Resolutions...or not.

One more thing:

I took a yoga class yesterday and the teacher had an interesting thing to say about resolutions. He explained how he'd probably made 30 or so in his lifetime and has never actually resolved anything by the end of each year that he has made one.

Instead of making a resolution for the entire year, he suggested: Why not just try to do your best in each moment?

I like that.

I took another class today, and I expected it to be about new beginnings and setting goals... a reflection of the year that's past. I thought I'd be thinking a lot about this project and my experiences of 2010. But, it was just another yoga class, with a focus on breath and movement, and finding who you are in each pose.

So in 2011, I'm just gonna set out to do my best in every moment. It calms me yet still feels intentional. All we have is ourself in the moment we are in, in whatever we are doing, and whoever we are sharing that with.

Here's to doing our best!

Clink. (That was my champagne glass being tapped against yours.)

Namaste, Stacey. Namaste, reader friends!

-Courtney

And so it is...

When Courtney came to visit last year and I decided to join her on this journey, I thought it would change the way I shop– I had no idea it would change the way I live.

Now, I would be lying if I said I plan to continue to not buy new things. In fact, at the earliest opportunity I plan to buy underwear, socks, a new set of sheets and a few new yoga outfits. (I have to admit, I’m proud of the brevity of this list. A year ago I thought it would be much longer.)

Overall, I’ve become a different kind of consumer. A necessity shopper, if you will. And for me, that’s progress.

Court – Thanks for including me in this project. I will sincerely miss reading your posts and being connected to you in this way.

And, thanks to everyone who followed our blog. Your comments and insights were profound and encouraging.

Moving forward into 2011, I’m more interested in the things that are working in my life rather than the stuff that needs fixed, eliminated or changed. I have no resolution for 2011, only the intention to truly enjoy the people and opportunities that come my way.

2010 may have been a year of no new things, but I will remember it as the year of making new choices.

Cheers!
~Stacey

Nothing for Christmas

Brian and I chose not to exchange gifts for Christmas this year. Instead, we spent the entire day together… in our pajamas! We slept in, talked, watched movies, prepared a delicious meal, drank wine and watched the snow falling. It was perfect. And, I think – our new tradition!

~Stacey

Goodbye Year of Nothing New, Hello 2011

And so I say goodbye to a year of nothing new…
and hello to a new year with gained knowledge and habits.

This year has been a challenge. Not only because of this project, but in general. I have lost and found love, myself, and a new direction in life.

I am so appreciative to you, Stacey, for joining me in this endeavor. Your posts and comments have been inspiring and supportive, have made me feel connected and grateful to see that someone else thinks and cares in a similar capacity. Your work as a yoga teacher and friend have always lifted me and shifted my thinking. Thank you.

People have asked me if I will continue to not purchase anything new in the coming year. They’ve also asked me what my new project will be in 2011. I have no answer other than: what we learn, we carry with us, and I have learned so much.

This project has meant a great deal to me, as have all of you who have followed. Thank you for reading. I hope you have felt encouraged and challenged to think about your own behaviors and lifestyle in an alternative way, to save and conserve personally, and to gain a greater understanding of what we consume globally.

Here’s to 2011!
-Courtney

Holiday Shopping Update

On a recent phone call, Stacey and I were discussing how different this holiday shopping season has been for us from prior years. She said she did all her "shopping" in one stop and my experience has been very similar. Which means more time to enjoy the holidays and the people they involve.

I think my "gifts" this year are both meaningful and practical. I didn't go overboard, and it feels good to know my gifts will be enjoyed socially instead of thrown into a closet somewhere, never to be found again.

-Courtney

Black Friday...Cyber Monday...What will tomorrow be?

Black Friday? Cyber Monday? What is all this?

On Friday, I was reading through my newsfeed on facebook. So many posts were around the exhaustion and excitement of Black Friday shopping and deals. I was relieved not to be a part of any of it, sitting on my couch with coffee and a good book. (And well rested at that since I didn't wake up at 4 a.m. to stampede the malls when they opened.)

I wonder if people would buy these cheap electronics, luggage, and sweaters if it wasn't for the hype or low prices? And when do you have enough? It seems to me the more you buy and stock up on, the more parts and batteries you'll need for the electronics, the more pants you'll need to match the shirts you bought...its like a never-ending addiction that never leaves you satisfied.

The same goes to show for tv. How many channels are on cable now? 300-something? And with more channels, we find there's even less to watch. The more DVDs we own, the less we seem to be able to figure out what to put in the DVD player. The more songs we have on our iPods, the less we have any idea what to listen to. It becomes about the quest to figure out what to play and not about what you put on.

I grew up thinking that more at a lower price was better. But in the last year, my thought patterns have changed. Now, instead of buying 3 bottles of cheap wine, I purchase one bottle of good wine. So I'm drinking less, but when I am drinking, I enjoy the craft of what it is I'm consuming.

Another thing to note: I decided my next writing project will be a full length play. I thought it would be in my best interest to read the last few years of Pulitzer prize winning plays to see what's being acclaimed as the great theater of today. My impulse was to go on to amazon and buy 10 or so plays (used). So, I did. I was about to check out, when I thought, "You should check the library." And I realized I was able to borrow them all from my local library. At no cost. What a true value that is!

-Courtney

The First Real Glitch

Okay...so it's November. And mid-November at that. Stacey and I have almost completed our 'year of nothing new.' First off: I can't believe it. Second off: I'm so glad that its already November, because I've hit the first real challenge. The first thing that's going to be really hard for me to not rush out and buy is:

CARDINALS III/IV on vinyl.

Apparently, the Cardinals recorded a couple albums they never released before Easy Tiger and this was one of them. Pre-sale starts on Tuesday.

Sidebar: For those of you who don't know me, I am a HUGE music fan. And at the top of that list of artists is Ryan Adams and his band The Cardinals (who haven't put anything out in almost 2 years because he 'retired' from the music business.)

But you know what? I have 4,000 other songs I can listen to in the next month. And half of them I probably haven't even ever heard. Now that's abundance.

Its so funny too, because just yesterday, my friend Monica was asking me what the first thing I was going to rush out and buy January 1rst. I said that I honestly didn't feel the need to buy ANYTHING. Which is great and kind of the whole point. But there's always an exception, and this album is the perfect one for me.

Can't wait for 2011.

-Courtney