SISTER WISDOM : build a better life

We're so glad you're here.

A few notes of introduction:

• Sister Wisdom is here to help you build a better life. Wisdom + Action = Success. If you have an idea about how we can do this better, please let us know.

• Comments are off. If you're burning to respond to a post, why not write about it on your own blog and link back? Or submit a guest post here. Disagree or agree; if it's well-written & on topic, we're interested.

Thanks for spending your time here at Sister Wisdom. Today is the day to start building a better life.

A sarcastic look at stereotypes as part of the series: Modern Homemaking REdefined.

1. Wear Doc Martens or Birkenstocks. This is, in fact, the only footwear you are allowed to own, unless you score some vintage lace-up boots at the thrift store or get into making your own flip-flops.
2. Obviously, you'll be burning incense before and after you clean the house. Bonus points if you do a spiritual house cleansing as part of your weekly cleaning routine.
3. Except never mind on the last part of #2, because you won't have any sort of formal "weekly cleaning routine." That's much too restrictive. You'll go with the flow, cleaning as you feel moved.
4. Don't get irritated at muddy footprints, smudges on the windows, and other signs of life. This is the evidence that your children are growing and embracing life.
5. NO make-up (duh.) No perms or hair dye. NO toxic cleansers, synthetic fragrances, or man-made material.
6. You should definitely learn how to sew. This is, like, basic Hippie Homemaker requirement.
7. Repurposing should be a way of life. Buy vintage so much that you forget there's actually a "new" option.
8. It goes without saying that you don't shop at Wal-mart. Or Target. EVER.
9. Embrace a communal, hospitable mindset. Your door should always be open to friends, family, hobos, strays, and, of course, other hippies. Cook up large batches of food every night just in case.
10. Experiment regularly with culturally-iffy changes to your home and person, like going without deodorant, getting rid of all your children's toys, leaving the windows open 24/7, growing hemp (ahem), and letting your yard become a natural prairie rehabilitation spot.

Bonus points for any of the following:

• dredlocks
• vintage fabric hand-sewn items as Christmas gifts
• beans as 90% of your protein
• home birth, natural birth, water birth, home-natural-water birth
• thinking about being a doula
• DOUBLE bonus points if you ARE a doula
• inability to name even three or four of the top ten tv shows

{moment of truth: what's your score?}

Okay, fine, I'll go first.
Bomb on #1. I wear flip-flops or am barefoot 90% of the time in warm weather, but don't own any Docs or Birks or vintage shoes (unless the AE boots I've had since I was 16 count as vintage) and don't plan on making my own flips.
#2. don't even own incense. Wow I thought I was more of a hippie than this. And #3. I do have a weekly cleaning routine and it saves me.
#4. Well, I don't get very irritated at stuff like that because at least it means we're outside in the real world, doing stuff. Mud cleans up.
#5. Huh. I wear make-up (albeit not much) every day. My hair is dyed. I am slowly getting rid of toxic/synthetic stuff... but it's taking a while.
#6. Huh again. I am a hippie fail. I have sewn 2 things in my life, and neither very well.
#7. I like repurposing and vintage; I do prefer them to new.
#8. I LOVE TARGET! Take that you hippie freaks!
#9. Okay, I'm pretty good on this one. I love to cook, and we love being hospitable, having friends/relatives/strangers/anyone over, anytime, with no notice... Every now and then I will call a "family only" night, and we chill with a movie and don't invite or answer the phone. Otherwise, it's a come-on-in environment.
#10. OOooookay, so I've tried/done all these except hemp. And the prairie thing wasn't really purposeful... just oversight...
BONUS POINTS:
No dreds! Can't sew! I like meat!  But (whew) I do get 3 points for the birth: my kids are home/natural/water births, all 3 'of em. I have thought about being a doula. Briefly. Then I started writing again, instead... it was easier... And on the tv shows... I don't watch them because we don't have cable or otherwise... we watch movies instead, generally, or we sit on the porch and wave at people driving by. Yep. Exciting life, that's us.

Ok. Your turn.

Fess up!

How hippie are you?
Answer below, or answer on your own blog and leave a link in the comments. If you have any articles related to the hippie-esque mentions above, link them up too. That way we can all be more hippie together. We could start a commune... but only if we all keep wearing deodorant.

