Reflections: Where we are in the journey...

Hello everyone! Can you believe it will be 10 years ago that I started this blog - next month, in fact!

I thought it would be good to write about where we are in our journey today. So many things swirling about in my mind as of late. I realize that I am not where I want to be in some things, and yet so much further along than I thought I would be in other things, at the same time. As in life, our choices greatly depend on what's available, our experiences, and more. Many things involve others along the way. I have always believed that if progress is made in a positive direction, it's better off than before. If you can make good big changes quickly, good for you, especially if it involves moving away from something destructive. I will speak up for the baby step idea though, it can't be overlooked as a more permanent option for most.

It might get a little long, so hang on!

While my family and I continue our vegan diet (as originally summarized in my "food philosophy" blog posts, we have changed things here and there. We have gone from using wheat (and other gluten grains) to gluten/wheat free for a few years, and now back again with an emphasis on organic whole grains and doing more of our own baking if we can. As you know, I really love making our own food from scratch. I still favor organic if I can. Local and sustainable food sources are important to me.

While at one time, we used to have daily green smoothies (I still love them!), it's not quite as often anymore. We now also balance our breakfast choices with some organic rolled oats (soaked or cooked) with nuts, seeds, and dried/fresh fruit, or even a breakfast of whole grain toast with some yummy avocados or even coconut butter. Leftovers should not be overlooked either, and we are known for checking out what's in the fridge to eat in the mornings.

We tend to eat out less than we did before, mostly for financial reasons (as of this month, we are debt free!). When we do go out, we try to choose a reasonably healthier version of cuisine to enjoy. Lately, we have been doing added oil free at our house, so eating out can be a challenge, but we also allow ourselves to have the vegan options at restaurants without a lot of requests for no added oil (we try to choose the best options we can without customizing our orders).

Regarding eating foods without added oils: I have found that we are adjusting quite well, in fact. My son, who will be turning twenty soon, embraced it from the get-go. He routinely now makes his stir-frys and sautés with water or broth, and we all still eat just fine. We don't have the greasy feeling in our mouths when having "fried" rice and such. Added oils contribute a lot of calories and not much else. We do routinely still use foods like nuts and nut butters, shredded coconut (what I make our coconut butter from), seeds, avocados, etc.

We prefer eating foods in their whole form, more or less. We have now adapted our diet to be what most people call a whole food, plant based diet.  I have always believed that eating real food, as close to it's original form, is best for everyone! The term vegan has almost become synonymous with no animal products, but vegan processed/junk food is welcome. That is not my philosophy here at Vegan Footprints! You can continue to find wholesome foods and recipes here!

We continue to adopt habits that help us not only save money, but are better for the environment. That means to us, using cloth napkins at mealtimes, cloth handkerchiefs (preferred by my family anyway!), reusable water bottles (stainless steel is our preference - I can't remember the last time I drank or even bought a one-time-use bottle of water),  recycling what we can (which is expanding all the time!), and buying things with less packaging (or none at all). Having said that, recycling isn't everything, and we are trying little by little to do low/zero waste instead. Our trash is considerably less, amounting to about 2-3 small kitchen size trash bags per month. We compost our food waste and recycle what we can otherwise.

When we do buy things, whether it be clothing, school/office supplies, furniture, kitchen misc., etc., we try to find it second hand first. There are so many things that are still useful out there. I look for yard/garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, antique places, flea markets, etc. Friends sometimes will offer things they don't need anymore. I tell them if I can't use it, I can donate it for them.

There are so many benefits to not buying disposable products! This goes for just about anything bought that is meant for one single use only. I will add here that we still buy toilet paper, so for those of you wondering, you can breathe a sigh of relief! Ha, ha! Seriously though, just think about bottled water (I have survived without), paper tissues/napkins/towels/plates (you can eliminate), plastic wrap/foil/plastic bags/utensils (I have not bought these for years), and the list goes on. I even have lined up a still-good-to-use antique safety razor. Just today, I realized that along with writing this blog for ten years, I have also used a reusable menstrual cup for even longer!

