Phase II of our "finding joy with less" experiment is complete. Yesterday we sold one of our two cars, reducing our vehicle fleet by 50%. We are now a one car family with two very active and busy kids. Not to mention Steve is still working out in Eden Prairie and I in Wayzata. Steve has committed to biking to work 4 days a week (he works from home on Mondays) and I have committed to keep driving to my job Monday-Wednesday (I'm home very Thursday & Friday). Steve will be the more fit of the two of us.
Our back up plan in a pinch you ask? The HOURCAR http://www.hourcar.org/
Benefits of this change:
1. Reduce costs in terms of insurance, gas, maintenance
2. Reduce our carbon footprint
3. Reduce stress in having to think about or worry about another vehicle
4. More thoughtful and deliberate in decided when and where we will drive
I'll let you know how it goes.......
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Less Space and City Living Makes for Closer Relationships
My husband Steve and I were talking last weekend about the changes we've been noticing since moving into the city and condo living in the past few months.
For starters, Steve and I are enjoying more "date nights" together. Instead of having to plan a night out, we now have the luxury of stepping outside our building on a weekend night and walking to a nearby bar for a drink or enjoying the night life going on around us. Last night we walked a couple of blocks to the Dakota Street Festival on Nicollet Mall. Music has always been a big interest for Steve and I and we were lucky enough to experience a new band called Davina and Vagabonds (http://davinaandthevagabonds.com/). Check them out! It was perfect music for a hot humid night in downtown Mpls. It was great to see so many people downtown, all ages and backgrounds, enjoying the music and the beautiful city around us. Best of all, it was free (except for our beer) and we walked!
In any case, Steve and I are enjoying some much needed simple fun time together by exploring the nightlife around us. Can't wait for our next little adventure.
We have also noticed that we've been spending more time with our kids. One of my big fears of moving into a condo was that our kids wouldn't be able to run outside whenever they wanted. They were so used to running out the front door, down to a neighbors house, or just hanging in our backyard. I was concerned about our lack of yard and their inability to just pick up and run outside whenever they felt like it.
Although it's been a bit of an adjustment, the kids have made the transition unscathed and an added bonus is that we've noticed that we are spending more time with our kids. We were a close family in our previous home but spending more time together within a smaller space has increased our communication with one another which is always a positive. As my kids begin to enter their teen years, I want to create an environment where we can have honest and open communication with each other. Obviously this can be done in any home, big or small, but I think the increased time together in a smaller space forces more communication. Not to mention, with the diverse situations we run into in the city (just walking down Nicollet Mall) has prompted some great questions and subsequent discussions with my kids around homelessness, poverty, disability, and mental illness. These experiences have brought forth and shown me the compassion both my kids have for other people.
For starters, Steve and I are enjoying more "date nights" together. Instead of having to plan a night out, we now have the luxury of stepping outside our building on a weekend night and walking to a nearby bar for a drink or enjoying the night life going on around us. Last night we walked a couple of blocks to the Dakota Street Festival on Nicollet Mall. Music has always been a big interest for Steve and I and we were lucky enough to experience a new band called Davina and Vagabonds (http://davinaandthevagabonds.com/). Check them out! It was perfect music for a hot humid night in downtown Mpls. It was great to see so many people downtown, all ages and backgrounds, enjoying the music and the beautiful city around us. Best of all, it was free (except for our beer) and we walked!
In any case, Steve and I are enjoying some much needed simple fun time together by exploring the nightlife around us. Can't wait for our next little adventure.
We have also noticed that we've been spending more time with our kids. One of my big fears of moving into a condo was that our kids wouldn't be able to run outside whenever they wanted. They were so used to running out the front door, down to a neighbors house, or just hanging in our backyard. I was concerned about our lack of yard and their inability to just pick up and run outside whenever they felt like it.
Although it's been a bit of an adjustment, the kids have made the transition unscathed and an added bonus is that we've noticed that we are spending more time with our kids. We were a close family in our previous home but spending more time together within a smaller space has increased our communication with one another which is always a positive. As my kids begin to enter their teen years, I want to create an environment where we can have honest and open communication with each other. Obviously this can be done in any home, big or small, but I think the increased time together in a smaller space forces more communication. Not to mention, with the diverse situations we run into in the city (just walking down Nicollet Mall) has prompted some great questions and subsequent discussions with my kids around homelessness, poverty, disability, and mental illness. These experiences have brought forth and shown me the compassion both my kids have for other people.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Having a vacation mindset every day.
