Abundance vs Moderation

Hi Everyone, hope you all enjoyed your week!

Today's topic is ABUNDANCE versus MODERATION.

Can there be too much of a good thing? How much do we really need? Do we always want more than we actually need? Do we live in a world of excess? I often think about this.

When you eat too much food it can lead you to being overweight. If you buy too much it can create excessive debt you don't want or need. Excess stuff creates clutter.

What is the difference between want and need? When I go shopping I now ask myself if the item is something I want or is it something I need. A perfect example of this happened the other day. I was in a shoe store and found the  most beautiful pair of red velvet heels that caught my eye. I tried them on and they looked stunning and I almost took them up to the register after justifying in my mind how much I needed them. But after walking around in them in the store for a few minutes I realized that they would wind up sitting in my closet since I had no plans to wear them anytime soon and had nothing that would even go remotely with them. I quickly decided that this was definitely not a case of needing them and we parted ways .As I walked out of the store I actually felt good about my decision. There are times that I don't need something but just want it and that is fine as long as I can afford it, have a use for it and have a place to put it. I am working on resisting impulse purchases such as the red velvet shoes.

There are the basic things that we all "need" food, water, clothing and shelter among other things that we consider necessities. Sometimes I think we all think we need more than we do. If you talked to someone that didn't have all these things, they would say that the basics would be something they would want. It is all in perspective. Some people always want more while others are grateful for what they have and are totally content with less.



For the upcoming week, I would like to suggest that you focus less on gathering material things and start being "mindful" of the things that you currently have in your home. Could you be content with less? Do you really need six different kinds of shampoos or will one suffice? I know I used to be guilty of this. If you are like me and just want to simplify your life, you may want to consider taking an inventory of what you actually have. This may even be a way to save you money. Knowing what you have in the cupboard can help you with meal planning and even avoid having to buy something you already have from the grocery store. I have gone shopping and purchased items I already had just because there was too much stuff in the cabinet therefore I spent money I didn't have to. Spring is coming so it may be a good time to clean, organize and purge.

Clutter doesn't just happen in our surroundings but it also happens in our minds. Sometimes we are so preoccupied with doing the next thing that we don't enjoy or take notice of what we are doing at the moment. So while we are on the subject of being mindful, I encourage you to take a day to appreciate the little things. When you get up tomorrow and take your shower, concentrate on how the water feels on your skin, how the soap feels between your fingers when you are washing your hands, the way the food feels in your mouth when you are eating breakfast. What is the texture, how does it taste, how does it feel on your tongue? If it is raining, snowing or if the sun is shining when you walk out doors, what is the sensation that you feel on your face? Take a moment to listen to the sounds around you during the day. Take everything in.

Life is not just about material things. I hope this exercise gives you another perspective and more of an appreciation of the simple things in life.

Sometimes you just need to stop and smell the roses.

Thank you for all the great comments about last week's blog and the kind words about Colby. He is a sweetie and enjoys keeping me company while I write. Next week I will share another story about one of his siblings.

Now onto food. For this week's recipe, I decided to share something that is great on it's own but also can be used as the basis of many other dishes.

My Basic Tomato Sauce

Olive oil to coat the pan (I use a stock pot)
1 large or two small onions chopped (you can use more or less depending on preference)
2-28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes (I usually use whatever is on sale)
1 large can of tomato sauce (the one I used was 29 oz)
Garlic can be fresh or dried ( I used 5 cloves since this is what I had on hand but again it is up to your own personal taste)
1/4 cup of dried basil
1/4 cup of dried oregano
As soon as the onions and garlic were translucent I added the dried spices gave a quick stir and added my cans of tomatoes and let it simmer. Your entire house will smell delicious. During the summer months I incorporate fresh tomatoes from the garden.

I love this sauce, it is so versatile that you can use with pasta, pour over zucchini, squash, rice or even polenta. It is also great to use as a base for soup or make a chili. The best thing is you can make a large batch since it freezes well.

As you may remember from prior posts, that I recently gave my living room a mini makeover. My existing flower arrangemenst were looking a little tired so I wanted to spruce them up a bit. I went to a well known craft store in my area to get some silk flowers when I saw these willow sticks which I thought would have been a great enhancement to the arrangement. When I got to the counter, I was shocked to see the sticks rang up for $15.00 for 6 sticks literally. Before discovering the key between need and want I can honestly say I would have paid the price and not given it a second thought. I asked the cashier to remove the item and just left with my silk flowers. Here is where the recycle, re-purpose and up cycle comes in. I told my husband what happened and while I was arranging my flowers, he went out back found better sticks than I was going to buy and cut some of the the plumes from the Savannah grass we have in our yard. I was worried that the plumes would dry out and get all over everything but so far this has not been the case. They remained totally in tact but with any dried flower I would avoid handling them once you get them in place. I now have more beautiful accents in my arrangements than I would have purchased and they didn't cost a cent. Nature can provide some amazing things if you just take the time to look for the beauty.

Please share some of your own money saving tips that you use to decorate your home, I look forward to seeing what everyone else is doing.

Don't forget if you experience something new, something good happens or you just feel good to write it down and add it to your gratitude jar! It is not about having more, it is about enjoying what you have.

Finally, please like, comment and share if you find value in my post.

With Gratitude,

Trudy