An attempt to withdraw from knee jerk capitalist self-soothing.

They work us long, hard hours at less than generous wages so when we have free time we spend our money on things that feel like luxuries to reduce our stress, anxiety, and depression.

What we need is time together, time in nature, time creating things, and so much less stuff.

Not a popular opinion.

As a woman whose Mother has had to hire two dumpsters and two junk removal teams to dig out of my Father’s lifetime of consumerism I’m taking the lesson to heart.

This is the year I begin to use what I have in earnest. Repurposing what I can, trading what I can’t, and donating what I don’t need and what I don’t love.

I can sew a little bit by hand so instead of new things this year I’m refreshing my old things with needle, thread, and things I won’t wear anymore. YouTube and Google have all the free teachers I require .

Cardboard boxes make great storage and fabric and glue make them as pretty as any you can buy at IKEA, it’s not like the Drona boxes are made of anything else.

Handmade food wraps and wax wraps replace store bought plastic wrap and reduce waste. If you don’t want the hassle of pine resin in your wax wrap recipe rubber bands or nylon hair ties will hold these reusable items closed just as well.

I’m tired of living in a world that tells me I have to spend all my time working to afford the next brightest toy. I want to spend my time with my family, my friends, my dog, and the natural world.

For as long as we still have one.