Paper or Plastic?

Plastic Bags This week, New York rolled out its’ ban on plastic bags.  We all find much joy in not using plastic bags anymore, but is paper any better?   Most of us want to band paper bags too and make everyone use reuse bags. (If we had to buy them at the counter to get our food home I’ll bet we would stop forgetting, I know I would☹

I say: let’s ban paper bags too. Research by the UK Environment Agency has found that paper bag production requires more raw materials and energy, and produces more waste than plastic bag production.

14 billion trees are cut down annually for paper packaging; plastic ones are by-products of oil refining.  It takes four times more electricity to Paper Bagproduce a paper than a plastic carrier. Besides,  paper bag production emits 70% more air and 50% more water pollutants than its synthetic counterpart.

A paper bag has to be used at least three times to decrease its impact on the environment to match that of a plastic bag used just once.

New York joined the long line of jurisdictions that have banned plastic bags. Now there are about 66 countries and counting, Bangladesh was the first. The terrifying pictures we have all sen of plugged rivers or dead animals (from ingesting them) have made a mark on us all.

Globally, we produce around 300 million tons of plastic waste per year, which the UN has helpfully equated to the weight of the entire human population.

Canvas ToteOnly a small part of this is recycled or incinerated. Almost 80% is merely piling up around us, as litter in our streets, in garbage dumps, and our waters. Depending on the type of product, plastic takes up to 600 years to decompose, all the while contaminating the water we drink and the food we eat. The UN estimates that by 2050, we could have more plastic than fish in our oceans and seas.

Not all is lost, the reusable tote:  Many people already have the habit of keeping them handy in our cars, handbags or backpacks and offices for that surprise trip to the grocery. The Environment Agency study estimated that reusable synthetic bags should be used up to 30 times to match the environmental impact of a plastic grocery bag used once, and canvas sacks at least 330 times. The idea is to go as natural as possible and to use them for years. Not only that, you can have them custom made for advertising your website, your business, your grandchildren, just about anything.

4 Actions That Target Your Personal Growth

green Leaf floatingWe all have areas where we want to improve; health, work, family, you name it. But reality sets in along with a busy schedule that doesn’t leave any space for quiet time, let alone individual development. We also rarely have the willpower we need to see it through. Or maybe we just don’t know where or how to start.

Not being able to define your own long-term goals will end up in a life that’s devoid of meaning or direction. You start losing that spark and the motivation to get up each morning wanes.

Experts define a personal growth plan as “the process of creating an action plan based on awareness, values, reflection, goal-setting, and planning for personal development within the context of a career, education, relationship or for self-improvement.”

An individualized growth plan can help you achieve the vision you have of yourself. It’s something we need to consciously think about and strive toward. If you don’t plan your own development and growth, no one else will.

Here are four steps you can take for a well-developed, easy-to-implement, personalized plan.

1. Know Thyself

In order to plan for the future, you have to reflect on your past experiences, your weaknesses, and strengths; they’ve made you who you are today. You also have to clarify your own unique values, such as integrity, respect for others, leadership, honesty. Your values define your stance, whether it’s at the workplace, with family and friends, and in your romantic relationships. Moreover, there are several essential questions you have to ask yourself:

  • What do I want to become in life?
  • What are my achievements up until now?
  • What are my personal goals?
  • What are my career ambitions?
  • What steps have I taken to pursue these goals and ambitions?

2. Develop your vision

Once you’ve asked and answered these questions, you’ll have a clear idea of who you are and what you want out of life. This takes us to the second step; developing your vision. A smart tip is to provide yourself with several options to reach your next goal.

That way, if something goes wrong or you face an obstacle, you can switch to another path. Be flexible in your planning because usually, people tend to underestimate how long a particular project will take.

Another point people tend to not pay attention to is what they don’t want to do. If you’re at work, you can make a list of what-not-to-do, for example:

  • Check emails as soon as they come in
  • Keep too many tabs open at once
  • Keep a cell phone on your desk
  • Check social media while you’re working

3. Assess your present-day situation

Implementing your plan can be difficult at first. But with dedication and an eye on the prize, you’ll soon find that it becomes a daily habit. It was Jim Ryun who said, “Motivation is what get you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

Putting your strengths to good use will harness your energy levels so that it’s utilized efficiently. You can set up milestones along the way because smaller goals give you the motivation and drive you to need to get to the big ones. And each time you reach a milestone or achieve one of the small goals, reward yourself for your hard work.

