If you couldn’t tell, this is really making me mad because they are getting in MY way of paying off my student loans early. We’re going to see if getting a moped scooter will get them off his back, because the higher ups are starting to get on his case. That’s $700-$1000 (with titles, tags, and such) that could go towards our loans. Of course, we’ll take it out of our car fund, because with a scooter it would just prolong the lack of need for a car. Insurance wouldn’t be too bad, neither would gas, most scooters get 85 mpg. So financially, we can do a scooter, but it just really pisses me off the idea that we need a car. As I said before EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING is within two miles of us, which is nothing on a bike, especially on flat land. It’s like it’s not safe on the streets without a car. I mean, we have more safety gear than most people I’ve seen on bikes in this area. I really want to go into his shop and bitch slap those assholes because they’re too lazy to even think of riding a bicycle everywhere. Or maybe ring their necks. Some sort of violent thing. With lots of yelling. And swearing. Because that seems to be the only way to get a point across to them.

Of course I would never do any of that because, truthfully, I am not a violent person. That and I would get arrested for trespassing and assaulting a member(s) of the Air Force. I am letting my rage out on here so it does not build up.

Truthfully, a scooter really wouldn’t be that bad, because we would probably only use one tank a month – him going to and from work. It just bugs me that they are trying to get him to “be like everyone else”. Well, everyone else is broke, in debt up to their eyeballs with no plan to get out of it, and has a multitude of diseases and health problems that they’re just treating the symptoms instead of the actual cause. Why should we be like them? I want to be myself.

Moving is a tiring process, even when you try to do it wholistically. It was really nice to have someone else do the packing for us, but gauze do they use a lot of packing material. There’s no way for us to unpack everything all at once because there is so much packing paper that it fills up our garbage cans too quickly.

Oh yeah…that’s the downside to the area I live, there’s no recycle pick-up, so I have to throw everything away. I plan on getting/making a compost container and getting some worms for that, so that will help stop waste. Target also seems to have a small recycling center, so I will check into that as well. It still really irks me that they don’t have recycling, but it is a smaller city in Oklahoma. Apparently OKC has it. Still, I will do what I can.

We no longer have a car. On the first day we were here, we bought ourselves a couple of bicycles, got some gear for them and ride them where needed. Jason gets a ride to work and we ride everywhere else. It really helps that we have a place that is smack dab in the middle of everything, roughly two miles from everything we need. Closer to two different dollar-type stores. The downside is when it rains and that I have to go shopping more than once a week. I tried to do a weeks worth of shopping on Tuesday, that did not work out so well. The backpack was at least 50 pounds. Riding a bike 2-3 miles with 50 pounds on your back makes for an interesting experience.

Because of the humidity, our windows have mold/mildew growing on them. I successfully washed one with dish soap and vinegar, but I’m eager to try a product I found online called Eco-me that uses their own little formula (tea tree oil, lavender, rosemary, and lemongrass) with vinegar, baking soda, olive oil, and water. Jason wanted to get some hard-core mold remover, but I said no and said I would look up natural ways. Tea tree oil, grapefruit seed extract and vinegar all seemed to be the top ones. The only problem with vinegar is that it only works on 82% of molds. Tea tree oil and grapefruit seed extract are expensive. Of course you don’t need to use that much (2 teaspoons to 2 cups of water), but I really liked the idea of Eco-me. I will write a review once I get it and use it.

As part of being wholistic, we try to use as little water and electricity as possible, but now we have even more of a reason to – we have to pay all the utilities. So we both take 5 minute-or-less showers, I have a dish pan to collect water, we unplug everything when not in use, including the stove and washing machine, we have CFL’s in all of our rooms, and only one light when there are two sockets, we only have a washer and only wash using cold water. The electric company said that the previous renters’ average bill was $140, because it is central heating and cooling. The windows here are really drafty, so we are going to look into some covers, which would unfortunately mean we couldn’t open them. But it will definitely be needed during the winter.

