Saturday, December 27, 2014

Friends asking for Donations....

I have some friends that are currently seeking donations for their "cause". Well one of their parents is the organizer of the  online fundraiser. I don't mind donations or fundraisers in general, although I do mind feeling obligated. I also mind when its not a fundraiser that once reached, will be completed.
In this particular case, I find myself glad and irritated. You see, they are asking for donations to adopt a child. This couple has two of their own and they are a Christian family-- you know, righteous and all, except for the whole 'they conceived their first born out of wedlock' and but we should just ignore that sin I guess...
I'm glad they are stopping with two of their own, I think that's enough people to indoctrinate... But now they want their friends and family to donate so they can adopt a child through some Christian organization. So once they reach this goal ($5,000), are they going to ask us to help donate to raise the child? (Food, diapers, clothing, toys, etc.) If they can't afford to adopt, how can they afford to support it? And don't say 'God's love' or something ridiculous like that. Ugh.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Why I won't tell my "potential" future children about Santa Claus

It's a few days before Christmas and I had a thought. If I have children, I'm not going to tell them about Santa Claus. There are multiple reasons for this. But first, I'm not mean, ill spirited or a grinch. However, I am an atheist. And I studied Psychology and Anthropology in College. My views are shaped by the experiences I have had and the subjects I have studied. Simply stated, I believe that telling children about Santa Claus is perpetrating a lie. A lie that I was told, a lie that my parents were told. Did it hurt me? No. Did it cause me detriment? No. But it did make me think, what else have I been told is a lie? My parents lied to me, plain and simple. I just don't think that is right. Mostly because Santa isn't real and what he is described as is basically a god himself. He can see everything, speak all languages, deliver gifts all over the world in one night, etc. It's just not right.
I will tell my children who Santa Claus is. They will know the story, they will also know that parents are Santa Claus. They will also learn that not all children in the world get gifts. No one will (hopefully) break into our home the night of December 24 and leave presents behind. I believe in educating, not betrayal. Why tell your child a lie? Only to have to tell the truth later?
Oh and no creepy elves on shelves either.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Found this great animation

Surfing the web takes you to many places far and wide. I like to call it 'time traveling' because you end up spending far too much time on the computer and boom it's a few hours later! Found this short video and wanted to share it: http://www.upworthy.com/what-is-depression-let-this-animation-with-a-dog-shed-light-on-it     

Monday, December 1, 2014

Holidays in the home of a Minimalist

We only have two bins in which to store our holiday decorations. It's not for lack of space, or lack of money. Quite honestly  its because we had to put a cap on it. Seeing our parents' and grandparents' holiday items shoved into box after box, stored in the attic 11 months of the year, really gave us pause when we packed our holiday items last year. We sorted the items and chose our favorites (anything with the Abominable Snowman stayed). We went to Target and purchased two standards size rubbermaid bins especially for this purpose. What fit, made the cut.
A few days ago, at my request, my husband pulled the boxes down from the garage. He left to get a few things done and I opened the boxes. I started digging around in them. I found a few strands of white lights, some picture frames with photos, a few random decorations and a small faux tree. Yes, the tree fits in one of the boxes. All that I found was great, however I realized a small problem. We have no where to put anything. We have a decent sized home, but very few furnishings other than the main things a home needs (sofa, ottomon, dining table, etc. No end tables, coffee table, etc. So there are no flat surfaces free for extra decorations. Hmm, so I'm debating if I should borrow a table or just forget it altogether? Being a minimalist is difficult sometimes, but so rewarding.