Annie Pseudo-Hippie Homemaker out. Going to cook some beans. Then go to Target.

Just a quick announcement:

Rach over at Rach's Blog Bite is having a giveaway: 100 postcards, 4x6, full color on both sides, and the winner gets to design them herself!

Sounds awesome! Head on over to Rach's site to enter by leaving a comment or posting about it on your own blog. Giveaway ends on May 24th, so get on over there!

Well, a few hundred articles into this blogging thing and I'm finally starting to figure some stuff out. Like, hey, that guy who left the nonsensical comment on fifteen posts with linkbacks to auto-loan-save-money.com really isn't an innocent reader with a not-so-sturdy grasp of English... nope. Just spam, spam, spammy spam spam. But in some places, spam is very popular. Korea? Isn't that what I hear? Maybe he should go there and leave nonsensical comments and they would be welcomed. But perhaps that's a different kind of spam entirely. Read the rest of this entry »

...I am initiating a challenge and hoping you'll join me.

It's the Build a Better Marriage challenge.

In a nutshell:

• a post every day for the next 30 days focusing on how we can build better marriages
• a 5-minute marriage check & 5-minute action point at the end of each post
• a once-weekly "round-up" to comment/discuss what we've learned - this is totally optional. The last thing I want to do is add MORE to our already packed schedules. If you want to participate in the round-up, you are welcome, but please don't compromise on family time or responsibilities for it.
• That's it!
• Click the link above for more details and/or to sign up with our friendly mr linky.
• Pssst. You don't even really have to sign up, it just makes me feel good. If you want to just read along, please feel free. The point isn't me feeling good but us all being encouraged to be happy joyful peaceful wives and have blissful fun strong marriages and honor our God!
• Okay I'm done talking now. I just like bullet points and it's hard for me to quit... Seriously. Stopping now.

I went online to recheck the library books I have out. I got an error message saying "You cannot renew these items because you owe too much money."

Yesterday I made a list of 11 things to do. I did two of them. (But I did also go sledding and make snow angels. I have priorities, people.)

Ironically, I've been working on an article called "Getting Organized for Winter."

So I changed the article, because the article sho-nuff isn't changing me. Read the rest of this entry »

A brief note to those who have graciously commented on this blog:

You may have noticed that the trackback link on your comment (if you left a website or blog address) does not work. I don't know why. I've turned off the auto "no-follow" function in Wordpress, but it still keeps disabling the links in comments. I'm sorry. I'm looking for a fix, plus I'll be updating Wordpress in the next week, and perhaps that will take care of it.

I just wanted you all to know that I'm not trying to keep your links disabled, I just haven't figured out how to make it stop. Obviously my tech-savviness has very definite limits... heehee.

Feel free (and I'd love if you would) to put your url within your comment if you have a site or blog. Thanks!

-Annie

Edit, 3/9/09: The contest is now closed. Thanks to all who entered, and thanks for the great tips and recipes! The winner of the Barefoot Contessa cookbook is ...

LEANNE!

Happy cooking, everyone. Leanne, look for the cookbook in your mailbox in a few days.

---------------------------------------------

This lovely cookbook is on the table as the main dish in this week's give away! To enter, either leave a comment on this post with with a tip on how you keep it simple in the kitchen...

OR

go to the Menu Plan Monday post and leave a comment with your favorite simple recipe (or a link to it)...

OR

Do both! And get entered into the drawing twice! (How nice am I... I know, I know...)

So get to it!

Contest ends at 10 p.m. central time on Friday night, March 6, 2009. Winner will be announced over the weekend (and contacted via email, carrier pigeon, and pygmy). Cookbook will be mailed Monday. Next Give Away will begin.... mmmm... soon thereafter.

*All tips & recipes may end up being compiled in some sort of future publication. I take your comment as your permission to use your tip/recipe. Leave your web/blog address in your comment if you'd like it credited/linked when I do so.

The winner of our cookbook give away is....(drumroll)

#3 Commenter: VIKKI from A Few of My Favorite Things blog.

Thanks to all who commented and congratulations to Vikki!

Next give away starts tomorrow. Check back to comment for you chance to win.