During the past week, I haven’t taken any vitamin D, because it had been sunny and we had been riding our bikes. But when the sun stopped, I forgot to start taking it again. I can definitely notice the difference it makes with my mood and motivation for getting things done, not to mention health,

The basics of the article is that junk food, or pleasurable food, is addictive, the way cocaine is, and leads to over-consumption of these foods, which causes obesity. Scientists at Scripps Research Institute have finished a three-year study on rats that prove this. They found that when the mice ate high calorie, high fat food whenever they wanted because they had easy access to it, the rats lost all control of their eating habits. When the scientists tried to put those rats back on a healthy diet, the rats would not eat the food. Even when the scientists tried shocking the rats when they over ate, they would continue eating.

What they found in the brain itself was similar to that of someone who is addicted to cocaine. The main receptor responsible for addiction to drugs is called the dopamine D2 receptor. The amount of these receptors is reduced when a person is addicted to something, like in the case of cocaine. These receptors get turned off because they are overstimulated by a rush of dopamine, the pleasure hormone/neurotransmitter. That is how the body adjusts to the over-stimulation.

So now you have proof that junk food is addictive, that includes all the food products that have sugar and high fructose corn syrup. No wonder people have such a hard time changing their life style.

The big part of communication with your significant other is to ask them questions. How do you feel about this? My husband is not going to be able to be present when I’m looking for a place to rent, but he needs to be part of the decision because we both will be living there. So I asked him what were some things he wanted in the house. I know what I want, but now I can include what he wants too. We’ve also discussed what is an absolute must and what we can live without. While I’m looking at these places, I will be taking pictures of them so I can show them to him online and we can pick a place together.

Decision making is a big part of any relationship. You have to make decisions together. Figure out what you want to come out of the decision then ask what the other wants. Be sure that you both know what the other wants.

Money is the number one reason why 52% of marriages end in divorce. Budgets or spending plans need to be gone over together. One person may be more financially inclined, but both people need to be involved so that they both know where the money is going. My husband lets me do the budget because I am that person. I’ve devised a plan that works pretty well for us and I try to show it to him every once in a while so he has an idea of where our money goes, but he’s not all that involved. I want him to be more involved. He trusts me completely with our money (trust is a big part of communication), which I am grateful for, but this is a team effort. I really want to crack down on our spending so we can start seriously paying off our student loans and I can’t do that without him. However, our debts overwhelm him when he looks at them. He clams up whenever I try to discuss money with him. To help with this, I asked him what would help him not get so stressed over money when we talk about it. He told me that we should discuss money/our budget on a low stress day after dinner. That is something that is very doable. And now he understands that I really want to do this together because doing the budget by myself can overwhelm me sometimes. So he’s going to try not to clam up during our meetings.

The whole communication thing is all about finding out what works for you as a couple. I recommend taking a compassionate listening class because it gives you some really great tools to help you communicated not only with your spouse, but people in general. It has helped me. In the past few months, the communication between Jason and I has exploded. It is allowing us to grow together as a couple. That is what marriage is about, being partnered with someone who will help you grow and vice versa. The way to accomplish that is through communication.

But with the food processor and blender, I really don’t need those other things. I have a whisk. Everything else can really be handled by what I have. It’s just difficult for me to want these things (and more as the move comes closer) when I have gotten along wonderfully without them. And really, I am not going to make frosting all that often.

I would also like to get a tent so that Jason and I can go camping. We both love it, so we would get good use out the gear. I want a new, more powerful vacuum so that I don’t have to work as hard with the vacuum I currently have. We’re going to be moving into a bigger place, so we would like a table and chairs for the dining area as well as a couch or love seat for the living room. With a lot of the stuff, we plan on going garage-saling and bargain hunting, so we probably won’t spend all that much money. But as I said in No Material Needs, it is a freeing thing to not want anything. Obviously, I’ve lost that place a little bit because I’ve started thinking about what I want when I get to Oklahoma. I want to plant a small garden, we need to get bikes, we want a sofa and dining table, it looks like we might need to get a washing machine. Material things can bog you down, and I’ve gotten to a point of not having a lot of material things. I really don’t want to add more.