Cleaning products in my house now consist of an all purpose liquid soap (which we use for hands, body, hair and household cleaning purposes), vinegar, and baking soda, along with all kinds of brushes and rags. Along with a second hand acquired Rainbow vacuum (for a total of only $40, which includes a power head!), a few essential oils, and a feather duster, we can cover just about anything. We can't forget our small brush that cleans out our reusable stainless steel straws! Love those straws for our green smoothies!

For storage containers in our kitchen, we generally use glass or stainless steel. It might be canning jars, in all sorts of sizes, to glass storage which I can bake, freeze or use in my cupboards. I bake mostly using an assortment of stainless steel pans. Using silicone mats for easy cleaning and no added oil baking and roasting. To go shopping, I try to have reusable cloth bags for carrying groceries. Keeping them in the car helps tremendously!

My husband and I will celebrate 25 years married this year. So glad he is the one who has been by my side in our journey together. My children have grown to be taller than me - not a great feat since I am only 5' tall! My daughter is just now reaching that milestone, having passed my shoe size awhile ago! My son has graduated from our homeschool a couple of years ago now and will be moving out soon. My daughter is still in middle school, so we will continue for a good few years yet. I am happy to have found a good homeschool rhythm for us that's been working well for us this year! And it involves much less paper and textbooks than before, so I am happy about that for sure!

I understand the fewer possessions I have, the easier it is to clean, move and generally take care of what we call "our stuff".  My house is less cluttered. And less clutters my mind when I have things in order. And the fewer things I have to put in order, the better. Currently we live in a nice rental, so if and when we do own a home, I know we will have to have a few more things. Currently though, because we do not need to mow a yard, we enjoy the space we gain from not having any kind of mowing equipment whatsoever! With only one garage, which we do use for our car, it can get tight in there! We actually sold our oil changing equipment, in favor of getting our oil changed in our town, where it's done quickly and with a car wash as well!

Recently, my husband and I repainted our antique secretary desk. I held off for so long, because I really love wood, but I am so glad we did it. It really brightens things up and doesn't look nearly as worn. I polished up the metal pulls and realized how nice they really are! This is one of only two pieces of furniture we have owned from even before we were married when someone gifted it to my husband just shortly before we were engaged.

I have found that decluttering as found in Marie Kondo's books, has been a game changer for me. The way she categorizes things in a home has made my life easier and more organized than ever, without all the unnecessary things in the way. I continue to remember things from reading her books that still aid my efforts. And I tell others about it too. I really like helping others to come to a place of satisfaction in their own homes using Kondo's methods.

In the last three years, I have enjoyed being part of the stage again. I haven't acted on stage since my high school and college days, so it is challenging me! About five years ago, my son wanted to be part of the community theater in town, so that's how it started. It wasn't until I saw an advertisement in the local paper for auditions for a favorite musical of mine, that I realized it was something I thought I wanted to do. I didn't want to regret not doing it. So I auditioned, along with my daughter. I got a nice part to come back to the stage! And because of my love for singing, being part of The Sound of Music musical was really an honor (role of Sister Margaretta). Both my son and daughter also were in that production as well. Since then we have participated together in two other plays, Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden (Mrs. Sowerby). Last year, it was an honor to be part of Cheaper by the Dozen, my biggest part yet (Mrs. Gilbreth)!

I am still a music lover and a couple years ago, we chose to acquire a bigger piano. We found it second hand from the first owner (now in her eighties), who has owned it new since she was my daughter's age. I love my antique baby grand! My children also play and we all enjoy the sound. And yes, it does bring me joy. I play to relax and could use even more time on it. Along with some piano books people gifted us, some hymnbooks we have, and a good metronome, we are all set to play for years to come. Our musical collection also includes a recorder, ukulele, a couple of Djembe drums, and guitar in this house. You can never have enough music in the house! As homeschoolers, I feel it has been well worth our time to learn music. For anyone really, it adds so much to life!

The Lord has been good all along the way. He remains faithful. May God bless you and yours today! Shalom!
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Urban Homesteading Video Link

Here is an interesting video about urban homesteading. Thanks to a reader who passed this on to me. Click on the link to view. Have a great day.

"Forks Over Knives" Documentary Film

With all these documentary reviews I written lately, it feels like I've switched my focus on the blog. It isn't so. The films I've been watching lately just seem to get better. I think it's because my realization of what they are saying is hitting home.