4. Review your progress

Each project needs to be reviewed and assess, and your exclusive growth plan is no different. You can do it on a monthly basis or every couple of months, whatever feels comfortable for you. But it’s crucial that you take a step back and look at all the hard work you’ve accomplished.

Check to see if you’ve left anything out or missed any deadlines. Or maybe the mini-goals you set up last time don’t fit your criteria any longer, they need tweaking or readjusting. Reflect on your experience and consider everything you’ve learned. This will ensure that you keep moving forward according to your long-term plan and the vision you’ve set up for yourself.

On a final note, you can draw up the perfect plan, but if you don’t follow through, you won’t get anywhere. Everyone needs the practice to develop and grow, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. Having something to strive toward can renew your self-confidence and passion for life.

Wrong Help Directions

Help in CloudsYears ago, I used to be a computer tech for dell.  I had the A+ certification to help you with your issues on the phone etc.  I was there when we were given the new software to go onto YOUR computer, and just do it for you was launched. This new prosses saved companies like Dell a fortune because no longer did they have to teach you to do it yourself. (Great for them, bad for you, most of the time.)  In learning all this tech stuff, I found out that fixing computer issues was 10% knowledge and 90% being dam good at looking stuff up on the internet.

  Jump to today!  Now it seems that 50% (or more) of the help on the internet is outdated and that is only going to get worse as time goes on.  Because the internet remembers everything and no-one goes back and deletes their old stuff because having all that on your blog etc.… makes your site look more active and well used.  It also makes the site owner more of an “expert.”.  My best tip for you today is LOOK AT THE DATE!!!  If this article was written in 2016, it’s not going to help you. Try to go for help articles, step by step instructions, etc. That are less than one year old.  That is still not a guarantee, but your results will be closer to the answer, I promise.  If you have a really old computer look for dates around when you bought it. If it’s an internet thing like “How do I export my chrome bookmarks,” make sure it’s a current date.

Food: A Week’s Worth Of Tips For Empty Nesters

Crispy ChickenMy former neighbor, Mary Young, a relatively new empty-nester, remarked on how free she feels with her nine kids out of the house. This feeling is common. Joy Smith, author of “,” encourages people to take advantage of it: “For the first time in years, you can cook because you want to, not because you must. You have fewer people and palates to please, so cook in ways you’ve never dared.”

  1. Try new recipes. A majority of empty nesters say they enjoy exploring foods that their children would not eat, according to the July 2005 Pillsbury Empty Nester Survey.
  2. Think smaller. With just the two of you at home, there’s little need for family-size packages.
  3. Buy perishables with care. To reduce spoilage, buy only a few pieces of fruit and small amounts of vegetables at a time. Choose dairy products and fresh meats with the latest expiration date.
  4. Maximize nutrition. Pick foods that deliver the most nutrition for the bite. For example, broccoli (vitamins A and C), legumes (fiber) and fortified whole-grain cereals like Whole Grain Total®. As you get older, you need fewer calories but the same, or sometimes greater, amounts of key nutrients.
  5. Stock up on plastic containers. Prepare recipes that serve four or six and divide up the extra into two-serving portions. Label, date and refrigerate or freeze.
  6. Swap homemade dishes with a friend. It’s a great way to add variety to your menu.
  7. Get a new gadget. A vacuum sealer seals out air and preserves the moisture and flavor of the original dish. “I seal and freeze leftovers in one-meal portions for fresh-tasting dinners anytime,” suggests Smith. “Reheat in the microwave or boil in the bag on the stovetop.”
This recipe makes four servings, two for now and two for tomorrow.
Crunchy Garlic Chicken Breasts

11/3 cups Whole Grain Total® cereal

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup skim milk

2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 11/4 lb)

Cooking spray

  1. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 13×9-inch pan with cooking spray.
  2. Crush cereal. In a shallow dish, stir together cereal, parsley, and paprika. In another shallow dish, stir together milk, chives, salt, and garlic powder. Dip chicken into milk mixture, then coat lightly and evenly with cereal mixture. Place in pan. Spray top of chicken with cooking spray.
  3. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when the center of thickest part is cut.

