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It's Time to Undream the American Dream

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What is the American Dream?  That depends on when you're talking about it. In the beginning, the American Dream was about "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  It came from the idea that all people have a God-given right to pursue their own course in life, without regard to their rank at birth, within the confines of an agreed-upon moral code.  Freedoms included those of speech, worship, peaceful protest, fair courts, etc.  (We'll ignore for now the fact that these liberties didn't usually extend to women or people of color.) By the mid-19th century, the American Dream had expanded to include the promise of free land, granted by the government if you "proved up" by building a house, raising crops, and enduring the dangers, loneliness, and harsh weather of the frontier.  Millions of people spread westward, hoping for new and prosperous lives.  (We'll ignore for now the fact that this land had been stolen from indigenous tribes.) Many other

How to Prepare Your Bedroom for Better Relaxation and Sleep

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Imagine checking into a nice hotel room.  It doesn't have to be the most expensive, just a clean and pleasant place in an area you want to visit. Put the key card in the slot, open the door, and imagine what you see.  You may or may not like the color of the bedspread and drapes.  You may or may not like the artwork on the walls.  But you probably like the super-clean, spa-like bathroom and neatly made bed.  Extra pillows and in-room coffee are nice too.  (One place Jon and I like to stay on the Sonoma county coast has a gas fireplace in each room.  Love! )  Hotel rooms offer a place to shower, store your clothes, and sleep while you're traveling for work or fun.  Maybe they have a nice pool or a beautiful view.  Nothing more.  Nothing less. It's that simplicity that beckons you to curl up with a good book.  Maybe you'll watch a bit of TV while you snuggle into the robe that's provided.  Or you might take a nap in the afternoon before heading out for dinner or to vi

Tune In to the Power of One

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We live in a culture of plenty.  So it's pretty typical for us to believe that we need more than one of almost everything.  Of course you need a backup spatula, cooking spoon, or sauté pan!  Naturally you want a selection of bath towels, dinner plates, and athletic shoes!  It's only common sense to keep an extra umbrella, water bottle, or charger (or two, three, or a lot more). We don't even question this. Yet a lot can be gained by not owning more than we need: We save money when we don't buy all the extras. We save space when we don't store all the extras. We save aggravation when we don't have to search through all the extras. Not to mention the resources we don't waste, and the waste we don't generate, when we don't manufacture and package and ship all the extras. Over the years, I've reduced my belongings to the point where I own a single copy of items that many people own multiples of.  Some items are small and inexpensive, others are la

Don't Just Spring Forward - Give Slow Living a Try

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If you live in the U.S. or Canada, you probably know that daylight saving time begins this Sunday , March 10th.  (In Europe, you still have a couple of weeks before summer time begins.)  Yes, it does seem to arrive earlier each year, although the current law which has it begin on the second Sunday in March has been in effect in the U.S. since 2007. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the World Sleep Society oppose daylight saving time and call for permanent standard time.  The U.S. state of Arizona is one of only two states that does not observe the change (the other is Hawaii), citing energy conservation as the reason.  With the hottest metropolitan areas on the continent, having an extra hour of sunlight while people are active would cause them to run their cooling systems longer, using even more energy than they already do.  I believe the same is true here in the Sacramento Valley, but California has chosen to observe DST. The tyranny of the clock As we all adapt to darker mo

Why You Should See Cleaning as Self-Care

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Recently, I returned home from a weekend trip and immediately unpacked what I took with me, washed a load of dirty clothes, and put everything away.  I felt settled and at home.  It was a good feeling. A few days later, I was having a hard day.  I started cleaning.  I cleaned the refrigerator and wiped the kitchen counters.  I decluttered a few old papers from my file box.  I swept the porches and mopped the floor in the entry hall.  It felt good. Self-soothing with home care For me, cleaning, organizing, and decluttering are a form of self-care.  I feel satisfied when things are clean and neat.  I feel like I'm managing my life and ready for what's next. I know that these activities can feel overwhelming for some, and so we avoid them.  The feeling of not knowing where to start, or that there's just so much mess, can make you feel like a failure.  But if you can just begin in one small area, you start to feel a measure of control, and the task becomes easier. Yes, there&#

How to Celebrate the Remarkable Value of One Day

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Between one day and the next, I was married, and my life changed forever.  I was committed to my husband of nearly 40 years. Between one day and the next, I was a mother, and my life changed forever.  My priorities and choices were permanently impacted by my daughter, who will be 35 next month. Between one day and the next, I was a grandmother.  What fun!  I'm so blessed with my three grandsons. Between one day and the next, any of our lives could change.  It could be a promotion, an illness, an accident, or an award and the recognition that goes with it. A gift If we live to be 70, we'll experience over 25,000 days.  So what does it matter if we waste a few?  So what if I lounge all day in my pajamas and binge watch The Queen's Gambit ? Each day we arise with energy and hope, or not.  We successfully complete important tasks, or we don't.  We enjoy pleasant and kind encounters with other people, or we don't.  We connect with our ideals and refresh our spirits, or n

10 Tips to Help You Declutter When You Don't Feel Like It

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The basics of decluttering are pretty straightforward:  Put stuff you don't need or want into boxes or bags and remove it from your home by selling or donating it.  But motivating yourself to do something hard is a challenge for anyone. You may have to declutter even if you don't want to when you're moving guests are coming to stay it's making you sick it's causing friction in your relationships you just know it's time to simplify your life You may think you don't have time to declutter, or you might not be "in the mood."  It can feel overwhelming when you're just starting out, but I promise life is better on the other side of decluttering your home and simplifying your finances , work, hobbies , and much more.  Read on for my best recommendations, and know that I'm rooting for you! How to energize yourself to declutter (when it's such a big job) 1.  You need to know why. There are many ways to declutter (and I'll discuss some as we