Every Monday Matters: Week 15 - Rideshare

They say the universe is expanding.  That should help with traffic. 

Steven Wright 

Welcome to week 15 of Every Monday Matters by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza.  I'm glad you are here!  The topic today is on Ridesharing and in a round-about way what you can do to ease the chaos of the traffic jam.  

Steven Wright is counting on the expanding universe to ease traffic congestion but we need a much more earthly solution, don't you think?  :)

According to Every Monday Matters, only 10.2% of workers rideshare to work.  That is a very low number, most certainly, but are Americans really interested in carpooling?  It seems not so much.  The statistics are all available...money saved on car maintenance, gallons of gasoline saved, decrease in amount of pollution produced, a decrease in the wear and tear on the roads and your car,  all very good reasons to consider.  

But we love the convenience of it...getting to work when we want and leaving when we want too...plus the convenience of the after-work errand...all these are reasons that I never chose to rideshare.  

Fortunately, I don't fight traffic twice a day anymore because I found work where I telecommute so I am doing my part. If you would like to consider joining a rideshare, how do you start?  Many folks post on craigslist when looking to carpool or check the bulletin board at work.  Be cautious and use a trial period before committing long term.  It might be a great way to make a new friend...spending around two hours a day in conversation can be quality friend time. 

There are some websites too that match up workers wanting to carpool (or students even).  Sites like http://www.vride.com/carpool or 

https://www.sharetheride.com/public/Home.aspx may be good places to start.  Public transportation is another good way to get to work without contributing to the traffic congestion issue if it is available in your area.

So this week, Make Monday Matter by observing your driving habits and see if you can improve them...maybe by sharing a ride or planning and combining trips.  Couldn't we all enjoy a little smooth traveling at the beginning and end of our work day? 

Peace be with you, 

Star Schipp 

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you make a purchase using one of those links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you.  It is a great way to support your favorite hobby farm blogger.  Thank you!   

Every Monday Matters - Week 14: Create, Support and Appreciate Art

The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. 

~Pablo Picasso 

The task to Make Monday Matter this week is all about art...creating it, supporting it and appreciating it.  When was the last time you allowed yourself the freedom of losing yourself in CREATING? 

We rush from work to tasks to obligations and hardly take time to decompress.  There is such a release of stress in pulling out your favorite supplies and expressing yourself.  Whether that expression comes with paints, pencils, crayons, fabric, fiber or clay, I want you to spend some time letting yourself enjoy it AND displaying it in your home - someplace that will lift your spirits and make you smile. 

Art as expression is the goal - not perfection!  Simple use of colors YOU like and shapes YOU like put together in a way YOU like is the goal.  

Many people believe that the arts are important to a well-rounded life.   Many of us have not allowed ourselves the freedom of artistic expression since the mandatory art classes from school.  I hope that is not you but if it is - please make today matter and change that.  Even sitting down to color a page in a coloring book with your child counts! 

Be sure to spend some of your free time appreciating art in all forms - attend a free concert in your area or visit an art museum if there is one in your area.  If there isn't one, visit one virtually online. Be Intentional amd make this happen. :) 

Some school corporations are cutting budgets to the arts.  If this is happening in your area, consider attending a school board meeting to speak up on the value of artistic expression and appreciation to a life well-lived. Present the board with facts such as students who study art and music in all four years of high school average 100 points higher on standardized SAT tests compared to students who take a half year or less. That will surely get some attention! 

The watercolor posted with today's post is one I painted myself but here is my secret....the outline was traced from a template and I painted it with step-by-step instructions.  That doesn't make me any less proud of it - in fact, it was fun and relaxing to create.  There are many online tutorials available to create art like this and it gives you so much confidence to do even more.  

I hope you will Make Monday Matter and, in the words of Picasso, dust daily life off your soul by creating, supporting and appreciating art. 

Peace be with you, 

Star Schipp

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you make a purchase using one of those links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you.  It is a great way to support your favorite hobby farm blogger.  Thank you!   

Make Monday Matter and Celebrate with a Purpose!

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. 

