Steady Mom

Ethical Spending: The Case for Self-Sufficiency

Photo by meknits

Many of us grew up without a lot of basic survival skills.

I never learned to sew, can, knit, or even really cook. With easy access to cheap stuff whichever way you turned, there was simply no need.

Until five years ago, I never missed or noticed my lack of self-sufficiency. It wasn't important. It didn't seem to be an issue.

But then I became a mama.

I began to recognize how I applauded, enjoyed, and encouraged my children's growing independence. They're learning to walk, talk, eat! Just yesterday I watched my daughter sail away for the first time on her bike with no training wheels.

You know that amazing feeling you get when you witness such a milestone? That surge of joy and pride?

I wanted to feel that way about myself.

It was mostly through cooking that I began my quest for a bit of self-reliance. Learning about whole foods was like trying to decipher a foreign language.

It feels that way when you're getting started--uncomfortable. That's why many people don't attempt anything new. But through the willingness to face discomfort we have the chance to discover fresh sources of joy.

Here are a few reasons to develop your self-sufficiency.

 

Sometimes You Improvise

Written by Steady Mom contributor Megan Tietz of SortaCrunchy

Don't be fooled by its simple appearance.

See that cobalt blue spray bottle in the photo above?  It's one of the greatest parenting tools I have in my tool box: improvisation.

Almost a year ago, our six-year-old began having a lot of fear and anxiety at bedtime.  We tried lots of traditional solutions: night lights, soothing bedtime stories, calming herbal remedies.  Nothing seemed to assuage her fears. 

One day, she and I were talking about it, and she revealed that the reason she was so scared at bedtime was because she was afraid of having bad dreams.

A Peek Inside: My Kitchen & Vegan Pantry

 

Welcome to my kitchen!

It looked like this five years ago, when we first moved into this sweet place. The previous owner (& now dear friend) lived here for 80 years - 80 years (!) before moving to a nursing home.

I've written before about the magical story of finding our home. Though I love this house, I didn't exactly love this kitchen. But I was thankful to have it.

After two years of making do--without any cabinets, with an oven decades old that wouldn't quite shut all the way--we were blessed to renovate and create our dream kitchen.

Now (from the same angles) it looks like this:

Powerful Words: Lessons from the Amish

Written by Steady Mom contributor Eren of Vintage Chica
 
“Put the swing where the children want it, the grass will grow back.”
 – Amish Proverb

A few weeks ago, the boys and I stopped by our local bookstore in search of some new reading material.  As a true bargain hunter, we always visit the sale tables first.
 
As I looked down, halfway peeking out from a cookbook was a little book entitled, Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World.
 
On the cover, were four little boys in straw hats walking through a field of yellow wildflowers with a big blue sky above.  
 
I immediately contrasted that image with our household.  We do not watch regular TV, but my three boys can still recite entire Geiko commercials they’ve seen online.  Not quite the wisdom I would like them to be committing to memory.

So, when I saw this little book, begging me to take it home, I thought, sign me up!  I’ll take some peace and truth in the middle of a complicated world.