2020 Word of the Year - SLOW

Whoa!  Does anyone else feel like 2019 just WHIZZED by?  Maybe it's all of the technology.  Maybe it's because we're always travelling.  Maybe it's just because we have teens....

All I know is that 2020 is going to be the year we make a concentrated effort to slow down.  Slow living is about turning away from the materialistic and busy lifestyle and focusing more on quality than quantity.  It is about awareness...the consciousness of our surroundings and what we are doing...appreciating all of the little things in life.

The term slow is used as an acronym to show different issues:

• S = Sustainable – not having an impact
• L = Local – not someone else’s patch
• O = Organic – not mass-produced
• W = Whole – not processed

Here are the ways that we consciously slow down....along with some of our favorite resources for you to learn more!

Food

Eat slower. 

Be mindful of each bite. Appreciate the flavors and textures. Eating slowly has the double benefit of making you fuller on less food and making the food taste better. 

Eat real food.

It may take some adjustments in your shopping and cooking habits, but eating real food (and not nuking it in the microwave) is so much healthier for you!  Your body will appreciate the difference, and after a little bit your mood will improve as you begin to feel more energized.

We use the crockpot to throw together dinners quickly at night.  A bit of prep work, toss it in the pot in the morning, and it's ready to go in the evening!  We also do freezer cooking, so that healthy homemade meals are possible when time is short.  It takes a day of prep (or sometimes, a few hours here and there spread over several days), but is so very worth it.  Does that mean we never eat out or grab something fast?  Nope.  Everything in moderation....

  

A Slow-Cooked Year This book includes : the whats and whys behind crockpot cooking, how-to tips and tricks, safe crockpot guidelines, printable planning sheets, and more than thirty seasonally-appropriate, kid-friendly recipes!

Another Year of Freezer Cooking For anyone who wants to get a leg up on getting healthy meals on the family table, without much fuss...this book includes : the whats and whys behind freezer cooking how-to tips and tricks pantry freezing guidelines, printable planning sheets more than thirty seasonally-appropriate, kid-friendly recipes!

Lifestyle

• Do less. 
• It’s hard to slow down when you are trying to do a million things. We choose to focus on what’s really important, what really needs to be done, and let go of the rest. I used to be the 'yes' mom...always agreeing to do whatever needed to be done.  Now, I'm the 'nope, I don't think we can make that' mom...and we're a lot happier.  We also build in a cushion between errands and appointments, so we can move through your days at a more leisurely pace.
• Turn off the technology.
• It's one of the great modern-day ironies that the technology which was invented to save us time is actually costing us our lives.  We are now expected to be connected all of the time...to be caught up with everyone everywhere...and to respond within seconds of receiving any sort of communication. 
• Personally, I don't have a cell phone and I absolutely don't want one.  In spite of a continuous string of taunts from those around me to 'get with the times,' I stand firm, and even a bit proud, in eschewing the smartphone.  Sure, we miss out on things sometimes, but our family connectedness - actually being present with each other - is worth so much more than those things we missed from not being tethered to technology.
• I'm a bit of a rebel, I know......those who've know me best, and longest, aren't surprised.
• Get outside. 
• Ok.  It's January, so we won't be outside nearly as much as in May, but we still take the dog for a few walks each day and attend to the chickens.  A little Vitamin D from the sun can go a long way in teh winter!  
• Many of us are shut in our homes and offices and cars and trains most of the time, and rarely do we get the chance to go outside. When we do, it's usually to walk to the car, and we're multitasking by making a phone call or sending a text during that short jaunt from building to car.
• Take the time to go outside and really observe nature, take a deep breath of fresh air, enjoy the serenity of water and greenery. Exercise outdoors when you can, or find other outdoor activities to enjoy.  Close your eyes and feel the wind and sun!

Slowing down is a conscious choice, and not always an easy one, but it leads to a greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness.

Reading List
 


Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (Barbara Kingsolver)
Author Barbara Kingsolver and her family abandoned the industrial-food pipeline to live a rural life—vowing that, for one year, they’d only buy food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is an enthralling narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat.

Sacred Slow (Alicia Britt Cole)
If yesterday’s word was “simple,” tomorrow’s word will be “slow.” Our culture is shifting from fast food to health food both physically and spiritually. Self-care, soul-care, life coaches, and spiritual retreats all show our dissatisfaction in quick fixes and fast faith. The Sacred Slow is an invitation to unhurried honesty before God. Formatted as 52 experiences, The Sacred Slow reminds readers on every page that God never wanted to use them: He always wanted to love them. Experienced devotionally or in small groups, each chapter features a short but unexpected reading and two options for application: a thought focus or a heart exercise. The content is the overflow of Dr. Alicia Britt Chole’s thirty+ years as a spiritual mentor to leaders and learners. The tone is personal, practical, and penetrating. The fruit is sustainable (as opposed to event-based) intimacy with God.