What a great weekend it was. Owen and Steve left Friday morning for a quick three day road trip to Kansas City to catch a couple of Twins games. There must have been something in the water because the Twins swept the Royals! While the boys were away Nora had her good friend Emily over Friday night for a sleepover. It's like a big adventure having friends over! Hanging out on the balcony is exciting, going for a swing on our plaza is fun, seeing the city lit up at night is amazing and falling asleep with the hum of the city is an experience in itself! It's very fun to see how our friends and family react to spending the night in the city, on the 22nd floor. It's like a mini vacation for them (and us).
On Saturday Emily's mom (Stacy) and sister (Olivia) joined us. It was a beautiful day as we took a stroll up the Loring Greenway stopping and dipping feet in at each of the cool fountains. We enjoyed a sun filled lunch on top of Joe's Garage. Stacy commented how she felt like she was on vacation. How great is it that you can escape for an afternoon to the city and feel like you're on vacation! I realized how lucky we are to have all of these great resources at our disposal, within walking distance, every day. Loring Park, music on Peavey Plaza, the Downtown Library, Walker Art Center. Much of which is free. We are so lucky to live in such a rich, beautiful and diverse city! I HEART Mpls!
Monday, May 30, 2011
On the Mend
My strategy of taking it easy and asking my family to help out a bit more, in order to heal my aching back, is paying off! My back is feeling much better (although not 100%). I am happy to say I can now get out of my car without grimacing and with no help from my kids. My son Owen has now mastered the skill of doing laundry all by himself, and I had a good excuse for Nora and I to get our first pedicures together over the weekend (only because I couldn't bend down to do it myself of course). I do believe we must listen to our bodies when they are calling out to us and allow them the time they need to heal. It's good to slow down and take a break from time to time.
Being in a horizontal position for a good chunk of my weekend I watched a couple of very interesting movies this weekend. One being the classic, The Sting. Crazy I've never seen it before. Loved the music and the fact that the story kept me guessing till the very end.
The other film I watched was SurfWise. And I thought selling a bunch of our stuff and moving our family into a smallish condo downtown Minneapolis was "living with less." SurfWise is a documentary about a Stanford educated Dr. who becomes disgusted with his materialistic way of life, leaves his practice, decides to surf for a living, marries a woman, has 9 children with her and raises them all in a 24 ft. trailer while living on different beaches around the US. They chose to live with very little and at times were literally down to their last dime. Oh, and none of the kids went to any type of school. Fascinating and sometimes kind of disturbing story about a very "different" way of living and raising a family. I loved it!
http://surfwisefilm.com/html/index.html
p.s. - it's an instant download on Netflix!
Being in a horizontal position for a good chunk of my weekend I watched a couple of very interesting movies this weekend. One being the classic, The Sting. Crazy I've never seen it before. Loved the music and the fact that the story kept me guessing till the very end.
The other film I watched was SurfWise. And I thought selling a bunch of our stuff and moving our family into a smallish condo downtown Minneapolis was "living with less." SurfWise is a documentary about a Stanford educated Dr. who becomes disgusted with his materialistic way of life, leaves his practice, decides to surf for a living, marries a woman, has 9 children with her and raises them all in a 24 ft. trailer while living on different beaches around the US. They chose to live with very little and at times were literally down to their last dime. Oh, and none of the kids went to any type of school. Fascinating and sometimes kind of disturbing story about a very "different" way of living and raising a family. I loved it!
http://surfwisefilm.com/html/index.html
p.s. - it's an instant download on Netflix!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Ouch!
Well......here I am writing to you from my comfy bed this morning. For the past week I have been suffering with lower back pain and finally went to see a Chiropractor yesterday. All of the moving, lifting of heavy IKEA boxes, painting and just general stress has caught up with me. I have never experience such debilitating and paralyzing pain (other than non-medicated child birth of course). I can barely get in and out of my car, it hurts to sneeze, I can't bend down to pick anything up and the only comfort I have is when I am standing or lying flat on my back. Yesterday I had to ask my kids to help me get out of my car. How humbling that was and I think a bit scary for my kids! The most difficult part of all of this, which really is a blessing, is that I need to STOP and relax. I am looking at walls I want to paint, clothes I need to wash, bike rides I want to take, boxes still to unpack, and I physically cannot do any of it.
So, I will take the next couple of days to slow down, ask my husband and kids for more help and try to heal my back.
