Happy New Year
As I am setting my intentions for the year 2015, I plan to take more time to make new friends in our new community. 2014 was a year of big change, and a big move for our family.
Where did the time go?
We are still settling in, and learning where our favorite places and services are in the Yuba Sutter area. I know a lot of folks through the business, but we haven’t made time yet to get to know folks outside of work much, and I hope that we find time to make that happen this year.
We are so grateful to be celebrating at the Dancing Tomato Caffé, “10 Years & Cooking”. It is an honor to cook for and to serve our wonderful guests, and we thank you for this opportunity.
I guess I really hope that time is on our side, and the years don’t keep flying by so quickly. A big part of our move was to slow things down a bit if we could, and simply enjoy and get to know each other. Have a cup of coffee and chat.
Cheers to time, to enjoy being happy & healthy!
Tastefully,
Green Sharlene
Well, I am loving the “less is more trend” that today’s economy is teaching all of us. I’m learning that when times were better, they really weren’t in terms of the amount of things we’d buy…we had too much stuff. Getting back to basics is not a new concept, but it is one I am teaching myself and our kids. Too much becomes unnecessary clutter, and that can be stressful.
I find myself cleaning out closets, and enjoying the sense of accomplishment while earning extra cash by consigning things that I’m clearing out. We have some great consignment stores in town. I also think more about purchases of small things that add up, monetarily and in the closets. I ask myself if things will last, and how soon will I be clearing it out of my way. I love to spruce up our gently used kids equipment, organize clothes that will never fit again and come to the sweet terms that I’ll never be that size I was twenty years ago. Some one else will look great in my “other” clothes and shoes that were a size smaller. Those other clothes were from another time, when my family was also smaller. I love my new size, this is where “less is more” does not apply.
I haven’t mastered the “less is more”, yet. I still have piles of laundry on the bed, and I claim I just don’t have room to put it all away. That’s not true, I’m still sorting & parting with things, donating some to good causes, and making a little extra money on the side. This makes getting organized a lot more manageable, it’s the staying organized that is a challenge… forever I think. I am shopping less, but when I do, I try very hard to SHOP LOCAL, because some retail therapy is good for me, and our local economy.
With the holidays around the corner I’ll stay focused on green gifts, with creative wrapping that can be reused. Which brings to question, what’s really wrong with re-gifting? I say why not? I love hand me downs with thought put into them. Some of my best purses and shoes are hand me downs. If you know someone who will love or use something you have, more than you do, by all means, give it away as a gift with a nice note telling them so.
Tastefully,
Shar
With the start of their own family, Shar began to take to heart some of
the ways they could improve upon the way they do business. One big
question is always, how could they be more sustainable? “We want to do
the best we can in reducing our waste. The restaurant industry uses a
lot of energy, and produces a lot of waste. But today, there are a lot
of innovative ways to reduce waste, and help Mother Earth. There is
always room for improvement. Many of these improvements are costly, but
some can save money, which is a big deal for business during any
economy. Ultimately, I am trying to use our business as a way to push
through change for the better. For our kids and our community as a
whole.”
As well as being conscious of what comes into their local restaurant,
the Katz family is very aware of what goes out. They’re working with Recology Yuba-Sutter
on a pilot program to turn organic waste and food scraps into compost
for local farmers to replenish the lands, rather than adding to local
landfills. “Green Sharlene”, as her husband calls her, explains. “A lot
of waste goes out the door; we can be more responsible with our business
practices by reducing waste and diverting recyclables and organic
matter for compost. By being “greener”, we can actually save money
(green) on waste hauling, while working toward state goals to reduce the
amount of material going into our landfills. As a mother, it’s really
just the right thing to do for our children and our environment. Every
little bit of effort helps.”