Hey guess what? IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!! Yay! Happy happy day! It’s my last year in my twenties (and I’m looking forward to the glorious thirties, oh yes I am), and of course my last birthday before baby changes it all. Very exciting – it’s going to be a wonderful weekend!

And speaking of birthdays, we’ve got Bonzai’s first birthday coming up here on February 1st. I’m going to celebrate of course (because, wow, is there a lot to celebrate or what?!), and I’d love your ideas of how to do it. What should we do for the first anniversary of this little web project that’s become so much more than I ever could have hoped or dreamed? Gimme gimme your ideas!!!

As usual, the Feedback Forum will remain here at the top of the page all weekend, so if you’ve got an idea or a question or you just want to introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’, you can stop back by any time. This is your community, so get involved and have your say!

And just a few announcements (so much business this week . . . )

1) For those in the Chicago area, there’s an upcoming event that parallels perfectly with our Monday Monthly Mission! On the weekend of March 20-21, the Swap-O-Rama-Rama will host a clothing swap, fashion show, and a series of DIY workshops. Check out the link and if you’re interested in getting involved, the next volunteer meeting is Saturday January 23 (that’s tomorrow). Check it out!

2) Vegan Yummies for a good cause! Isa Chandra Moskowitz of the Post Punk Kitchen has done an amazing job of organizing a collection of vegan bake sales to benefit Haiti. We all know how much they need the money, so check it out and if there’s a sale near you, support it! And eat some vegan treats in the process. Win-win!

Okay, have a great one guys! I know I will!!!

My Closet: ‘like items’ grouped into boxes; clothes coordinated by color.

You know, it’s really hard to save the world if you can’t even find your keys. And believe it or not, sometimes the ‘Socially Conscious’ part is a whole lot easier than the ‘Totally Fabulous’ side of things.

But just like I didn’t always suffer from Hyper-Productivity Disorder™, I wasn’t always compulsively organized either. I had to teach myself to think systematically. In college I would take sloppy notes in lecture, scrambling to get down every essential piece of information. Then, each and every night, I would re-copy all my notes, in perfect script, color coded. It took hours, but it forced organization as a habit. These are learned behaviors, see, and that means anybody can adopt them.

After college Damian and I somehow managed to buy HQ. That was over 2 years ago, and our time since then has been spent renovating the place. We do all the work ourselves while maintaining full employment, which means 1) our living space is constantly under some degree of construction, and 2) home improvement is tailored around our jobs, thus relegated to nights and weekends. Projects tend to take a *long* time.

So, what’s the key to a smooth operation? Of course – organization!

Believe it or not, this is spread is meticulously arranged.

There have been times when our entire kitchen is emptied and under drop cloths, the cabinet contents laid out, exposed, on makeshift plywood picnic tables. Another few months where I kept half my clothes, and did half my dressing, in a separate room from the bedroom. And yet another 6-month period where we slept in our bed . . . in the living room. That was interesting when guests were over.

The bottom line is that maintaining order matters: for your sanity, for your sense of balance, and most importantly to enable you to do what you need to do. I never could have made home-cooked meals through a kitchen remodel, without sticking to strict system. And I’d never succeed at running a website if I didn’t plan everything ten steps ahead. Orderliness can turn farce into the best adventure. I’ll always think back fondly on the summer we ‘camped in the dining room’.

The hall closet is utterly uncluttered.

With the new year and new intentions on the brain, I’ve had a lot of readers asking for advice on practicing positivity and living a more mindful, fulfilling life. Let me tell you this: methodology is step one to getting everything on track. And careful organization isn’t reserved exclusively for the ‘big stuff’ like home improvement or education or activism. These principals apply to day-to-day living. They’ll free up tons of time, and allow you to put your energy (physical *and* emotional energy) where it really matters. Here’s three easy steps to get you started.

1) Keep a clean house. Everything, I mean everything, should have a place. Know what goes where, and make sure it gets there. Notice how your anxiety decreases when your surrounding are aesthetically pleasing (ie clean). We’re sensitive to these things, so don’t let it get out of control!

2) Make lists. I’m a notorious list-maker (another consciously learned behavior). I write a daily to-do list, lists of goals for each week, and long-term lists for a number of subjects (like ‘baby stuff to research’, or ‘upcoming posts on Bonzai’). I keep these in a notebook that comes with me everywhere (I like a looseleaf 3-ring binder ’cause it’s easy to shuffle stuff around, but your mileage may vary. Many are fond of the brand Moleskine) Try this, it will seriously change your life.

