7 Eye-Opening Documentaries { + 24 Things Update}

I've been watching so many movies lately! I usually do, but they're recommended by my hubby. He always shares great ones. I found these documentaries mostly on NetFlix (although I hate to admit I use it) and they have some good picks! Here are a few that stood out to me, if you're looking to gain some insight into some issues. I especially love the bee ones - what amazing little community-creating creatures!! Enjoy :)

Food for Thought

    * The Raw and the Cooked. A vivid and colorful exploration of the foods and cultures around Taiwan. I recommend this one if you're a travel-lover, like me!
    * Sushi: The Global Catch. This potent documentary examines the history, art, and current reality of sushi-making, which is becoming a threat to several species' survival. Definitely eye opening.

                   

Bees: Goddess Creatures

    * Queen of the Sun: What the Bees Are Telling Us An eye-opening introduction to the importance of bees on earth and the problem we're facing: Colony Collapse Disorder. And I definitely want to keep bees after this film! 
    *  Vanishing of the Bees. A vital documentary about bees to understanding their importance and scary situation that's occurring. Very thought- and action-provoking. 
    * More Than Honey. This documentary looks into how bees and honey have become a huge commercial industry. It's pretty biased and in-your-face, but insightful nonetheless. 
    * The Magic of Urban Beekeeping: A Backyard San Francisco Hive: This is just a really great 12 minute clip with a great look into what beekeeping is like. Another bee-keeping inspiration for sure!!

Others

    * Seoul Train. A documentary exploring the harsh and horrible reality of the human rights violations in North Korea and the people who are trying to help refugees. If you don't know much on the situation, this film is a must-see.
    * Man On Wire. A adventurous documentary about a wild dream of someone who loved walking on wire and made a huge impression in the 1970s. I loved the passion and exhilaration! 

I'm continuing this challenge of cleaning out and making room for positive things. More about thechallenge here. There’s only one week left to go and I’m aiming to have a strong finish! My goal is to completely clean out my room. My methods are donating, sharing things with friends/family, getting rid of things, and just organizing and rearranging.   

These past two weeks have been somewhat intense so a few big things are part of this challenge. One biggy was my car. Jade was my first and we’d had many adventures together. I gave her to my brother and he ended up getting another car, which I hope is good for him. It wasn’t actually too hard, since I haven’t used her much in the past few years. I suppose there’s still a bit of sentimental value, as much as you can have towards a big piece of metal. She was a good one :)

Jade on a roadtrip up the West Coast.

The other big thing that I’m cutting out of my life is drama. It can only go so far, but why even let it get that far. I don’t want it anymore. Goodbye drama and those who perpetually cause it!

A few other things I’ve purged:   
  ~ inaction (hence my word of the year!)
  ~ a jacket (that I wasn’t planning to wear but just holding onto because it was cute)
  ~ a lot of Mardi Gras beads (ok, saving a few for the craft box)
  ~  metal water bottle (which was so well-loved the stickers were half rubbed off)
  ~ toilet paper rolls (intended for kids projects)

It’s just incredible how things accumulate so quickly. And how I convince myself I will use things later. It’s great to recycle but not always realistic to save things…

                      So, how’s your purging? What are you most glad to get rid of?

Life Lately + 24 Things Update

Life lately...

therapeutic release / crazy laughter / brownie-candy explosion / wine-cork crafting / catching up / seeing friends

jewelry making classes (give) / writing / teaching self / starting a class (take)

organizing / sorting / donating / selling / 24 Things Challenge

...speaking of this...

24 Things Challenge going strong! I'm sticking with cleaning out an area or getting rid of a few things everyday and I've only bought about a handful of meals and a few drinks (a perk of currently living with my awesome parents). 

A few things I've let move on or updated:    

anger

being scared 

jewelry I've accumulated

cool globe lamp that had sun spots

old papers I wasn't ever going to look at again

unorganized photos from forever ago

unorganized emails and system

computer documents

old passwords 

I'd definitely recommend reading these two articles if you want some organizational inspiration Tips for Organizing and Storing Photos ~ A Beautiful Mess & 8 Tips and Apps to Organize Email ~ Treasure Tromp. These ladies are amazing!

I condensed about 5 boxes of old photos into 2 by just getting rid of the envelops and putting them straight into a box. It feels good to save some of that space and consolidate. At some point maybe I'll go through them and label by year, but for now, it's a good start!

If you've you accepted the challenge, how's it going? If not, what's something you plan to go through and organize? Read more on the original post here. Have a lovely Sunday!

