Mackenzie Carose

In The End

By Mackenzie 4 Comments

My word for 2019 was Simplify. Since the end of the year is nearing, I thought I’d check in to see how I did.

For the most part, good I guess. There were parts of my home and my life that I simplified which culminated with our moving to a different apartment back in May. We did get rid of a lot of stuff which was a good thing, but I feel like since we have a bit of a larger space, more stuff has unfortunately made its way back in.

Two steps forward, one step back.

We did automate all of our bills with one exception, but it is a website/computer issue and let me tell you, that is quite annoying. Hopefully, I can work on that problem in this next year.

As for life in general, I feel like I am continuing to run errands and do all the things, and I am just tired of it. There has to be a better way, and I am going to be damned if I don’t find it. I know life with kids and pets can’t ever really be calm and peaceful and low-toned voice speaking dreamy like quality, but I feel run-down.

I am exhausted.

A new direction is needed. I am just going to sit with that sentence and let it just wash over me as I deal with the holiday season, and try and figure out what needs to happen in 2020. I need to right my proverbial ship, if you catch my drift.

So there you have it: I simplified my life in some ways and in others not so much. Tomorrow is always a new day, right?

Doing My Part: Sustainability

By Mackenzie 2 Comments

As I have mentioned previously, the environment and its permeability is something that I do not take lightly. Although it can seem overwhelming to do all the things when it comes to being more environmentally aware, little things can and do really add up! Starting with tiny things you can do and just working on changing your mindset when it comes to products, can have a bigger impact than you think.

Wooden cleaning brushes are so much better for the environment than plastic and polyurethane made dish sponges. This particular one is made from bamboo as is the one in a photo listed below.

Cloth bags to bring to the store should seem second-nature and it can be super frustrating when you realize that you left your bags at home while checking out at the grocery store. I try to remember to bring them back to the car after unloading groceries.

Wood butter is a great way to keep your wooden utensils lasting as long as possible! It is also great for your cutting boards as well 🙂 No one wants cracked wooden utensils that you have to toss because let’s face it, wooden splinters are no bueno 😉 Seriously, my utensils have never looked better!

I don’t know why it took so long for me to say buh-bye to paper towels, but I finally just dove in the deep end and stopped purchasing them. I then picked up what they call “un-paper towels”. They look like wash cloths but they are much thinner, like paper towel thin, and they are 100% cotton. Mine came in a pack of 12 with grey striping around the edges and they are such a great investment! They do the job of regular paper towels but instead of going in the trash, they go right in the washing machine! No more spending money on paper towels 🙂

As an aside, we have a cat. As you may or may not know, cats tend to barf. It is gross and smelly. We have separate heavy duty white cloth towels that we use for cleaning up the cat barf. They are 100% cotton as well and they do the job perfectly.

Any tips for sustainability or living a more green lifestyle that you can share? Let me know! 🙂

As The Page Turns: October Edition

By Mackenzie 16 Comments

My reading was all over the place the past month including starting a book and being so annoyed by it, that I did not finish it and fumed about how awful the writing and plot line was. Oh well, onwards and upwards.

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig

Excellent book by an excellent author about how to navigate the world we live in now with being “plugged in” all the time. Needing to always know what is going on in the world has taken a toll on our lives mentally and has been shown to be a contributing factor to anxiety.

Vintage Hughes by Langston Hughes

Not a huge fan of poetry but Langston Hughes and his writing is timeless and oddly poignant in this day and age. Definitely recommend giving this one a read.

A Dangerous Engagement by Ashley Weaver

Another book in the Amory Ames series, this one following Amory and her husband as they head to New York in 1933 for a wedding and someone of course, gets murdered. I really enjoy this series and this book passed the time just fine.

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie

Y’all know how much I love Agatha Christie, but I have to say, this is one of the few books of hers where I actually like the film adaptation better.

The book that I stopped reading in disgust was a mystery novel called Gallows Court. It was awful 🙁

That’s it for me this month. Any good book reccomendations you guys have?