Ethical Consumerism Made Real, or New Priorities

Today has been a rainy, stormy day in Chicago. I had hoped for sunshine and some new photos to share but alas that will wait until the sun decides to grace us again.

We had a refrigerator malfunction that required schlepping the contents of our fridge/freezer downstairs into the empty one (new neighbor hasn’t moved in quite yet; lucky coincidence). Poor Jim had to do most of the cleanup and schlepping because I was the one to notice the problem and contact our landlord, shortly before leaving for the night. The repairmen have since come by, replaced a part, melted all kinds of frost with a blowtorch (!!!) and went on their merry way. They were kind enough to wipe out and dry all the freezer shelves and parts. And I have now put all the food back where it belongs so onto my thoughts for today. I saw this online yesterday:

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I saw it and I knew I had to share it. Its artist is a Canadian lady named Sarah Lazarovic. She has a wonderful, cheeky blog and sells this particular illustration as a print here. I’m contemplating a purchase of this print with some gift money. I think it would fit in perfectly in the new kitchen.

It really is the perfect antidote and reminder in our stuff-obsessed culture. And I’ve been reflecting on my changing habits often:

  • I’ve been writing a lot more. Letters and notes most specifically. I feel a growing need to show how much I love and appreciate those around me, and there is nothing like a handwritten note. It was special before the internet and is doubly so now.
  • I got my hair trimmed before Easter. I had some time to kill before my dinner plans, so I wandered over to the Anti-Cruelty and took a hyper dog for a walk. I talked to him about the new family he was going to get hopefully soon. Instead of going shopping as I might have done in the past, I walked over to a café and enjoyed a latte while reading the paper.
  • Easter dinner came with a hilarious break in action thanks to my Dad. He brought over a backpack filled with footballs and frisbees and threw them at the rest of the family from our balcony into the park that backs up to our house. A spontaneous game of catch, laughing and shrieking ensued.
  • On this past Saturday, I needed to go to the library to drop off some DVDs and pick up two books. Jim suggested that instead of driving, we bike the mere 10-15 minute trek there. Since I had previously walked there and back two weeks ago, even that sounded like a major upgrade. And, though it was cold, why take out the car and waste gas since the sun was shining? Off we went, arriving 30 minutes before the library closed for the day. I got my two new books, Jim refilled his water bottle, I turned in the DVDs, and we headed back to the house taking the longer route on the way home to keep learning our new neighborhood and even peek inside a local church.

It struck me, then, that that entire adventure had cost me nothing but the strength in my legs and the wind in my hair. The library is kind enough to send books over from other locations and let me read them just because I ask. We can use their facilities and services and get to and from our home without spending a dime. Sure, it took longer than it would by car, but it made the afternoon even more enjoyable with the little adventure stuck in the middle of more unpacking and organizing. Sending a note costs only a stamp but brings priceless joy to those who are special enough to get one. Playing with a lonely dog cost me nothing but a quick hand washing after to clean up after all the kisses of appreciation. Goofing around with my family cost nothing but created hilarious memories that we will enjoy forever.

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These are the things that matter to me now, more than any item I could purchase. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still obsessed with Kate Spade. I suspect I always will be. It’s just that Kate Spade needs to get in line… or in the smallest spot of my Pyramid.

Are your priorities shifting? It’s certainly been a changing season for everyone I know. What are you up to lately that doesn’t involve buying something?

Everything Old is New Again

I cannot believe that a month has gone by since my last post here. In the interest of not beating myself up for still not having a daily routine that includes blogging, I am going to forgive myself. Moving is ALWAYS challenging and Jim and I had some especially tough times thrown in the mix of the last month, too. More on that later.

Last I posted, we were busily packing and getting ready to uproot and settle all the way across the city from where we used to live. I had lived in Hyde Park and the South Loop in my decade in Chicago; Jim had not only lived for double that time in the South Loop but had always lived in a very small radius of a particular section of the South Loop. We moved to an area on the far north side where we are not familiar with anything- I have had to Google directions to the grocery store, the bank, the post office, work, everything I previously took for granted. This is not a complaint, of course, because sometimes big changes are needed. And we are quite sure this was needed.

We have moved from 958 square feet with a small balcony in a very urban setting that included hundreds of other units and residents in our building. We had 24/7 security and doormen, package care, dry cleaning, a party room and fitness center, even a business center with free wifi and printing. No question we loved living there for the last 4 years. We were the first ones to live in our unit and enjoyed everything being brand new, from appliances to carpeting. We installed the light fixtures and painted the walls for the first time. It was our most favorite place that either of us had ever lived and I think it was because it saw so many changes in our lives together and we were so comfortable. Personally, it was the first place I’ve ever lived where everything was decorated exactly to my taste and it was all finished. It took me about a year to decorate completely and then we were simply very happy and cozy. I had never done that before.

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Our new place is about double the square footage with a basement for laundry and ample storage. We actually have a dining room (say what?!). The unit is vintage and freshly rehabbed after some years spent empty so once again we are first ones to call this place home. We have traded our balcony for another with a view of a park instead of the lake and have gained a backyard (a backyard. In Chicago. I know!). Instead of changing our parking space every time we pull into a residents’ garage, we have a private garage that also houses our bikes. Instead of brand new appliances, we have a new fridge but a vintage dishwasher and stove that were purchased decades ago but barely used by the previous owner and resident. We have a fireplace that stopped working decades ago, but is a nonetheless gorgeous focal point in our living room. We traded our modern HVAC system for steam heat and window AC units. And instead of hundreds of neighbors we never met and a huge management company, we will have one neighbor we’ll probably see a lot of and landlords that text us.

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We now have plenty of room to entertain guests and have already had two overnight guests. Yesterday after Easter dinner, all 11 of us strolled outside to enjoy the park we back up to. My dad threw frisbees and footballs off of the balcony all the way into the park and we had an impromptu family catch session. Fitting 11 people into this house is still a “full house” feeling but there is plenty of room for everyone in the dining room and in the living room. I can’t wait for the housewarming party.

We have long begun to unpack and decorate since I took those sparse empty room photographs. I am starting to feel like I am home again.