The Chiropractor I went to see yesterday was great! Her name is Jane and she shared with me some wisdom regarding the two vertebrae (4 & 5) that are bothering me. She is a big supporter of yoga and one of the mantras she has learned for these two vertebrae is "The War is Over." How interesting, I thought! Our 6 month battle to sell our house is over. Our three week challenge to get rid of all of our excess stuff and pack our house is over. The move is over. The extreme sadness of leaving our neighbors is somewhat over.
We still have other battles to face such as choosing the right Minneapolis schools for Owen and Nora, figuring out how to live with one car, etc. But for the next few days I will rest, enjoy my new surroundings, feel gratitude for all of the wonderful blessings in my life and enjoy time with my family and friends. I hope all of you do the same.
So, I will take the next couple of days to slow down, ask my husband and kids for more help and try to heal my back.
The Chiropractor I went to see yesterday was great! Her name is Jane and she shared with me some wisdom regarding the two vertebrae (4 & 5) that are bothering me. She is a big supporter of yoga and one of the mantras she has learned for these two vertebrae is "The War is Over." How interesting, I thought! Our 6 month battle to sell our house is over. Our three week challenge to get rid of all of our excess stuff and pack our house is over. The move is over. The extreme sadness of leaving our neighbors is somewhat over.
We still have other battles to face such as choosing the right Minneapolis schools for Owen and Nora, figuring out how to live with one car, etc. But for the next few days I will rest, enjoy my new surroundings, feel gratitude for all of the wonderful blessings in my life and enjoy time with my family and friends. I hope all of you do the same.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Early Wins of our New Smaller Space......
In the last three weeks that we've occupied our new dwelling I have noticed many wonderful benefits of downsizing and specifically living in a condo environment. Here are just a few:
-Less to clean (Yippee!). What used to take me a good 3 solid hours now takes me maybe 1 full hour. That's two hours of my life back to do things like.....blogging, playing with my kids, reading, etc.
-Feeling of coziness at all times. It's a "comfortable" cozy, not a "cramped" cozy.
-No wasted space. I love the fact that we are using all of our space and all of our furniture on a daily basis.
-Utilizing the great common spaces in our building where you can grab a book and sit in a comfy chair to read or hang out on our buildings shared green space with trees and beautiful flowers.
-No worries of having to deal with weather damage (i.e. hail damage, flooding basement, down trees).
-A wonderful sense of community. We have already met many wonderful neighbors and everyone we talk to loves living here.
-Ease of walking everywhere. To church, to get groceries, dinner, parks, museums, movies, bookstores, coffee, music, need I say more?
I asked both my kids and Steve what their favorite part of living downtown has been so far:
Nora - "all of the lights in the nighttime."
Owen - "our new big screen TV and the lights"
Steve - "everything within walking distance"
The other night as I was tucking Nora into bed and went to close the blinds in her room. She stopped me asked me to keep them up so she can see the lights. She then told me that when she has trouble sleeping she counts the lights instead of sheep!
-Less to clean (Yippee!). What used to take me a good 3 solid hours now takes me maybe 1 full hour. That's two hours of my life back to do things like.....blogging, playing with my kids, reading, etc.
-Feeling of coziness at all times. It's a "comfortable" cozy, not a "cramped" cozy.
-No wasted space. I love the fact that we are using all of our space and all of our furniture on a daily basis.
-Utilizing the great common spaces in our building where you can grab a book and sit in a comfy chair to read or hang out on our buildings shared green space with trees and beautiful flowers.
-No worries of having to deal with weather damage (i.e. hail damage, flooding basement, down trees).
-A wonderful sense of community. We have already met many wonderful neighbors and everyone we talk to loves living here.
-Ease of walking everywhere. To church, to get groceries, dinner, parks, museums, movies, bookstores, coffee, music, need I say more?
I asked both my kids and Steve what their favorite part of living downtown has been so far:
Nora - "all of the lights in the nighttime."
Owen - "our new big screen TV and the lights"
Steve - "everything within walking distance"
The other night as I was tucking Nora into bed and went to close the blinds in her room. She stopped me asked me to keep them up so she can see the lights. She then told me that when she has trouble sleeping she counts the lights instead of sheep!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Pictures!
Nora and her friend Emily in dining area.
View of living room.
Other view of living room and entrance to Nora's room.
View from living room into dining area.
Our new cozy kitchen. Can't wait to pain the cabinets. Taking color suggestions!
Our cute little entry.
Balcony facing West. Great view of the sun setting, Loring Park, The Basillica and the Walker Art Center.
Pretty view from West facing balcony of Loring Greenway.
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