Camping Season is Just Around the Corner

https://www.rvingwithdoghousegypsies.comCamping season “is” just around the corner so I thought I’d wrap up this month with a few of my camping tips for the gear you will need on your next camping trip.  This is just one of those lists that keep you from making another list.

If you are an avid camper, then you probably have everything set in stone as far as equipment goes. And better yet, you probably have a routine down pat. However, for those of you who are new to camping, here are some of the essentials and some things that you simply may not have thought of or remembered.

Shelter

The most important thing to have for your camping adventure is shelter. Shelter from the possible extremes is essential. Even if you are not surrounded by inclement weather, things such as spiders and snakes do exist and the need to protect yourself from them is all-important.

Of course, a little research goes a long way when first purchasing your tent. Ask your friends and family who have camping experience which brand they use and prefer. Go to many of the different sporting goods stores and even shop around online a little bit before settling into any one choice.

Camping tents come in various shapes and sizes:

* 2-person tent

* Family tent

* Dome tents

* Stand up tents

A great idea is to look into food tents once you have made up your mind which sleeping tent you want. Food tents can protect and preserve food against weather and animals as well. Keeping your food safely tucked away and far away from your sleeping quarters is an excellent idea.

Bedding

Once you have selected what size and style tent you desire, it is a good idea to purchase sleeping bags that are warm and waterproof. Also, think about buying a blow-up single mattress for those in your party who do not like “roughing it” as much. Pillows are another thought for comfortable sleeping.

Make certain to take along extra thermal blankets and sleeping bags to cover up in. It can get extremely cold up in many campsites, especially those surrounded by mountains.

Cookware

The location of your campsite will dictate how much and what to bring. If you are close to a food supply store, you can pack a little lighter. However, if you are really roughing it, you can always bring along canned and dehydrated food just in case.

* Camping stove with fuel and lighter or if you are bringing your barbeque, then charcoal, matches, and lighter fluid

* Frying pan with a lid

* Pot with a lid

* Cooking skewers

* Can opener

* Tongs for turning sausages and hot dogs

* Spatula for flipping burgers

Of course, paper plates, napkins, and utensils and cooking foil are a must, along with plastic cups. Don’t forget to bring tons of water.

Extras

You will also need to bring some extra miscellaneous items with you that you may not have thought of originally:

* Lanterns

* Flashlights

* Batteries

* Bug spray

* Sunscreen

* Flyswatters

* Garbage bags

* Soap, sponges, and scrubbers for dishes and a basin to wash stuff in

* Camping chairs

* A sewing kit

* Toiletries including toilet paper

* A car battery charger for your cell phone

These are just the basics to get you started on your camping adventure.

We camp from an RV, see our new site about camping coming soon to a page near you 🙂 https://www.rvingwithdoghousegypsies.com/

 

Some Thoughts on Meditation

Gold Frog meditatingDifferent Forms of Meditation

There are no special tricks to meditating; no special posture or breathing rhythm is required. Once you have gotten the knack of it you can meditate anywhere during any activity. Some readers have succeeded in reaching this altered state of consciousness while reading about my sand meditation, and perhaps you too may realize this transformational state of consciousness as you read on…

Sometimes meditation opens a door into the mysteries of creation. If we allow ourselves to pass through this door, there is no telling what we may encounter on the other side. Do not become discouraged if you have tried to meditate in the past and not gotten any remarkable results. Meditation is a mystical process and it may take a while to learn how to quiet your mind and open yourself to all the present moment has to offer you.

My meditation began while sitting on a beach. My hands were sandy. I rubbed my thumb and forefinger together, feeling the grains of sand between them slipping away until only a single grain of sand remained.

I could feel the shape of the grain of sand distinctly as I rolled it back and forth between my thumb and forefinger.