Much of the time, watching this, I found myself just nodding to myself...not because I know this already, but I'm really glad to see the whole foods, plant-based diet being promoted in a big way. They present it in a "just see this to believe it" sort of way. Following some people who changed their eating habits on the path to better health, doctor monitored and all, you find out their results.

Featured are Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist from Cornell University, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former top surgeon at Cleveland Clinic. Two men of near the same age and both raised on farms, finally meet after decades of work in their respective fields of research. They put their knowledge to use to help those "least likely to succeed" in their personal health journey. They practice what they preach and still maintain active lives using a whole foods, plant-based approach.

You see everyday people, changing what they eat, with wonderful results. I want to emphasize whole foods here. Being vegetarian and now vegan for a number of years, I can honestly say that my journey has not always been whole foods.

Of course, pre-veggie days, it might have been slightly better that most standard American diets out there, but not "whole" in any sense. Just the processing alone of the foods we Americans eat is just plain crazy. Some foods don't even resemble their plant based "roots". Did you know that some children don't know what many vegetables are, let alone know that they grow out of the ground?

Seriously, we are so far from our farmer "forefathers" that we just buy it in a package, take it home, freeze it, then "nuke" it in the microwave, in its own bag, nonetheless. Then we eat it on disposable plates with paper napkins on the side. And throw the whole disposable mess away when we are done. It's like fast food, only "homemade" instead.

Did you know there are actual cooking shows on television that you can watch that feature someone putting cans of this and boxes of that, a little artificial this and, throw in some decor for your next party, and "your done" kind of stuff? 

Granted some people actually do this. It's a modern trend happening because people don't know how to cook and prepare food that tastes homemade. What people know is pre-made food, mass produced for the grocery shelves, that is warmed up at home.

And yes, you can gain weight and not be in the best health as a vegetarian, even  vegan....ask me how I know. I would also venture to say though, that most people everywhere eating whatever they eat, also gain weight and are not in the best health. That being said, we all could use some pep talk now and again to make us aware that we all must plan to thrive by doing better and not just do it "good enough."

"Good enough" just isn't...You must make it a goal to eat well and avoid the "knife" that the title of this documentary alludes to. We must take back our health and show our children the way to pass it on to the next generation.

I believe the film claims correctly that a whole foods, plant based diet is the way to go.

Soapbox is put away now...Just want to make sure you know that this is a must see.

"Ingredients" Documentary

Another documentary that focuses of local foods and farmer's markets in called "Ingredients - The Local Food Movement Takes Root". Here's a link to the website: http://www.ingredientsfilm.com/. It talks about how local foods are so much more sustainable, as there are minimal costs involved in transporting foods.

There is also more variety available because some produce doesn't ship well for long distances or over time. I have realized that the less time there is from garden to the table, the tastier and more nutritious the food is. It is so fresh looking and beautiful.

The film is only a little over an hour long and is similar to the "Food Matters" documentary that I wrote about earlier. Our family watched it recently after we put a hold on this film at our local library.

It is encouraging to see how chefs and restaurants are tasting the difference that local, organic foods have on their menu and customer's enjoyment. In fact, some are writing their menus daily based on what is available that day in the gardens.

They feature one woman, a local foods advocate, who has been growing all her own food. Very interesting that she doesn't go to the store for any of the produce she eats. She simply grows it all.  A whole different twist on "farm to table" that many (especially city folk) don't see.

It focuses on sustainability-minded farmers in Oregon, New York and Ohio. There's also a good explanation of what the "bio-dynamic" agriculture method is all about. 

I encourage all to view this film. It has excellent photography to appropriately show the beautiful local foods we all can enjoy.

Blue Vinyl Documentary

Every now and again we watch a DVD from the local library for something different. Enter "Blue Vinyl", a documentary that says on the cover, "toxic comedy." Hmmm...interesting.

It turns out to be an expose about the the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry. It was very informative and served to solidify my desire to build our own home one day.