But it’s also not necessary for me to live in poverty either. We will occupy only as much space as we have. We’ll have a little more room (the smallest houses that are available are 2 bedrooms), so I guess it’s okay to have some more things to make that place comfortable. When life changes, the material needs/wants are going to change too, I suppose. Let me know what you guys think.

I think that people have blown the whole global warming thing out of proportion. They have forgotten what’s really the core issue. We need to take care of our environment because we are NOT separate from it. You can compare it to the things that you use around the house. If you do not take care of an item, it will break or become useless quickly. The Earth is going to experience climate change whether we are the cause or not. My philosophy is do what you can and let what happens happen.

But there are a couple more reasons to go green: Your wallet and your health. Seriously. My main cleaners are vinegar and baking soda. I only do laundry twice a month, and dishes are dishes. I have no need for Clorox bleach or other disinfectants because vinegar does that for me. Guess how much a gallon of vinegar costs me? Three dollars. I also use it as a fabric softener for my laundry, which also freshens the clothes. I use baking soda to scrub the grout in my shower, and once a month on my carpets to keep them smelling fresh. I bought a ton of it at Costco for ten dollars back in October of 2009 and I’m not even halfway through it. There is no need for all those other expensive cleaners. You can even make your own laundry detergent using washing soda and some other ingredients. As far as using less energy, come on, it saves you money! Why would you not do that?

Health is the big reason that I am green, at least when it comes to the products I use. All of my cleaners are green and I’m down to the last of my beauty products that aren’t natural (I’m tempted to throw them away…I just want to be done with them. But it’s so hard for me to do it. At the same time, I don’t want to be using chemicals on myself…the agony!). There are SO many environmental toxins, why would you expose yourself to more when you’re at home? There are so many alternatives.

So go green for whatever reason you choose. The most important reason should be your own health, and the health of those around you (children and pets). The fact that it costs less is awesome and that it helps the environment is just another perk. Whether global warming is a sham or not shouldn’t matter.

This photo is by Patrick Hajzler, AKA OeilDeNuit on stock.xchng

Vitamin D has been in the news a lot recently. What’s all the buzz? Vitamin D is way more important than previously thought. The short of it is that D is a vital part to your immune system. It is also important for calcium absorption and bone health. Vitamin D deficiency can also affect your mood, playing a part in Seasonal Affective Disorder (AKA winter depression, the winter blues).

The scary thing is that more people are deficient in Vitamin D than realized. It’s not causing rickets or osteomalacia in the US, but it can lead to increased risk for cancer, osteoporosis, and even the common cold.

But it’s easy to fix. Get at least 15 minutes of direct sunshine a day and your body will produce more than enough for your cells to use. You say you live in a place that isn’t sunny enough? What can you do? Supplement. Find a supplement of D3, which is what your body naturally produces, and take at least 5,000 IU (International Units). The current recommendation is only 400 IU, but your body needs way more than that. However, I recommend getting out in the sun as much as possible, without burning of course. If you’re out in the sun 15-30 minutes, you are not going to burn, and you cannot overdose on vitamin D this way because any excess D is actually burned off by the sun. Supplementation could very well cause an overdose, but so far in my research I have not heard of it. Still, I would be careful – listen to your body and try to get as much natural D as possible.

Another thing to consider is that taking vitamin D by itself is not going to do all the work. Vitamins and minerals ALL work together to keep your body running. Here are the ones that help vitamin D do it’s work:
magnesium
zinc
vitamin K2
boron
genestein
a tiny amount of vitamin A
The most important one is magnesium. Nuts and seeds are a good source of magnesium. So break out the nuts while you’re sunbathing.

It’s important for everyone to get enough D, but some might have more trouble than others. For instances, those who are dark-skinned might have to stay in the sun longer to produce a good amount vitamin D. Adversely, if you have a lighter skin-tone, you may not need to stay out in the sun to produce the necessary amount.

