film chat - I'm Fine, Thanks

Something a little different today. Not a book, but a documentary film.

I'm Fine, Thanks
A feature-length documentary about a crew of filmmakers who criss-crossed the country talking to every day people about how they fell into lives of complacency (and most importantly, what they did to change their lives and create their own paths to happiness). (2012)

I actually watched this one back when it was first released in 2012 (or soon after anyway), but watched it again over the weekend. While this isn't my favorite documentary focused on people simplifying their lives, it is definitely worth a watch. Books and documentaries of this type always make me take a step back and look at my own life, questioning if I'm making the choices necessary to live the life I truly want... or am I just slogging through, doing what I'm supposed to do? One of my best decisions in the past several years was quitting a crap job with a horrible boss that all but outright demanded ridiculous overtime, opting for a company that never asks for overtime. While those overtime paychecks were nice, I didn't really have time to do much more than just use the money to pay down my mortgage. Paying off my home faster was a very good thing, but working 60-80 hours a week don't leave much time for anything else. I'm much happier working fewer hours and having less responsibility (and stress). I regularly dream of ditching the house and hitting the road on my own terms and I enjoy watching/reading about others questioning their current lifestyle and making changes (if necessary) to live a life more in line with their values. Live your own life, not one society has told you is the way to live.

The film can be found in multiple places, including available for purchase at the link above. I watched on Kanopy, accessed through my local library system. =)

The No Impact episode

I'm having trouble getting the player to post here, but you can listen via this link for now.

Something a bit different... an audio episode!

I discuss the book and documentary, No Impact Man, by Colin Beavan.

simple inspiration

How about a little simple inspiration on this fine Friday? I've watched a couple of great documentaries recently on simplifying and cutting back.

First up, a freebie!

It's well worth a watch! A group of strangers come together and attempt to live with a more positive environmental impact. While not everyone wants to downsize this drastically or live in a mud hut, I think we can all be more conscious of the impact of our daily decisions.

Next, is one that's available currently as a paid download, but here's the trailer:

I've been reading The Minimalists blog for quite awhile and also enjoy their podcast. This documentary is a compilation of interviews they did with people from all walks of life, living their own brands of minimalism. I think a lot of people have a certain image of what a minimalist is, but in reality, minimalism looks different for everyone. You don't have to live with just 100 things or have only 33 items in your wardrobe. It's about simplifying your life and removing the excess so that you can focus on what's truly important to you. The video is available on Vimeo right now, but if that doesn't work for you, they do say it'll be available on other platforms at some point in the future so keep an eye out for it!

The Great British Sewing Bee is back!

This is one of my favorite shows! Season 4 is showing now on BBC2, but if, like me, you're in the US and don't have access, head over to YouTube to catch up with this season. :-)

Here are links to the first episodes:

Episode 1 - Basic construction

Episode 2 - Children's week

Episode 3 - Lingerie week

"I'm built for comfort, not speed."

No backstabbing or snarkiness, just lots of good stitchy fun. :-)

sugar,sugar

I've been listening to the Slow Your Home podcast for awhile now and I really enjoy it. This year, they're embarking on monthly experiments and for February, they cut out processed sugar. It's been interesting hearing about their experience. I've cut back on sugar, but haven't tried cutting it out completely and have no plan to. They mentioned That Sugar Film in one episode though and it sounded interesting. I was able to borrow it from my local library (yay!). You can watch the trailer here:

Curious how much sugar you're consuming? Check out That Sugar app too.

I found it very interesting. A lot of the information shared, I've heard or read elsewhere, but it's definitely worth a watch. The film follows Damon Gameau as he changes his diet and begins eating the same levels of processed sugar that an average person consumes. I found it very telling that at the end of the experiment, Gameau had gained weight even while eating the same or fewer overall calories than he had previously. In moderation, sweet foods aren't bad, but sugar consumed in the amounts most of us do daily isn't good for anyone. Take a look at some of the labels of the processed foods in your cabinets and fridge. You may be very surprised at many of the products that have sugar added in one form or another and it all adds up. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 tsp (25 grams) for women and 9 tsp (37.5 grams) for men of added sugar per day. Sound like a lot? A can of Coke contains 39 grams of sugar! Want a real shock? Those 7-11 Big Gulps? 91 grams of sugar! And that's if you put in 4 oz of ice before filling it up.

I cook mostly from scratch, especially now that I'm avoiding most packaged foods. Sure, there's still processed junk in the bulk bins, but I try to limit those items and stick to the one-ingredient bins. ;-) When I bake, I mostly use local raw honey these days in place of the sugar or at least cut back the amount in the recipe.

