Staying Green but maintaining your extravagance

The word 'fancy' brings to mind like words such as extravagance, excessiveness, or unnecessary. With that in mind think about an action you saw someone make today or even something you did that was maybe unnecessary. In the name of being fancy we need not sacrifice our planet and our resources always. There are simple extravagances some of us deem "necessary" such as bottled vs. Tap water or SUV vs. Compact car. Well today I witnessed a un-fancy, completely unnecessary extravagance. While on the El there was an older woman happily, but publicly enjoying her Potbelly midday lunch....what struck me was the 19 paper napkins I saw her use once and dispose of within our 20 minute shared ride together. She simply used one after another each with one wipe of her hand and disposed of it in her bag. It boggled my mind because she had 2 reusable grocery bags with her but not something as environmentally friendly as a cloth napkin!? I watched napkin after napkin get used and thrown away....even her oyster crackers that were still in their package got wrapped in 2 napkins!

It is difficult if not near impossible to eliminate every extravagance from our life....but their are some obvious ones that can be monitored or altered. In this particular case maybe the napkin lady "over-used" because being environmentally friendly wasn't at the forefront of our minds when she was a young child. What we can do now is impact simple options to our children to only use one napkin per meal or use a cloth napkin that is washed as needed. Being fancy doesn't always have to mean being extreme at all times.

Date Nights

Let's be honest.....your kids are around because of date nights. With a 54% divorce rate in the USA right now we have to get out of the office and spend some quality time with our spouse to avoid going down that road. Many parents think that once they have kids their social lives are supposed to end. However, the road to a happy life is paved with balance. Learn to balance your children, your work, and your relationship and you will be happier and better functioning in each of those facets.

So what does it mean when we do have children and we want to spend some alone time with our hubby? Well, most turn to either nearby family or a babysitter. Yikes! A teenager watching my child for hours on end in my home? It is common practice these days to trust our most important "possessions" to younger girls (typically). It can be a process going about finding the right babysitter who understands your needs and wants and respects them, is punctual and responsible, and gets along great with the children.

Bottom line: it should be taken into consideration because without some grown-up time to yourself, not just at the end of the night right before bed, you are doing everyone in the family harm.