So what are you to do if you’re going to be out in the sun longer than 30 minutes? Cover up with cotton. White clothing, however easy it becomes dirty, will reflect the sun, and keep you cooler than stripping down to your bikini. If you don’t like that so much, find a good sunscreen (as much as I hate chemicals) that has UVA protection. UVB is the light wave that causes sunburns while UVA has been found to be the cause(http://www.skincancer.org/understanding-uva-and-uvb.html) of the cancer so many people are afraid of. I recommend using a sunscreen using all organic materials except for the SPF factor itself. Here’s a list of sunscreens according to certain specifications: nor parabens, pthalates, PEG’s, propylene glycol, SLS, dioxanes, synthetic fragrances or the often used  SPF chemical oxybenzone (for what some of those chemicals really are, go here (http://safemama.com/glossary/). For most normal day use, you only need an SPF of 15. I’ve also heard (haven’t tried it myself), that lathering coconut oil has a certain sunscreen (around SPF 4, don’t quote me) aspect to it, as well as  being wonderful for the skin.

The sun really isn’t something that needs to be avoided all the time, nor do you need to wear SPF 50 whenever you go out. In fact, if you cut out grains, eat a multitude of veggies, naturally raised/organic meats, fruits and limit excess sugar intake, you may find that you aren’t as prone to burning (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/sunburn-on-the-pb-or-lack-thereof). The Skin Cancer website says that any tanning at all is bad, but how do you get your vitamin D naturally? Take what they recommend about staying out of the sun with a grain of salt. Besides, it’s nice to take a 15-30 minute break to go soak up some rays. I do it every chance I get.

For more on Vitamin D, go here.

1) De-clutter. This means going through all of your possessions and deciding what to keep and what to let go of. When you have more than you need, you can become overwhelmed with trying to keep it organized. Material things also seem to weigh a person down to some extent (especially when moving). If you’re keeping something as a keepsake, but don’t really need or use it, take a picture so you can see it when you want to remember, then let it go.

2) Organize your stuff. My house used to be organized chaos. I would know where things were, but things were everywhere. That was partly because I needed to de-clutter. The last place I lived had plenty of room for all of the things we had, but it didn’t have any place to put our stuff. Where I live now has so much storage space that everything fits nicely.  So get cabinets, bins, and other organizing tools so that every thing has its place and every place has its thing. I feel more motivated to do stuff when I have a clean house. Plus, I spend less time looking for something that I need. Even in organized chaos I had trouble finding things.

3) Organize your time. If you have too many activities going on in your life, either drop some of it or get someone to help you out. Having to much going on can overwhelm you and stress you out. Make sure that you have enough time for yourself. It is important to have alone time as much as it is to have friend time.

4) Make a spending plan and follow it. Having your finances in order can really take your mind of money. It also allows you to see where your money is really going. This gives you more time to do other things.

5) Get off the computer and the couch. Go read a book, take a walk, work out, cook a fantastic meal, or sit out in the sun. You wouldn’t believe the amount you can do when you don’t spend all of your time on the computer.

6) Eat healthier. Start eating good, whole foods like veggies, fish, eggs, meat, fruits, and good sources of fat instead of processed foods and grains. Grains cause inflammation in your body, as well as the malabsorption of nutrients which leads to a multitude of health problems. Staying healthy means less doctors visits, insurance dealings, and more energy to do the things you want to do.

7) Downsize. What I mean is do you have more space than you need in your house or apartment? Could you do without that second car, or without a car at all? The absolute most a couple needs is a two bedroom place (the extra bedroom is for guests or an office). Obviously if you have children, you will need more space, but carefully consider what you need. If you can swing having only one car, or no car, that’s great! One less car means less money spent on insurance, gas, and maintenance. But if you can’t, that’s fine too. Sometimes there’s no getting around it.

So how have I done these steps?

Right out of high school I had a lot of stuff, the result of living between two households. When I moved in with my husband (then my boyfriend), our stuff was combined and took up a ridiculous amount of space. We were living in a luxury one bedroom apartment and I don’t think we every fully unpacked.

