Living Lightly

Susan Vogt on living more simply but abundantly

Browsing Posts in Days 365+

It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, we take advantage of it – Community Sponsored Hazardous Waste collection. Once or twice a year my county provides a place to take items like pesticides, paint, medications, old electronics, etc. Jim and I save these items throughout the year and take them to the collection place […]

For those who read last week’s blog and wondered what miscellaneous “adult stuff” I would be giving away, I’m afraid it’s rather boring – but boring with a lesson. Now that I’ve gotten rid of  the kids, here are some miscellaneous parent contributions: 2 homemade pew banners from our kid’s First Communions. Now really, by […]

True, there are no miscellaneous kids hanging around our home any more and we wouldn’t give them away if they were. The kids we have launched into the world have left some things, however, that we finally feel free to give away. I’ve been collecting these odds and ends for the last several months as […]

Can you ever have too many inspirational books? Yes! Recently I was very proud of myself book-wise. I found 3 fine inspirational books from which I had consumed enough relevant inspiration that I was willing to part with them. I felt even better about finding a good home for them – a local coffee shop […]

I’m leaping from my bedroom – where I mostly look for clothes to give away – to the garden. (Well, not actually “leaping.” I took the stairs.) With the end of the gardening season I was motivated to clean out the small closet in which I kept garden supplies. During Round 1 I had gotten […]

When I was dispersing my clothes last year, one thing I realized is that I didn’t need any more commemorative T-Shirts. I made a decision not to buy any more. Then, a couple weeks ago I came across one I really wanted to have. Hmmm. I bought it with mixed emotions. Then, I remembered the […]

One of the things I pride myself on is traveling lightly. I usually can fly anywhere for up to two months with only a carry on (and a husband to lift things). Not only is it easier to transport luggage from place to place but it avoids lost bags and my thrifty side is happy […]

While I’m in “Kitchen/Dining Room mode,” I noticed that there are quite a few mugs and miscellaneous glasses in our cupboards. Almost none matched. On one hand, unique drinking cups are an advantage since guests can keep the same glass throughout an evening, day, or weekend. (Saves wear and tear on the environment and reduces […]

I’m partial to the elegance, flexibility, and durability of plain Winter White Corelle dishes. That’s why it didn’t bother me when Jim suggested we give away one set of dishes that had a few chips in it and another partial set in which 5 of the 8 dinner plates had been broken. Besides, we saw […]

Happy Easter! The 40 days have come to an end, but not this project. The more I got into giving stuff away, the more I realized that these 40 days were simply the first round. Although I’ve given many things away, few items will I actually miss. To really stretch myself I’ll need to keep […]

Today is Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday”). Traditionally it is the last splurge for Christians before Lent. This brings up the question of splurging. Is it OK? Is it weakness? Should it be avoided? My own experience with splurging is that it’s a lot like keeping a good diet. Occasional splurges are good for […]