Filmmaker Judith Helfand co-directs with Daniel B. Gold in this Sundance award-winning film. They do a great job at giving us the story in a sort of comic relief way. They bring out such irony in the way they present their findings. Judith especially because this involves her own parent's decision about residing their house. We walk through it with them over the course of a few years time.

Of particular interest to us was the piece about Habitat for Humanity, since we were once volunteers with Habitat. Suffice it to say, this is one of those must see documentaries that I come across and would recommend to anyone. Period. Very interesting indeed.

Check it out on their website, My House Is Your House.Org.

Go Paperless

Living in a home means having bills. Electric bills, gas bills, phone bills, water bills, and all manner of other services that come to mind. Then there's insurance and bank statements and such. And that usually means paper... invited or not, there is a way to make it easier.

For regular utilities, why not sign up for paperless bills online? You can even get bank statements online. You can keep notices and important papers filed right in a web based email account (so you can access it from any computer with internet) and never worry about having to file beyond that. When and if needed, go and print what you need if you need proof of payment.


Having less paper come into my house means less work for me. Sure I have paper files for the few things that do come in for utilities for example. It's a very thin file and if I wanted to eliminate that, I could even scan and "file" those things on a computer...and still be able to print those out, if it ever becomes necessary.

Check out MyCheckFree.com for a easy way to pay regular bills. They even have a way for you to schedule your payment based on the best time for you (before the due date, of course). For other bills not listed there, ask the companies that you do business with to see if you can go paperless with them. You save a stamp each time or even save gas if you are used to paying in person.

For questions about privacy, check with each company you deal with for details. Make sure that the sites are protected when it comes to your details and personal information.

Buy Organic

Our potential exposure to chemicals can come from many different sources. The air we breathe, the things we put on our skin and in our hair, the water we drink, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the building materials in our house, our furniture and list goes on and on. It's everywhere.

There's one thing we can do to limit our exposure. We can buy foods that are organic. I would add that organic is best combined with gmo-free. The Environmental Working Group has a great resource called the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. This full list is worth looking at for more information.

The list includes the cleanest foods to buy that have the least residues and the worst foods that have the most residues. The idea is that you can make more informed choices about the produce you buy to choose more "clean" produce and less chemicals. This list is especially helpful if you can't find everything organic. There is a quick guide you can download here from their website.

I hope that you can use this list to help you make the best choices for your family. Children are more sensitive to these chemicals because they are smaller than adults and still actively growing. May we all benefit from healthy choices all through life! =)

Buy Secondhand

Summer time brings good opportunity to find some needed things through yard sales. Buying secondhand doesn't mean buying things second rate. Rather I see it as a time to find the things that you've been looking for that aren't sold anymore new. OK, antique...or pretty near. Actually when I need anything that's not food, "new to me" or old, I mentally put it on my "look for" list when I'm out and about.

Recently I found an old high chair at a garage sale just before my sister came to visit with her 18 month old. It's a very sturdy wooden chair painted white with a colorful stuffed animal theme.

The wooden tray is equally cute. It seemed like a good deal at only $10. I bought it, brought it home, washed it up...it's as good as new.


Buying secondhand has been not only "green" but very economical for my family for years. Save the energy it takes for companies to use new virgin materials being used to make new products. We get more use out of something that would otherwise not get used or even thrown away.

I've bought new clothing (still in the packaging), stainless steel food containers, out of print books, a rebounder (mini trampoline), wooden toys, misc. kitchen glassware, and many other things I can't even remember at garage sales. It takes time to find things, but as flea market goers say, "it's all in the hunt."

When buying at rummage sales and yard sales, cash is the currency used, so if you haven't seen some of those greenbacks for a while, use it to save lots more "green".

Water Bottles

If you drink any amount of water, you may have a favorite water bottle. My favorite lately has been the Klean Kanteen. I ordered them online for our family. We have the 27 oz. size and our three year old has the 18 oz. size. No matter which bottle you pick, having one that you use regularly will help you get the water you need.

I like the Klean Kanteen bottles because they: 1. are made with recyclable 18/8 stainless steel, 2. are aluminum free, 3. are BPA free, 4. have a good weight (more than 6 oz. empty!) and 5. have a wide bottle opening. Hey, they even fit into our car's cup holders. I purchased the loop top for us. I opted not to buy the stainless steel caps, although I thought about it...thought it might make a loud squeaky noise (and they were more expensive anyway).