3) Have a vision. Sleeping in the living room would have been embarrassing and tragic if I didn’t have the image of our beautiful new bedroom to hold in my mind’s eye. Painstakingly copying notes would have been achingly tedious, were I not so damned determined to maintain my 4.0. Having these overarching plans will offer comfort when things get crazy, and ground you when you’re caught up in the chaos of life’s minutia. So dream big (no, bigger!), and then let that vision guide you.




And what about you, my dears? What are your methods for controlling the madness?

Itty Bitty Bonzai is a collection of tiny tips and tricks for living a life more mindful. Small actions, collectively and compounded, become a powerful force of change.

#17

So the holidays are over and you’ve got a pile of greetings and gift cards, on display and collecting dust in a corner of the living room. But they’ve got to come down eventually, and unfortunately most will find their way into the rubbish bin.

Of course you, diligent Bonzai readers, would never trash that precious card stock, I’m sure. We’re all recyclers here, are we not?

But what about doing one better? Instead of tossing them in with the newspapers and tomato tins, why not hold on to them for later use? Simply remove that pretty (and valuable) front! (leaving the back, inscribed with your relative’s well wishes, to recycle) Now you have a brand new post card, a clever thank-you note, or a lovely gift tag!

You can also wrap a gift in simple brown paper (re-use a paper grocery bag), then tape the recycled card front to it, to add a festive image.

So save your holiday cards for the next years festivities! But don’t forget to save other cards throughout the year – this works equally well for Valentines, birthdays, and beyond!

BONZAI!

This month we’ve pledged to shop entirely secondhand, foregoing the mall and frequenting thrift stores instead. I’m thrilled by the enthusiasm over this mission, with tons of readers happily signing on. So tell me guys: how’s it going?!

Alas, we’ve been a bit waylaid here at HQ. Being on bed rest certainly puts a damper on shopping trips. Still, I managed to sneak off to the gently used baby boutique in my neighborhood, and picked up a few super cute essentials, as well as some much needed cloth diapers for my slowly growing collection. And just this past weekend, Damian took some of my store credit (trade-in value) at one of the local shoppes, and found a pair of mint condition Lucky brand jeans for 1/5 the cost of a new pair. Lucky is his favorite, so this was quite the cause for celebration!

Since this mission is all about thrifting, and anyone who shops secondhand knows the joy and the thrill of the hunt, I thought it might be fun for us to really share the love. Here’s what I’m thinking:

1) Send me pics of the pillage! If you score something amazing that you’d like to share, email me a picture (you don’t have to be wearing it if you don’t want to) at info@bonzaiaphrodite.com Please include your first name and the city/country you found it in. At the end of the month I’ll post all the pictures, and we can all revel in the glory of the secondhand goods!

2) Send me the names and addresses of the BEST secondhand stores in your city, and maybe a brief description of why they’re so rad. I want to compile a list of the greatest thrift stores across America (across the world??). So send me all the top secret hot spots you know of in every city you’ve been to. At the end of the month I’ll post a master list, and I’ll continue to update it periodically.

I hope this mission is treating you well – it’s a fun one! Happy hunting, and may the thrift store faeries sprinkle their pixie dust all over you!

Hey guys,

I just wanted to let you know I’ve returned from my break and will be diving back in this morning. It will probably take a few days to slog through my inbox, but the journey begins today and I hope to be all caught up by mid-week. Regular posting will also resume this evening.

I want to say thanks again for your patience through this difficult time. It’s hard for me to slow myself down and it’s especially hard to step away from Bonzai – and this incredible community. But it’s what I needed to do, and the support and understanding I’ve received has just meant the world to me.

So thank you! And now I’m BACK, hopefully for good!!!
BONZAI!

Hey guys,

Unfortunately, I’m going to have to take another leave of absence from blogging. I wholeheartedly apologize and I assure you, this is not what I’d like. But I need to take another ‘me’ week right now and concentrate my energy inward.

I hope to return to my regular posting by next week at the latest. Please hold me in your thoughts in the coming days, and maybe send a little of those crunchy-good-thought-love-vibes in my direction.

To everyone who has commented on the site or sent me emails in the last couple of days, I’m sorry in advance for the tardy response. I hope you see this and know I’m not ignoring you! I shall do my best to work through my inbox but chances are high that I just won’t get there any time soon.

Thanks for the patience and support, guys. Remember: Stay Positive!!!

Starting it off right again, I want to give a giant thanks to Valerie, who was so sweet to visit Amazon on my behalf this week. Thank you so much for thinking of me!

And thank you all for the outpouring of support I’ve received lately. The amazing emails, the thoughtful offers, and the donations – you all give me so much. And each of your comments bring me so much happiness, poke at my brain-button, and reignite my fire. I hope you know that for all the inspiration I may provide to you, I’m getting just as much hope and joy out of the equation. So THANK YOU for making this community so rich.

