had to spend to get it started. The endless waiting for the right time. The dirt. And while I know I’ll enjoy the result of this project, right now, it kind of sucks. But it did up the level of respect I had for the pioneers, particularly those who had absolutely nothing when they started.

So there’s that.

And just to prove I’m not the the only one who dislikes the process, here’s a picture of my cat, sitting under our barbecue, staying clear away from the actual labor part of gardening and watching approvingly. Because she’s knows how to get shit done.

Friday Five: Blogs I Heart, volume 1

Encouraging the non-reader

Tips for beginner container gardening

Pity party, table for 1

It’s not pretty, it’s our garden

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