DIY: Fingerless Gloves {+ 24 Things update}

 Happy beautiful morning. I'm happy to be enjoying the redwoods with my parents for a few days. Nothing like waking up to sun peeking through the leaves, surrounded by nature, and hearing pitter-patter of a little bird dancing on the roof. 

I have an awesome and ridiculously simple DIY project. Fingerless gloves! I love mine and have made several pairs. You know those gloves you can buy for like $1? Those, a pen, scissors, and matches are all you need!

Get your materials:

Gloves  +  pen  +  scissors  +  matches   

Cut off most of the fingers, leaving 1/4 remaining. Draw a line before if you need to. 

Then, carefully burn the edges to seal so they won't unravel.

Decorate by sewing on buttons or beads if you'd like.
Dah dah dah!

Easy peasy right? If you're feeling crafty, check out some more DIYs!

*   *   *

Update #1 on the 24 Things Challenge. If you missed what it's about it's basically purging and not buying any unnecessary things for 24 days, Jan. 1st-24th {more here}. 

In the past few days I've been sifting through a lot of things. I came to terms with my childhood stuffed animals and only kept a handful that were in the chest. The memories are always in my mind but I don't want to keep every little thing. Some I gave to my little cousins - they were thrilled - and the rest I'll donate this next week.

I also decided to let go of the possibility of using some things again some day. My old wooden fish tank stand has been in my room, occupied by fishy friends for nearly 10 years but I held onto the idea I would have fish again one day. But I was able to reason and let go of that. I could always get another one, if that time comes.

 There wasn't much hesitation in my scouring. The fact that I'm doing the challenge and want to cleanse from extra things was great inspiration to do it (and that my things are taking over my old room in my parents' house too)! It feels so good to clear out space.

If you're on board with the challenge, how's your experience? If not, what are your feeling towards 'stuff'?

Dear 2013 + The 24 Things Challenge

Hey all! Well, we've almost come to the end of the year, can you believe it? It's time to look back at all that was 2013 and hop into a fresh new 2014. Thanks to Beka and Amanda for hosting the Dear 2013 link-up and Marylee for The 24 Things Challenge idea. 

Dear 2013,

You've been a year full of changes, ups and downs, and love. 

I've learned from my experiences working with very different types of people. I questioned how I want to have an impact in my work. I've seen how money works, how can be very destructive when taken to the excess. And on the other hand, I've learned humbleness from my kids (I'll always call my students 'my kids'). Where simplicity was a treasured lesson. And everyday ended with exploding sunsets and their smiles imprinted in my mind.

 

Girls of Picaflor House.

I've met people who inspired me, with burning desire to give all they can, with endless amounts of love. I met different people, encountered other mindsets, and learned to stretch my own mind and heart. I became closer to people I love and admire.

I embraced love and took a leap to marry a wonderful guy. And was able to share the moment with a few special friends and family. I keep learning about love from and with him. This was a huge highlight of the year!

A favorite of our engagement photos. By: Diane Patterson

We made a big decision, to create a new step together. This in itself was full of challenges and difficulties. Leaving people we loved and trading it in for a whole new city life. We learned to use it to our advantage and to help us grow in love and support of each other. But it was still a tough time. 

After the struggles of adapting, a nest has begun being built: learning places and people, creating a community, and allowing openness to the possibilities. 

I was present to a whole new side of Peruvian food and we played around in the kitchen creating our own meals. I also delved into a hobby of sharing my life through a blog, which became even more important than I'd imagined.

Thank you 2013 for all that you are and that the journey continues to teach us more love than before.

By: Diane Patterson

*   *   *

The other day I stumbled upon an idea for the new year that I love! It's by Marylee and I found it through my daily emails from Elephant Journal (tons of inspiring stuff). This idea is called The 24 Things Challenge. Essentially, it's an exercise in simplifying. It's kind of like a spring cleaning of sorts, which I think is perfect for the new year and new moon. Doesn't that sound like a great thing for the new year??

The idea is this. Everyday from Jan. 1st through 24th...
1. purge one thing. In creating this clear space, there will be a new place for new things ('things' can be physical, mental, spiritual, etc.). 
2. abstain from buying anything other than necessities. Basically, practice being a conscious consumer. (I feel pretty good about this one but the tricky part (for me)comes down to social activities like lunch or coffee - not really necessities but I may consider as part of self-love/well-being.) If something comes to mind that you want, put it on a list to re-evaluate after the 24th. 

The simplicity is what drew me to the project. While these are simple acts, it's the growing consciousness that makes them great. I'm looking forward to sharing my purges and experience here. This is an open invitation to join in the 24 Things Challenge. I'd love to hear your experiences as well!