And now, Happy Weekend! So let me hear what you have to say! How was your first week of this new year? What’s on your mind for the coming decade? And what do you want to see more of, right here on Bonzai Aphrodite?!

As usual, the Feedback Forum will remain here at the top of the page all weekend, so if you’ve got an idea or a question or you just want to introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’, you can stop back by any time. This is your community, so get involved and have your say!

Have a great one guys!

Mid-winter is perfect porridge season. And as you all know, I love me some hot mush – like Earl Grey Oatmeal or Thai Rice Porridge. This newest creation is just as delightful, with hints of spring that are just enough to tease of the coming green . . . a few months down the road. The fresh mint is key here. Luckily, I brought my little bush indoors for fall, and it’s managed (just barely!) to keep on kickin’!


Peppermint Porridge For One

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup cereal (I think a finer mush, like oat bran or cream of wheat or farina, works best here – but oats will do as well)
a few sprigs of peppermint

Assorted add-ons, like alt milk of choice and brown or cane sugar / maple or agave syrup.

Instructions:
In a small sauce pan, mix cereal and water and bring the to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened and ready, about 3-5 minutes. You may want to stir a few times to prevent sticking.

While the cereal is cooking remove the peppermint leaves and dice them. Stir the peppermint into the finished cereal, just before serving. Top with your favorite alt milk and sweetener (I like hazelnut milk and agave in this one).

Enjoy while appreciating the rain, and dreaming of the spring!

“I’m vegan and I <3 you"

Seriously, I hadn’t left my house in 2 weeks. I hadn’t gone outside in 2 weeks! So naturally, even a trip to the doctors office was terribly exciting for me. I had to take the opportunity to gussy up a bit, and show off my swelling belly.

• T-shirt Dress: from Herbivore (they are AWESOME! go there! support them!)
• Long Black Cardigan: secondhand by Banana Rebublic
• Grey Leggings: secondhand
• Multi Blue Knee Highs: Sock Dreams, who have my everlasting stripey devotion
• Combat Boots: many years old, by Gripfast
• White Canvas belt: so very very old
• Blue Stars Children’s Umbrella: secondhand

And I’ve got some good news! This trip was specifically for a test, a test that came back NEGATIVE, which means my chances of preterm labor have gone back down to ‘slim to none’. YAY YAY YAY! So thank you so much to everyone out there who sent your love and support – it worked guys!

Also, I don’t have gestational diabetes (yay vegan!). We celebrated with donuts. =)

On the first Monday of every month, we take on a ‘mission’ – a shift or habit or inspiration – to work on together. There’s strength (and support) in numbers! On the last Thursday of the month, we reconvene to see how far we’ve come.

#9

I’ve written quite a bit in the past about my idea of ‘Ethical Sartorialism‘. A huge component of the ES lifestyle involves buying almost exclusively secondhand – a seemingly daunting task to many style mavens. But now I’m putting the challenge to all of you!

Pretty straightforward: no buying new textiles. No new clothes! Stay out of the mall! Avoid the big box store!

If it sounds difficult, here’s some inspiration -
1) The Year Of Living Thriftily is a blog by an uber-fashionista who vowed to shop exclusively secondhand for an entire year. She’s got a great sense of humor and there’s lots of fun fashion pics, too.
2) The Uniform Project tracks one girl as she wears ONE dress for an entire year. An interesting exploration of abundance, and this chick has mad style.

So if you’re not shopping at your old retail standbys, where will you get that blazer you need for work or the perfect cocktail dress for your new hot date? Well, you’ll have to be a bit more resourceful. But thrift stores and secondhand boutiques are awesome, often undiscovered, treasure troves! I suggest you get to know your local spots and try to visit often.

You can also do a lot of secondhand shopping online, from Amazon to Ebay to Etsy, these sites offer great opportunities (especially if you’re into vintage).

And what about me? Are you wondering how I’ll participate if I already live this way?

Well let me tell you, if you think thrifting is hard, try maternity thrifting! I’m big and pregnant now and it’s a challenge keeping myself styled. I’m also in full-on baby prep mode, which unfortunately means a lot of consumption – from baby clothes and blankies to bibs and burp rags. I’ve got a lot of stuff to accumulate here!

So, I’ll be working doubly hard to make certain I stick to my principles. All the baby textiles I purchase will be secondhand. That’s my challenge this month.

And what about you, my wonderfully well-dressed friends? Are you with me? Do you choose to accept this mission?

BONZAI!