The longer I rolled the grain of sand about the more defined my awareness of the grain of sand became. The more detailed my experience of the grain of sand became, the larger it appeared to be.

While I could clearly feel the tiny grain of sand trapped between my thumb and finger roll about across the grooves and ridges of my fingerprints, the grain of sand appeared to be growing larger and larger as I contemplated it.

The grain of sand continued to grow, encompassing the beach and then the world. Before long, the grain of sand had grown to an infinite size and it now encompassed all of creation, yet I still held the tiny grain of sand between my thumb and forefinger, rolling it about across the grooves and ridges of my fingerprints.

The tiny grain of sand was intimately connected to every part of creation and all of creation existed within it, even as it existed within my grasp. I communed with the grain of sand, aware of its infinite connectedness to everything else; through the medium of the grain of sand, I became aware of my own infinite connectedness with all of creation.

The sand spoke to me of eternity. It told me tales about creation and the infinite nature of our existence in creation. From the grain of sand, I learned that every tiniest part of creation is a living being experiencing creation and sharing in the process whereby creation makes everything manifest.

My meditation with a grain of sand always produced a feeling of intense bliss. It was an eternal meditation that transcended the time and place where it began to continue throughout all of creation. From time to time, I would return to this meditation, engrossed by the wisdom and experience of a single tiny grain of sand.

Can 8-Minute Meditation Give You a Quiet Mind and Change Your Life Forever?

What exactly is meditation? It seems that so many people nowadays are hooked up with this form of activity. By definition, meditation is often used to describe the individual’s state of intense attention on an object of awareness or thought. The individual tries to turn his or her attention inward. Meditation is said to be of Vedic Hinduism origin. This is usually practiced in the eastern religions, but now even the western culture is already involved in such activity.

People want to practice meditation so that they can focus their mind to God for their personal development, to attain peace of mind, and to be healthier.

Many Americans are now involved in some form of meditation. According to Time Magazine, there is one meditation practice that can be used by almost anyone. Mor available information can be considered as the basic primer of Americans wanting to begin meditation but have no idea where to start.

There was a book published last November 2005 authored by Victor Davich that is all about the 8-minute meditation. If you purchase the book and study it carefully, you will learn a lot of things about meditation, and you can do it in just 8 minutes.

Almost every individual who starts with anything new to him or her will often have lingering questions, hopes, and doubts about it. There are even people who hope that when they begin to meditate, they will be enlightened. Or perhaps you’re one of those individuals who think that meditation is just like an exercise or diet that you’ve been trying to do for the past few months. But these things are normal; so don’t be surprised if you’re also like that.

The best thing to do is to face all the positive and/or negative expectations, and after doing so, forget about them and start with a clean slate. If you want to try the 8-minute program of meditation, you should learn how to approach it one minute at a time.

While many people think that meditation is a simple practice, then you’d better think twice. You might not notice it, but your mind is always racing from here to there. You can’t concentrate. According to the book’s author, you must watch your breath. This is the very first step to meditation. Do your inhalation and exhalation by breathing deeply. If you always do this and keep on practicing, you can become good at meditation.

As a word of reminder, if you catch yourself thinking about other things, or in other words, your mind strays off, focus again on your breathing. After all, meditation is all about concentrating and if you realize that you’re not on the right track, you can always return to that state of mind gently. Don’t get discouraged easily and keep on practicing. There is a famous saying that says practice makes perfect, so always keep that in mind. If you quit easily, then you will remain a quitter.

Meditation can help you in achieving peace of mind. With all your problems at work, in your family, and the entire world, you should at least experience a few minutes of peace. Don’t miss this chance to attain personal development at no cost at all.

Stack of StonesMeditation and its benefits

One of the most important benefits of meditation is that it dramatically helps a person’s physical state. Among the physical benefits of meditation involve the heart through a deep rest because it decreases the person’s metabolic rate as well as the heart rate, which leads to the reduction of workload for the heart. Aside from that, it is also known to lower the levels of a person’s cortisol as well as dissolving the chemicals that are closely associated with everyday stress.