Then we moved to a small, 300 square foot studio and had to get rid of nearly half our stuff. It was STILL very crowded because we kept some things that we really shouldn’t have. So when we moved again to a smallish space, we went through all our things once more to see what we didn’t need. Finally all of our stuff could easily fit into a 10′ uHaul.

We’ve moved twice since that move and have let go of things we don’t need anymore. It is a continuing process. As we are getting ready to move again (fifth move in three years!) I am going through our things, taking pictures of things I want to remember, but don’t need to hold onto anymore. At this place, every thing has its place and every place has its thing. It has taken my whole life to get to this point. I’m glad I’m finally here because I find it easier for me to do things in a clean uncluttered house.

Something else I have finally gotten the hang of is a spending plan for my husband and I. There have been so many different budgets and spending plans I have tried for us, and I finally found the one that works. It has made our life easier. We still worry about money, of course, but we at least know where our money is going.

I’ve also started eating differently. I limit the amount of grains, sugar, and dairy (I’m allergic to milk, but cheese and yoghurt don’t seem to bother me as much) I eat. My whole diet consists of vegetables, good sources of fat (avocados, olive oil, butter) meat, eggs, fruit, and the occasional dark chocolate. I feel much better, have more energy and rarely get sick anymore. My allergies are all but nonexistent.

The latest thing I’ve done is to limit the amount of time I am on the computer. You wouldn’t believe the amount of things that you can do when you don’t spend so much time in front of a screen (this includes T.V.s.). Sometimes I’ll go for a walk instead of watching something on the internet. I’ve even gotten to the point of not being on the computer for one whole day a week. It is quite liberating.

In April, my husband and I are trading our car in for bikes. We do eventually plan to buy another one, but we’re saving up for it so we don’t have to have a car lease. It might make some things a little more difficult, but we won’t have to deal with upkeep, gas or insurance. Plus we’ll have the bus system and we’ll be getting more exercise.

Simplifying your life is a process. It has taken me a while to get to where I am now. It was, and is, not easy, but I’ve taken it step by step. Like any change, it is not going to happen overnight. But little by little, you can do it.

Not so much.

The main thing I am worried about is money. I’ve been saving up for this, and we have a sizable amount that will last us probably two months if I can’t find a job right away. But I still worry about it. Part of the worry comes from the massive amount of student loans that Jason and I have together. Our main financial goal is to pay those off by the time he is out of the military, which probably won’t be so difficult once I get settled. But a lot of the money saved up will go to deposit on the rental, setting up an account for utilities, and we want to get on with a new cell phone provider so that’s another chunk of money. There will also be the flight there, cab drive to and from airports, and probably other things that I can’t think of right now.

I guess I have this want of control, when in reality, I don’t have all that much. I do what I can and sometimes it’s enough, sometimes it’s not. But what else can I do if I’ve done all I can? The answer is nothing.

I have a theory why I am stressing so much about this. We have this hormone response to stress, the fight or flight response. Since we no longer have the life threatening situations daily, like being eaten by a bear, we tend to make simple stresses life-or-death situations. This happens with big projects at work or school, moves, and so many other situations. But they aren’t life-or-death. The worse case scenario of me not getting a job within the first couple of months is that we will have to put a few loans on deferment. As much as I would despise that (yes that’s how quickly I want to get the loans paid off), it wouldn’t be the end of the world, nor my life. I suppose that money matters are my fight-or-flight response because it is connected to being able to put a roof over our heads and feeding ourselves these days.

The reason I’m posting about this is to help me, and hopefully you, put this into perspective. Sure I will have some hard times financially, but I really have been through worse and I will get through this too. “This too shall pass” has to be the best saying ever. I have done, and am doing, all that I can financially to get ready for this move. I am also undertaking the daunting task of inventorying everything in this place, which, thankfully, has been reduced quite a bit over the last four moves I’ve done. I am doing what I can, and I have to trust the universe that all will end well. There is nothing else I can do, so I shall not worry over things beyond my control.