Why honey instead of sugar? The sugarcane industry has a negative impact on the environment and wildlife where it's grown. Forests are cleared to make way for the crop. The growing and processing of sugarcane requires immense amounts of water and pollutes our waters with runoff and production waste. And then there are the fossil fuels burned in shipping the sugar across the country or around the world.

For the past few years, I ate an almost entirely vegan diet and avoided products with honey for that reason. Over the past year, as I've learned more about the impact of the sugar industry, I've added local raw honey back into my diet in place of cane sugar in most circumstances. Not only do I feel this has a lighter environmental footprint in many ways, I'm also supporting local business. I can even refill my own jars from the local raw honey on tap at my co-op!

More information on the environmental impact of the sugarcane industry can be found here.

Have you ever tried to cut added sugar completely out of your diet?

a craftsman's legacy

Thanks to a post on Instagram awhile back, I got hooked on watching A Craftsman's Legacy*. If you haven't seen it, check it out! It's awesome. :-) The host, Eric Gorges, highlights a different craftsman (or woman) each episode and we get to learn a bit about their craft right along with him. The highlighted crafts run the gamut so there's something for everyone to enjoy!

I love this sentiment shared by woodworker John Wilson in the very first episode:
Perfection is... the best you can do today.

In the technology-driven days of today, handcrafted items and the skills required to produce them aren't always appreciated as they once were and sadly, we are losing a lot of these skills that years ago were common-place. Thankfully, artisanal products have been gaining popularity in recent years as many yearn to go back to the basics so some crafts have been making a resurgence.

I love creating things with my hands, but I wouldn't call myself an expert in any of my crafts. I tend to do a little of everything, but I do love encouraging others to try new things and do what they love so maybe that's my legacy...

What legacy will you leave?

*Follow the link and join the Legacy Society (totally free) and you'll gain access to the entire first and second season online. :-)

the paradox of choice

There's been a lot of discussion the past several years that supports having a lot of choices doesn't truly make us any happier. Having more choices actually more often results in dissatisfaction. Being faced with a lot of choices can paralyze us as we try to weigh out which is the "best" choice. Which features are most important? Is this brand better than that one? Did I pick the wrong one?? Even after we make our choice, we're less likely to be happy with it if we chose from a wide variety of options. Faced with only a few options, our choice is quick and simple and we're much more likely to be satisfied with the choice we made.

I'm finding I really enjoy having fewer choices in both my food and my other purchases. By avoiding packaging, I'm limiting myself to foods sold in bulk which (very happily) cuts out most brand name choices. For most food items, my biggest choice is whether to buy organic or not. If there is a brand name item in bulk, there's likely only the one choice anyway. Food shopping is quicker, easier and costs less too. Always good! Most trips to the co-op, my biggest choice is which flavor of locally brewed kombucha to try (there are 3 on tap and change from visit to visit). To make it easier, I bring two bottles now. =)

Only shopping for previously owned items limits my choices there as well. While I could have many more choices using online forums like eBay and Amazon to find secondhand items listed from all over the country, so far I'm leaving it up to fate (and avoiding the shipping costs and packaging too) by only looking locally. The best part? If I find one good secondhand option, I'm happy with it. No time spent comparing brands and features, no hunting for the best sale price, no wondering if I made the right choice. One good option at a reasonable price? That works! And again, it's a lot more budget-friendly too. Who wouldn't love that?! =)

Check out this TED talk for Barry Schwartz's ideas on the subject:

in defense of food

Looking for something good to watch? Personally, I love a good documentary! This week while browsing the PBS app (free!, but you can also watch online at PBS.org), I discovered In Defense of Food that is based on the Michael Pollan book of the same title. 

I'm currently reading another Pollan book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, in which Pollan traces back the ingredients of four meals with often rather disturbing results. More on that once I finish reading. :-) I plan to read In Defense of Food soon too.

As for the documentary, I highly recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about a healthier diet. Our focus should be on mostly whole foods with minimal processing. So much science has invaded the food industry that many of the packaged "convenience" foods have labels that more closely resemble science experiments than something we should be consuming.

In America, where bigger is often mistaken as better, we have a lot to relearn about how to eat. I chose to follow a vegetarian diet early on (around 11-12) and in recent years have eliminated most animal products entirely, but that doesn't mean I always make the healthiest choices (I'm talking about you, candy cane Joe-Joe's!) and I've been trying to clean up my diet more. No, I'm not aiming for gluten-free, sugar-free or fat-free, but I am working on kicking the science experiments out of my cupboards. :-)

This documentary is a whole lot of common sense... something often lacking in our society these days. Simple is good! It also touches a bit on how psychology plays into our food choices. Very interesting!

Seen any good documentaries lately?