Want less. Experience more.

I'm always curious what people's New Years resolutions are so it's fun to hear what my friends are up to. My philosophy about resolutions is to only set goals I want to and can realistically achieve. I didn't set them around New Years; I just set a goal whenever I felt like I needed to set one. And I stopped when I felt I got enough out of it. When I decided I no longer wanted to be scared to travel alone, I set a goal to travel once a month for a year. I did it for 36 straight months. I wanted to be able to do a pull-up and after training for about a year I'm now able to do a few in a row!

This next resolution got a lot of positive feedback from friends. I got a ton of questions about how I did it and about the boundaries and scope of it. I'd like to think I got a few friends to contemplate embarking on a similar resolution for themselves. I'm still waiting to hear how it turned out and what they learned. You guys know who you are! :o) So by semi-popular demand... Here goes:

In 2010 I made a resolution to buy only 12 material personal items that year. I accomplished it and it made me realize how little I actually need. That in fact, I already had everything I needed. I focused less on material things and more on experiences and relationships with friends. In 2011 I upped the challenge and only bought 10 items all year.

My rules:

• Toiletries did not count (i.e., toothpaste, lotion, shampoo)
• Food did not count (you have to eat!)
• Digital goods did not count (I purchased a few songs on iTunes)
• I could buy gifts for other people
• This didn't mean I couldn't spend money, it just meant I couldn't spend it on stuff. I traveled, dined out, and kept my gym membership and Netflix account.

What I bought in 2011:

1. a pair of skinny jeans
2. cardigan
3. hat
4. dress
5. tank top
6. tank top
7. disposable camera for a mud run
8. a pair of socks for the mud run
9. running shoes
10. ring
Grand total: about $250

Some of the items I bought in 2011: cardigan, socks, ring

What I did:

• I would think about if I truly wanted each of the items. I could only buy 10 things!
• I altered clothes I hadn’t worn in a while. It was like having new clothes!
• I created “new” outfits by wearing clothes I already had in new and different combos.
• If something broke I tried to use something similar I already had. Or if I didn’t, I just tried to live without it.
• I checked out all my books from the library.
• I spent my money on experiences (concerts, dining out, travel).

What I realized:

• I had less clutter. My apartment is about 390 square feet so it’s not like I have a ton of space for things anyway. By the way, my husband and I both live in the apartment now and it’s enough space for us. :o)
• I never window-shopped when I went out. It’s like I freed up a bunch of time so I could do other things with it.
• I didn't look at catalogs, marketing emails, or even shop online. Again, more time to do other things.
• I devoted more time to doing things with people.
• My relationships grew stronger.
• I appreciated experiences and looked forward to creating more memories.
• I already packed pretty light when I traveled - a regular backpack is enough for a 3 day trip. I realized I didn’t need much more when I traveled for longer. You just can’t be afraid to re-wear things!

Transit card art

I'm a huge fan of all things transit. I love subways, trains, schedules, stations, tokens, and transit cards. I dream of someday having a subway car in my house. What? It can serve as a hallway or maybe it can be a small den. I do a lot of my reading during my commute, why not read in a stationary subway car at home? One can dream...

I created some "art" out of my transit passes - I wish I had enough to cover an entire wall! What's the most interesting transit pass you have?

San Francisco Muni passes, 2009

Transit passes from all over the world. From L-R, top to bottom: Pompeii Circumvesuviana, London Oyster Card, Bay Area BART pass, Hong Kong MTR, New York MetroCard, Paris subway, Chicago CTA pass, Washington DC SmarTrip, Rome City Pass, Las Vegas Monorail, Boston CharlieCard, London airport pass

For better or worse

There have been so many advances in technology in just the last 20 years... It's hard to imagine the world before the Internet or smartphones. I was just thinking about all the ways technology has changed our lives - for better or worse. Remember the good ole days when...

1. If you made plans with someone, you showed up.
2. You had to rewind rented VHS tapes before you returned them.
3. You actually knew people's phone numbers by heart.
4. If you needed to make a phone call when you were out you used a pay phone.
5. You had to look at an actual map to figure out directions before you drove to a new destination.
6. You recorded your favorite songs off the radio and had to live with DJs talking over the song intro.
7. If you missed your favorite TV show... well, you missed it.
8. You took your bathroom breaks during TV commercials.
9. You had to line up to buy concert tickets.
10. You had to call or fax a hotel to make reservations.
11. You didn't know what to expect when you showed up at the hotel - you hoped the description in the AAA guidebook was accurate.
12. You passed notes in class or in the hallway.
13. You had one pair of contact lenses that were supposed to last you all year.
14. You typed your school papers on a typewriter.
15. Your first printer was dot matrix.
16. Jelly bracelets were merely decorative and weren't a badge of your sexual exploits or desires.
17. If you were on the phone, no one else could call you.
18. You had to dial the operator to dial an international number.
19. You had to go to an actual record store if you wanted to buy your favorite song. And you hoped they had it in stock.
20. You got to take drafting, home ec, driver's ed, and woodworking in high school.
21. You were your parents' remote control as in you changed the channel for them.
22. Exciting video games involved controlling one of two lines on a screen. The other line was controlled by your opponent.
23. It was an Olympics year once every four years.
24. You had pen pals from whom you would receive actual snail mail.

Do you have others you'd like to add to the list?

Life hack for leftover chicken broth

Here's my life hack for the "too much leftover chicken broth" problem. I make chicken broth ice cubes! I'll pop a cube into dishes as needed - perfect when you need a little extra flavor or liquid.