~Oprah Winfrey

Happy Monday!  I'm so glad you are here.  This is week 12 of Make Every Monday Matter and the topic is to Celebrate With A Purpose! 

There are large things to celebrate like birthdays and anniversaries but there are little things too.  How about celebrating a small thing like finishing a book you wanted to read or that all the laundry is done and the dirty clothes hamper is empty!  

Celebration is a state of mind and it doesn't always have to include gifts.  A celebratory shout of joy and a little dance around your kitchen is so much fun and will lift your spirits without all the stress of planning a party.  What everyday things can you find to celebrate and how can you spontaneously express that happy state of being?  I would love to hear in the comments!  

How about rethinking those big celebrations?  Worldwide there are millions of birthdays every day.  Some are elaborately celebrated and others quietly so.  

One thing that is always difficult for me at this age is when my family asks me what I want for my birthday.  I pretty much have what I need and only occasionally really find something I want to own.  I do love new experiences or classes to learn new things but those things are hard to wrap up and give as a gift.  It seems everyone still wants to give a "real" gift that can be purchased and wrapped and given.  

Every Monday Matters suggests taking a different approach to celebration...in other words to "party with a purpose" (Week 12).

The suggested action is to ask for a donation to a favorite charity in lieu of gifts.  Theme the party around the charity and provide everyone with the information needed to make a donation.  

Some possible themes could be:

For donations to a food bank, ask guests to bring canned goods and a little something to add to a soup meal for your own version of the Stone Soup story.

For donations to an organization that helps families start small agricultural businesses (for example:  Heifer International), arrange a tour of a local farm to get up close with some animals like chickens, cows and goats.

For donations of school supplies to schools where children need them, ask guests to bring scrap-booking supplies to use and share with each other AND brings a pack of pencils, crayons, notebooks, etc. to donate to a local school.  

What celebrate with a purpose party idea can you think of?  Please share with us in the comments!  

Thanks for making Monday Matter today.  I'm so glad you stopped by for a visit.  

Tomorrow's post will be the one dedicated to emergency lighting.  The post got postponed but we will pick right up and keep on going.  I hope to see you then.  

Peace be with you, 

Star Schipp 

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you make a purchase using one of those links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you.  It is a great way to support your favorite hobby farm blogger.  Thank you!   

Every Monday Matters Week 10: Change Your Lightbulbs

We forget just how painfully dim the world was before electricity.  A candle, a good candle, provides barely a hundredth of the illumination of a single 100 watt light bulb.  ~Bill Bryson

I have to admit when saw the topic for week 10 of Every Monday Matters I was a little underwhelmed.  Really, I can make today matter just by changing a light bulb?  Huh?  

There is no doubt that electric lights have changed the world.  Having control over light allows humans to work longer and safer.  Visibility is increased as well as safety from not using flame powered light sources such as candles and oils.  Work can happen before sun up and after sun down inside the home or barn or workplace and streets are safer with outdoor lighting.  Not to mention the number of toes that have gone non-stubbed or the monsters that have been chased away from a child's room from the simple addition of the night light.  All in all a pretty nifty invention! 

Have you visited the light bulb aisle at your favorite store lately?  There are a ridiculous number of choices but there is one choice you won't have - the traditional incandescent light bulb.  Governments all over the world have decided to phase out these bulbs which are not considered to be energy efficient.  Product developers are working on more efficient versions even today.  

The bulb that is generally called upon to replace them is the Compact Fluorescent Lamp, otherwise known as CFL.  These bulbs - the ones labeled ENERGY STAR - are reported to use 75% less energy and can last ten times longer.  So far, that sounds pretty good! 

The bulbs stay cooler that other bulbs too, so that's a plus.  It is reported that if each US household replaced five incandescent bulbs with CFLs, almost $8 billion of energy cost could be saved in one year.  That is pretty impressive too. 

There are some drawbacks:  the bulbs are expensive and the light that is provided is different - harsher and not as warm.  There is one HUGE drawback to them though.  There bulbs contain MERCURY which is hazardous material and must be disposed of safely.  

Do Not Throw CFL Bulbs in the Trash! 