Other physical benefits of meditation also include reduced free radicals in the body by eliminating unstable oxygen molecules, decreases a person’s high blood pressure, develops the ability to have more resistant skin, lowering or dropping the person’s level of cholesterol, improve airflow to the lungs to aid easy breathing, delays biological aging and increases the levels of DHEAS in older people.

When it comes to psychological factor, meditation aids in increasing the person’s brain wave coherence, decreasing anxiety levels, often irritability, deep-set depression, and swing of moods, improves the person’s memory as well as his or her learning ability, increases the person’s capacity for self-actualization, increases the person’s feeling of youthfulness and rejuvenation as well as vitality, leads to positive outlook in life and joyfulness, and increases a person’s emotional status and stability.

Other noted benefits of meditation for an individual and his or her community include:

– Relaxation to the person’s body, mind, and soul.

– Rejuvenation of energy to face huge challenges and stress ahead.

– Healing of various illnesses that are closely associated with the mind and the body.

– Making a more stable person in terms of emotions.

– Developments of relaxed family life and instilling positive outlooks in life to younger people.

– Enhances the person’s ability to make his or her mind function properly.

– Letting a person discover his or her inner self, this, in turn, releases the creativity in them.

– It helps people to free themselves from various vices and addictions such as alcohol and cigarettes as well as in multiple medications such as tranquilizers and narcotics.

– It also helps a person to gain higher self-confidence, thus, resulting in stronger power of the will.

– It can be an effective and safe way of discovering one’s self instead of focusing the attention to other unhealthy practices.- It aids in the development of the power of the mind.

The list goes on about the benefits of meditation in an individual and to his or her community. In so many cases, these are positive benefits.

With the new year, we all want to get Organized!

Picture of closet Get that Closet Organized

Most of us have a relatively large closet, but lots of wasted space in its original design. It is no wonder things end up piled up and lost in there. To get organized, you are going to need to transform that space into areas you can work with. Once you have decided on the items that will go back into your closet, you are going to have to choose how you want it in there. Do you want to hang it? Put it on the floor? Have a few shelves? Or store some items on the floor? This information will help you take the proper steps to get your closet organized.

Multi-tier hanging clothes rods are very useful. You can install half rods in various locations as well. This is an excellent choice if you need a full-length rod area for dresses and want a shorter hanging space for shirts. Most of us have a standard closet with one hanging clothes rod all the way across. Even simply adding a second one down below will double your storage space!

Use bins, dividers, small shelves, or baskets to separate and organize your smaller closet items. You can even put your sweaters in a basket or on a shelf since hangers can cause them to lose their shape. Cubbies are great for shoes, belts, scarfs, and other similar items. Carousals are excellent for hats, ties, and purses. If you are creative, you may want to use a particular closet organization product for an entirely different purpose. Do it! This is your project so make it work for you.

This is your chance to customize your closet storage space. Make it accessible and convenient for what you need. Some of us have tons of clothes and only a few pairs of shoes. Some of us have a pair of shoes to go with each outfit. Therefore no custom closet organization design is perfect for everyone. For the best results, take a complete inventory of the items you plan on to return to your closet and devise a plan that will give the right amount of space for the items you need it for.

Do you plan to live in your current residence for a long time? If so, a permanent closet organization system is something you will be interested in. For those of you who move often or who rent, consider using removable closet organization products that install and remove easily. Otherwise, you will find yourself in the same predicament each time you have to move. You will also want to consider the cost of each type of closet organization system before making any decisions.

Many people don’t realize the amount of space they have on the inside of their closet doors. You can hang a bag for hats, purses, belts, umbrellas, gloves, etc. here. It is also a perfect location for a hanging or attached shoe organizer. Make sure you consider this area while devising your custom closet organization layout.

Don’t spend money on items to design your closet until you are absolutely sure that they are going to fit well in your closet area. Most closet organizing products can’t be returned or exchanged if you have already started putting them together unless they are defective. It is a good idea to take your measurements twice in the closet as well as when you are looking for products to purchase.  Remember measure twice cut once!

Don’t forget to leave room for favorite friends!

Cat in a bin