I've seen the ones they sell in some stores - too lightweight and not heavy duty, flimsy caps that are hard to get on right. If you drink water... and these summer days call for it...you need a container you'll use to help you get the water you need.

Don't be a disposable water bottle buyer. Get a purifier and drink it from your own bottle. Saves money and you won't ever forget which one is yours. Maybe you're wondering how we tell ours apart. Mine is the one with a bead tassel on it, my husband's is a "no decor", my son's has a metal keyring on his, and our daughter's is the small size. Otherwise they look the same.

No matter which one you pick, make sure you like it and it's convenient to use.

Water

Did you know...
* The human body is more than 60 percent water. Blood is 92 percent water, the brain and muscles are 75 percent water, and bones are about 22 percent water.
* A human can survive for a month or more without eating food, but only a week or so without drinking water.
(thanks to The Water Information Program)
Not only can you drink it, you can bathe in it and much more.
We need to make sure we stay hydrated so our body functions the way it should. Some drinks actually dehydrate you. Coffee and sodas will not quench your thirst. That's why you need good ol' water to keep your body working well. Make sure you are drinking clean water. Filtered is good, but purified is even better. When dining in a restaurant, ask for lemon with your water. Fresh lemon juice will help purify tap water which is what most restaurants serve you.
Bathing washes away the waste our skin eliminates and the dirt we get just from being in the environment. A baby's bottom usually doesn't need all kinds of special potions and fancy wipes...all is needed is some room temperature (or slightly warmer) water on a baby washcloth to get clean. Same with us. We are wash and wear.
When it's hot outside, playing in water can really cool you off. Children love to dance around in the water. Not only does it help them to cool off, but it keeps them active as well.

Water is good for many other things too...but not good to waste. Please use good judgment when brushing teeth and taking baths and showers to use less. Using hot water on skin can dehydrate skin so go easy on the temperature and amount. Always turn running water off when not using it. For example: when in Africa, we used water in a container that we poured over our toothbrushes since the running water was not fit to drink. Sometimes when we were low on drinking water, we learned to use just enough (maybe only one cup worth) to get the job done.

So when drinking, have at it....but when bathing, use enough to get clean and no more. If you have city water this will help your water bill too. Living in Africa reminded me that we cannot take clean water for granted. Many people are sick because they have no clean water to drink and bathe with.

Water...drink it in. And be thankful for fresh clean water.

Junk Mail

Did you know about 45% of all junk mail is thrown away unopened? It's no wonder. If you, like me, have wondered what to do to cut down on the amount of uninvited mail that shows up in your mailbox, there is something you can do.

Type in "stop junk mail" on Google (or other search engine) and check out numerous websites for all kinds of tips for eliminating your unwanted mail. There are tips on how to deal with unwanted catalogs as well.

What I've found that has been helpful is to stop unwanted mail as soon as I see it coming. It takes a little effort, but they will take you off. If you have lots coming your way, make it a point to make some calls (or send postcards) 30 minutes every week until it's done.

Just state that you'd like to be taken off of their mailing lists. Be polite. If you are calling, make sure you have the mailing label in hand. If they made mistakes with your name or address, then give them the info as they wrote it. Do the same with the info if you are mailing them a request as well.

Using the same tips and guides to eliminate mail will also point ways to cut down on telemarketers and email spam as well. So, check it out.

Newspapers

Did you know that it takes 75,000 trees every week to print the Sunday edition of the New York Times newspaper? Not every newspaper is as large as the New York Times, but consider a move toward a greener life by taking a bold step.

Try a few months buying only the weekend edition of your newspaper or cancel your subscription altogether. Yes, in some households, it may be bold, but it sure cuts out a lot of paper and the results are immediate.

We have not gotten a newspaper since the mid 1990's. Occasionally we have bought (or borrowed from a friend) the paper for classifieds or checked online for the headlines from larger national papers, but we have always been glad that we made the decision to discontinue it.

The other option is to get an online subscription to your favorite newspaper. The good news is that many magazines offer this service as well. Check out yours today!