Most days, this blog is about consumption. New fashion, color trends, and things I want.

This really isn't representative of how I live my life. I believe in simple living--well, simplified living--and I try to practice it whenever I can, but I've noticed that sometimes the simple voice is drowned out by the loud clamor of advertising, comparing my life to my neighbors' (I mean that in the general sense if you girls are reading this blog :), and by my own "standards of living." My little brother is good at simplification, and making strides to become better. A few weeks ago, he posted some decisions he's made toward living a less consumer-oriented life, and it has inspired me to make a few changes myself. Here is my plan:

1. Walk to the grocery store.
2. Air-dry clothes as much as possible (difficult with city ordinances against clotheslines).
3. Grow my own vegetables, fruits and herbs as much as possible, and make every effort to preserve the excess I can find now in season on the farm.
4. Drop the gym membership and get up early to run in the cooler air.
5. Use linen napkins, cloth rags, and handkerchiefs.
6. Cut back on trash--especially nonburnable and plastic trash. Consider not purchasing things that come in containers that cannot be recycled or burned, such as yogurts, sour creams, cheeses. A great opportunity to make my own, right?
7. Make my own: laundry detergent and shampoo so far, but more possibilities include cleaning supplies and facial products if I'm brave enough.

This is a start at least--I have to admit that I've put off writing this post for several weeks because I wanted to test some things and see if they would work, or if they'd be too much trouble.

Finally, the extreme heat this summer has pushed me to action. When it's 105 outside and the air conditioner is running constantly--even set so that the inside of the house is a bit warm as it is--I can't help by be frustrated by the amount of energy and water I am using. Even more frustrating is going to work and freezing all day because of the air conditioning. What a waste. I have to make a difference where I can; I guess it's as much about consuming less as it is about taking care of the earth God created for us.

And since it's summer and we're talking about God's good creation, we should have a picture of Rocky Mtn National Park.