IKEA: a compulsive buyer's demise.

IKEA is absolutely enchanting.  Each department sets up rooms upon rooms of beautiful items, perfectly designed to make you want each and every piece of furniture, every storage bin, every decorative item, even the fake, empty books on the shelves.  On my visit today, I reminded myself of my limited budget, my small apartment, and my absolutely selfish desire to own everything that was for sale.

I remembered that I don't have to have everything that I like.  I don't have to buy everything that I think I will use.  I don't have to spend money just because I have it to spend.

Be careful, compulsive buyers.  IKEA is a perilous trap disguised as a beautiful paradise.  You will walk out with a bag full of picture frames, candles, and a bowl of balls that may look nice, but are absolutely unnecessary.  Watch your wallet and your motives. :)

By the way, having a small apartment only encouraged me to spend more money today, as I discovered that buying bed risers will maximize my under-bed storage space.  It was imperative that I invest in them as well as some canvas storage bins to go in this newly explored space so that my closet doesn't have to hold two seasons of clothing at once.  While I'm glad I made the investment, I realize the irony of spending more money to maximize the small space that should actually prevent me from spending as much on unnecessary furniture.  Oh dear, I need counseling.

ask for more

"Save me...from being content with a little measure of the Spirit,
from thinking You will not give me more."

-from the Valley of Vision, a Puritan prayer book

Hummus - you just can't go wrong.

Hummus is wonderful.

It has protein and fiber, is low in calories, and all-natural in its ingredients (usually - check your label!).  It can be a snack food, or it can be an appetizer.  It can be served with cucumber, carrots, peppers, chips, pita chips, pita, and so much more.  It can even be smeared on a sandwich in place of mayonnaise, or put in a toaster oven on a slice of bread

I love hummus.  In fact, I ate it with carrots tonight for dinner, and I was not disappointed.


Here's a little basic hummus recipe for you, in case you are now inspired to make your own:

• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• the juice of half of a lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 T olive oil

Put it all in a blender and blend it until smooth.
Sooo good.

For variety, you can add some coarsely chopped grape tomatoes or red peppers, or experiment with other herbs and spices (i.e. rosemary)... the possibilities are endless!

Enjoy :)

a little background

I want to throw out a semi-apology for my last post.  I failed to give any background information, hence the uncharacteristic rant about consumerism.  Here is a short blip to clarify:

As you probably know, I work with children - I am a nanny.  I work with two different families that have two very different philosophies on parenting and what childhood should look like.

One family has ALL of the Baby Einstein books, movies, CDs, and toys under the false impression that these items will make their children smarter.  In reality, they are merely books, movies, CDs, and toys labeled with a genius's name to make parents feel better about sitting their kids in front of a TV instead of really playing and learning.  TV shows disguised as "Preschool on TV" (a.k.a. Nick Jr.) are still just TV shows.

The other family uses as little technology as possible, because they believe very strongly in traditional child-directed play.  When a television show is supposed to teach a child about proper social interactions (as are many that run on a daily basis), would it not be more effective to have the child actually play and interact with other children and learn by experience?  This family has given me several books to read and websites to check out based on this philosophy, as well as other parent/educator topics.

As a result of their philosophy of technology, these things have been running through my mind the last couple of months, and finally ran out into something coherent.  Yet its validity was lost when I cited nothing, gave no background information, and essentially spewed it out at you, the reader.  For this I am sorry.

consumerism

Consumerism rules our society.  Companies feed our minds from the day we are born with images and slogans, infiltrating us with their brands.  They condition viewers to want products, services, and brands that we would otherwise look past.  The colors and movement of television, advertisements, video games, and movies make our minds unable to focus on anything less attractive.  We are conditioned to be lifelong consumers.

Instead of playing outside, kids sit on the couch and watch television or play video games.  What happened to the Boxcar Children?  We used to go outside and imagine.  We would say there was hot lava under the swingset so we couldn't touch the ground.  We would dress up like pregnant women (yes, even Timothy :)).  We would make houses for families that we would design from catalog cut outs.  Everything we did was pretend, involved real brainpower, and grew our imaginations.  My, how things have changed!

Now, companies have child psychologists help with their marketing strategies to find the best ways to infiltrate the child's mind.  They psychologically evaluate children, knowing their reactions to every piece of media that meets their senses. They watch and know kids as well as a pedophile watches and knows kids, and that is absolutely horrifying.

When I see product placement, I cringe.  Watching commercials, I am now conscious of exactly what these companies want me to think and what they want me to do or buy as a result, and it makes me sick.  So many people fall victim to these ads, all so that a company that makes a sub-par product can make a profit.

To what level has our society fallen?  How much farther can we fall before we fall apart?  How will this affect a child's future, thus the future of this nation?

a love divided.

I love this city.  Its rich history is cleverly disguised by the homes, the boulevards, the parks, the buildings, and the people.  So much to be explored, so much to be learned.

This evening I drove out to the suburbs, only to find myself longing for green space.  Driving past Channel Runne Park, the sculptures decorating the open lawns, and the North Branch of the Chicago River making its way through the trees, something inside stirred.  I miss clean air, greenery, stars, and open spaces.

I ask myself the question:  Is it possible to satisfy both of these loves without living in one and "escaping" to the other?

a weight off my shoulders.

One good thing about the new health care bill is, selfishly, that I can now stay on my parents' insurance until I am 26, regardless my student status.

Therefore, I will be able to take the spring semester off of school and keep my insurance.
JUST what I need :)

I am thankful to God when bad legislation works to my benefit.