I'm on a journey to find health and happiness through a more holistic and green lifestyle.

I find the world to be abrasive. =) That is to say, I feel the need to armor myself, physically and emotionally, in order to face life. Don't we all? Maybe. For whatever reason, it has become a priority in my life to rid my immediate environment of irritating things. And I'm sensitive! So there is much work to be done. But. I have thought for a long time that the things I come in contact with every day, and the stuff used to clean and maintain these things, need to be gentle and non-toxic. I have had eczema my entire life. For a long time I just dealt with it, and accepted that sometimes it's bad, and sometimes it's not, and that it will fluctuate a lot. Gradually over time I have come to find that certain things, fabrics, cleansers, materials, are more irritating to my skin than others. Stress can exacerbate it. In more recent times, I have realized that every aspect of my life improves when I improve conditions for my skin. Hah! What a concept! Thus my (long time) interest in going green, and my more recent desire to live a more holistic lifestyle. (I think I've felt a desire for a long time to live in a harmonious way with myself, my surroundings, and nature, but didn't have a name for it.) Anyhow, this blog is a journal of my trials and errors, and basic crooked path to find a balanced and peaceful existence for myself and my family. Thanks for your interest! I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Candy

This blog could be combined with the last one. Kinda.

So my son and daughter disagreed about what tv program they wanted to watch. My daughter did not complain when I put on my son's choice. As a special treat for being so easy-going (and I don't like to use crap as a treat, but....) I told her I would give her a candy. She was happy, no shocker there. She was too impatient to wait for me (I was nursing) so she took some chocolate out of the fridge. She wanted a certain part of the chocolate. I wanted to break it up so the pieces were small. Darling son caught on quickly and wanted in on the action. Daughter was in such a hurry to get the piece that she wanted that she started grabbing before I had finished breaking it up. My mood started to change right there. I told her the piece she had chosen was too big, and asked her to wait while I broke it. She continued to grab at that one, and more. I got angry. She didn't care. I pulled the chocolate that was on the counter away (as she was grabbing) causing her to drop the pieces she had, and begin to cry. (For the love, the girl is 5. What drama!!) I concluded at that exact moment that candy leads to nothing but unhappiness. I allowed them the chocolate, and gave each a small piece of candy stick, and told them to enjoy it because the rest was going in the garbage. And it did. I left a very small bag of chocolate gummy bears b/c she had been talking about them all year as something that Santa brings her. The rest, a collection that has been very slowly doled out, went in the garbage. I figure if it makes us all miserable before it's even consumed, and we know what it does to us when it is consumed, it's only causing unhappiness. So out with it. If only I could do that with Doritos! (It's a process)

2 comments:

  1. Daisy,
    I don't mean to be disrespectful or overally argumentative - but for me the idea of balance is figuring out how to have the things one enjoys without feeling glutinous or deprived. (this thing dones't have a spell check does it? ok, so now I will balance my need to communicate with my ability to handle the humilliation that comes with not being able to spell) As a chocolate lover, it is hard for me to imagine not having any at all or keeping it from Tanner; but I find if it isn't in the house and when I want it I have to make an effort to go get it/or make something, it is even sweeter then it was before. I quess, for me I have a hard time with the concept of all or nothing - I like wiggle room.
    Debbie

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  2. Debbie,

    We always have candy. And junk food. I was peeved because darling daughter was being a pain, so I acted impulsively. There's always more. I am far from hard-core about our diets! J and I both cook, so we know the kids get good, nutritious meals. I really don't worry that much about the other stuff. I don't let the kids go overboard, but they certainly don't go without. =) Has Tanner been to the dentist? (wink)

    ~D

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