Mackenzie Carose

Labels

By Mackenzie 4 Comments

I was having an existential thought the other day about labels. Not labels that you purchase at an office supply store or record labels or clothing labels. No, I was thinking about why we label ourselves. We describe ourselves with all these adjectives to describe who and what we are, these little mini-bios, so people know what they are dealing with.

For example, I have seen people put in their bios on Instagram what their Enneagram number is or what their Myers Briggs personality type is. (in case you are curious my Enneagram is 6w5 and my Myers Briggs is INFJ 😉 ) But my point is…why? Why is that particular label in your bio? If our enneagram numbers are similar, I should follow you? Why do you feel it is important to let everyone know that you define yourself by your personality type that you scored on a quiz?

And my thoughts on labels aren’t just relegated to social media bios. I’ve seen people on both sides of the fence argue on whether or not it is helpful to use the word “broken” when talking about depression, as in “I am a broken person because I have depression” and those kinds of thoughts/sentences. Some people think that it is not helpful to label yourself “broken” when trying to combat depression. Others think that by labeling yourself broken, you are acknowledging the depression and coming to terms with the fact that you are not okay. As someone who has suffered bouts of depression most of my life, I do not have an opinion either way. When you are in the throes of darkness it is all you can do to survive. If labeling yourself broken or any other adjective for that matter helps, than that’s okay. I just wonder why those conversations are around a label instead of around depression in and of itself. 

I am not anti-label. I have my own labels too. I mostly define myself by being a mother, bookworm, an introvert, etc… you get the point.  I guess my over arching question is why do we do this? I don’t have an answer, but I am curious 🙂

What do you think about labels? Yay or nay?

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! 🙂