Do you know how to dispose of the CFL bulbs in your home?  I found a link that will help you find a recycling center near you for proper disposal...

Search.Earth911.com 

There is a Lowe's less than ten miles from me that will accept CFLs for proper disposal.  I will certainly use this service.  It is of great concern to me, though, that I did not know about the hazards of disposing CFLs before writing this post. 

What if one is dropped and broken in your home?  Here are instructions for proper technique to minimize exposure to mercury: 

EPA Instructions for Cleaning Up a Broken CFL

Please spread the word on this issue. We cannot risk mercury contamination of our soil, water or homes.  Today, we can make Monday Matter by replacing light bulbs with more energy efficient models AND by teaching others the proper way to dispose of CFLs.  That is a great way to Be Intentional! 

Thanks for visiting with me today.  I'm always so glad when you stop by  :) 

Tomorrow, I will look into the new ( really, the old) trend of using bone broth.  The history, the benefits and the instructions on this nourishing product will all be part of the discussion, I hope to see you then!

Peace be with you, 

Star Schipp 

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you make a purchase using one of those links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you.  It is a great way to support your favorite hobby farm blogger.  Thank you!   

Every Monday Matters Week 8: Help the Hungry

When people were hungry, Jesus didn't say, "Now is that political, or social?" He said, "I feed you." Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.  

Desmond Tutu

Welcome to Week 8 of our journey to make Every Monday Matter (#EMM). The task this week is to help the hungry.  The issue of hunger is a multi-faceted one and it affects families, children and senior citizens in a large way.  In fact, almost 50 million Americans are food insecure which is defined as not having consistent access to sufficient food.  Access may be limited by lack of money, lack of transportation or other lack of resources at different times of the month or year.  For many families, budgets have to be a juggling act where the food ball may be the one dropped. 

According to www.feedingamerica.org, every county in the U.S. has an issue with food insecurity - North Dakota reports 4% but Mississippi reports 33%.  

What can you do to help?  #BeIntentional 

1. Find a local food pantry and ask what they need. Provide it. 
2. Donate your time at a food pantry, distribution center, soup kitchen or homeless shelter. 
3. Look in your pantry.  Is there anything you could donate today? 
4. When was the last food drive in your community?  If you cannot remember, it is time for another one. Organize it. 
5. Purchase fast-food gift cards to have on hand so you can provide a spontaneous meal to feed someone who is homeless. 

If you haven't volunteered to serve food to those in need before, I hope you will consider it.  It is an excellent family project too!

As a nursing student, my capstone project was working with the homeless and I spent quite a bit of time serving in shelters and soup kitchens.  I must tell you that the simple act of providing a hot meal, a warm place to sit and friendly conversation helps more than the person being served.  It is an act of love that gives us an opportunity to show compassion in a very real and tangible way.  It is hard to think about anything else when the body is in a state of hunger or thirst.   

If serving doesn't quite fit for you.  Please consider a donation to your local food bank. Tuck a couple of fast-food gift cards in your car too.  

 Food Banks report that the following items are the most useful donations: 

Basics Foods

• Meals in a can (stew, chili, soup)
• Tuna and canned meat
• Peanut butter
• Canned food with pop-top lids
• Low-sugar cereals
• 100% fruit juice in single serving boxed
• Canned fruit packed in juice
• Canned vegetables (low-salt) 

Child-Friendly Foods

• Pop-top tuna
• 100% fruit rolls
• Raisins
• Graham crackers
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Cheese and crackers
• Fruit cups
• Pretzels
• Granola Bars (without peanuts) 

Sharing a meal is a great blessing so I hope you will #BeIntentional this week and remember the words of 

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta:  

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.   

Also, don't forget to Plant a Row for the Hungry when you start your gardens!  Thanks so much for visiting today.

Tomorrow we will look into the difference between raw honey and processed honey plus I'll share a recipe for a homemade cough syrup that uses honey and herbs.  (The ingredients were in my Homegrown Collective January Greenbox!)  I hope to see you then :) 

Peace be with you, 

Star Schipp  

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you make a purchase using one of those links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you.  It is a great way to support your favorite hobby farm blogger.  Thank you!