Slow Down (Nichole Nordeman)
No matter if it’s your child’s first step, first day of school, or first night tucked away in a new dorm room away from home, there comes a moment when you realize just how quickly the years are flying by. Christian music artist Nichole Nordeman’s profound lyrics in her viral hit “Slow Down” struck a chord with moms everywhere, and now this beautiful four-color book will inspire you to celebrate the everyday moments of motherhood. Filled with thought-provoking writings from Nichole, as well as guest writings from friends including Shauna Niequist and Jen Hatmaker, practical tips, and journaling space for reflection, Slow Down will be a poignant gift for any mom, as well as a treasured keepsake. Take a few moments to reflect and celebrate the privilege of being a parent and getting to watch your little ones grow—and Slow Down.

Simply Tuesday (Emily Freeman)
Our obsession with bigger and faster is spinning us out of control. We move through the week breathless and bustling, just trying to keep up while longing to slow down.  But real life happens in the small moments, the kind we find on Tuesday, the most ordinary day of the week. Tuesday carries moments we want to hold onto--as well as ones we'd rather leave behind. It holds secrets we can't see in a hurry--secrets not just for our schedules but for our souls. It offers us a simple bench on which to sit, observe, and share our stories.  For those being pulled under by the strong current of expectation, comparison, and hurry, relief is found more in our small moments than in our fast movements. In Simply Tuesday, Emily P. Freeman helps readers

· stop dreading small beginnings and embrace today's work
· find contentment in the now--even when the now is frustrating or discouraging
· replace competition with compassion
· learn to breathe in a breathless world

Slow Food Revolution (Carlo Petrini)
Founded in Italy in 1986 by charismatic Italian gourmand Carlo Petrini, Slow Food has grown into a phenomenally successful movement against the uniformity and compromised quality of fast food and supermarket chains. With nearly 85,000 members in 45 countries around the world, Slow Food has developed from a small, grassroots group into the most influential gastronomic movement in the world. Known as the "WWF of endangered food and wine," Slow Food not only focuses on a slower, more natural and organic lifestyle that complements nature, but also works to preserve dying culinary traditions, conserve natural biodiversity, and protect fading agricultural practices threatened in this age of mass consumerism. The book takes the reader on a gastronomic journey through the practices and traditions of the world's ethnic cuisines, from the artisanal cheeses of Italy to the oysters of Cape May and the native American turkey. It includes testimonies from Slow Food representatives—such as Alice Waters of Chez Panisse—illustrating exactly what they are doing—and what still needs to be done—to preserve them.

Slow Family Living (Bernadette Noll)
Have you ever wished you could slow down the daily grind—and even find a way to enjoy it?  All too often, the hectic pace of modern life turns our households into a blur, leaving many parents—and kids—feeling depleted and disconnected. Enter Slow Family Living, an inspiring guide for parents who want to rediscover the meaning, comfort, and contentment found in the day to day of family life.  Offering 75 simple ideas for reconnecting, this upbeat and invaluable resource can help turn even the most bustling of times into an opportunity to create a moment of calm—and a connection that will last a lifetime.  From holidays and other stressful occasions to bedtime, vacations, and everything in between, Slow Family Living will help even the most harried parents and kids pause, reflect, and find joy, satisfaction, and inspiration in each other.

Chasing Slow (Erin Loechner)
You’re here, but you want to be there.  So you spend your life narrowing this divide, and you call this your race, your journey, your path. You live your days tightening your boot straps, wiping the sweat from your brow, chasing undiscovered happiness just around the bend. Higher! Faster! Better! Stronger!  And on and on you run.  Viral sensation and HGTV.com star Erin Loechner knows about the chase. Before turning 30, she'd built a fan base of one million women worldwide and earned the title “The Nicest Girl Online” as she was praised for her authentic voice and effortless style. The New York Times applauded her, her friends and church admired her, and her husband and baby adored her.  She had arrived at the ultimate destination.  So why did she feel so lost?  In Chasing Slow, Erin turns away from fast and fame and frenzy. Follow along as she blazes the trail toward a new-fashioned lifestyle—one that will refresh your perspective, renew your priorities and shift your focus to the journey that matters most. Through a series of steep climbs—her husband's brain tumor, bankruptcy, family loss, and public criticism—Erin learns just how much strength it takes to surrender it all, and to veer right into grace.  Life's answers are not always hidden where they seem. It's time to venture off the beaten path to see that we’ve already been given everything we need. We've already arrived.

Making Home (Sharon Astyk)
Other books tell us how to live the good life—but you might have to win the lottery to do it. Making Home is about improving life with the real people around us and the resources we already have. While encouraging us to be more resilient in the face of hard times, author Sharon Astyk also points out the beauty, grace, and elegance that result, because getting the most out of everything we use is a way of transforming our lives into something much more fulfilling.  Written from the perspective of a family who has already made this transition, Making Home shows readers how to turn the challenge of living with less into settling for more—more happiness, more security, and more peace of mind.  We must make fundamental changes to our way of life in the face of ongoing economic crisis and energy depletion. Making Home takes the fear out of this prospect, and invites us to embrace a simpler, more abundant reality.  Learn simple but effective strategies to:

• Save money on everything from heating and cooling to refrigeration, laundry, water, sanitation, cooking, and cleaning
• Create a stronger, more resilient family
• Preserve more for future generations