So much and so little has changed since I started this blog eight years ago.
I’m still a busy parent, co-owner of small art based business, lover of all things well made and beautiful, living in rural Maine.
I am also waiting tables four nights a week, preparing 99.9% of our meals at home as well as keeping up with all those things which make life wonderful and stressful; laundry, grocery shopping, bill paying, organizing car rides, commuting to work (and school), going to the beach (enjoying the great outdoors), cleaning the bathroom, washing the floors, sweeping (daily) – we have a wood shop attached to our house – stacking/hauling wood (we heat with wood), organizing get togethers with friends, making plans for the future, trying to find the time to write and exercise, photographing everything…all of this (and then some) within my means and time restraints…
I’m not a big consumer of ‘new’ things. The world’s resources are finite and we need to keep that in mind when we’re making purchasing decisions. Recycling, buying second hand, consignment shopping, re-purposing, going without, trading, picking up great things on the side of the road, auctions – these are all great things to do to not only save money, but limit waste.
Having said all that, I’m here to share my thoughts about food, nature and a life lived within one’s means.
Below is where this all started;
I’m Jennifer – a parent of a busy three year old, co-owner of an art base business; Michael Fleming Designs Adrift, www.designsadrift.com, a gardener, and lover of all things beautiful, practical and well made. I live on 20 acres in rural Maine – in a rented 200+ year old farmhouse – and for the past two years, some would say, have been living an unusual life…
We had always been a two income household – then our son was born…before becoming a mom, I waited tables at a fabulous restaurant which afforded me the daytime hours to start, launch and build our business…Now my days are filled with keeping up with my son, the house, the garden…and my nights are filled with trying to get our business ‘off the ground’ and all things involved with that…the job I had prior to having our son was no longer available to me once I was able to return and I was overwhelmed with the thought I looking for new job with a three month old on my back, that we decided to live a bit differently for awhile…
I admit, we are extreme. Not everyone wants to ‘do without’ as we have chosen, nor could everyone choose as we have – though my question to you is, have we chosen to live ‘without’ or simply differently?
Four years ago we decided to stay in Maine year round and start our business. Prior to that we had been living between Maine and the Caribbean. Prior to that we had been traveling the globe – living mostly in our tent and hostels with our belongings on our backs…ahhh, the good life…we launched Designs Adrift just as the economy spiraled downward and then became parents, practically simultaneously. Two challenging things to do in any economy, much less an uncertain one…add to it our location and most people think we are absolutely nuts or brilliant. I’d like to think the later…
We wanted to raise our son ourselves and keep our business moving forward – two things which either require a lot of capital or a lot of creativity. We are resourceful and patient – what we lacked in capital we made up for with ingenuity and skill.
I have always been creative with my finances and ‘stuff’.
Looking at things differently has allowed me to travel the world, attend and graduate from a highly respected teaching college, start and run a business as well as decorate my home beautifully and simply – as seen in the NYTimes article below;
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/garden/in-maine-gifts-from-the-sea-and-the-landfill.html
Isn’t everything?
Thank you for reading this and I hope to inspire you to think differently…
Lots of love,
xoxoxo
Ripe Red Berries 
I’d have to say you are both brilliant and courageous for living your life with YOUR priorities first, not someone elses. Finding and recognizing the beauty in things makes for more beauty! I encourage you to keep following your dreams and desires, as you may be surprised just how ripe and red your lwill become. Can’t wait to read more.
What an inspiration! 25k . . . I’m impressed. My hubby and I also went from two incomes to one when I became pregnant with our son. We thought the drastic drop in income would be hard to manage, if not impossible . . . But like you we discovered there’s a difference between going “without” and choosing to live your life differently, with different priorities and different values.
You’re very courageous, and are teaching your son incredible lessons through your choices.
Good luck and enjoy your adventure!
Thank you so much for your comment and support! Yes, it’s kind of crazy ‘making it’ on what looks like so little, yet while it certainly isn’t ‘easy’ it’s what needs to be done for the moment and it keeps us creative…all the best to you and your family and looking forward to your posts. all the best.
what an inspiration – looking forward to reading more about how you are doing this!
we have a lot in common (not the baby bit tho!) as we gave up very successful and well paid jobs in the UK to move to Portugal and live on one small ‘pension’ – and now I am a full time artist (doing ok!) and loving every minute of a down-sized simpler life! it can be done (and we’re on a lot less than 25k!)
very best wishes for your continued happy future – and looking forward to reading more – thanks for finding my blog too!
So good to hear from you! Wow – I’m inspired now – leave it ‘all’ to live a simpler life in Portugal, wonderful! Good for you! So happy for you and yes, it can be done – it’s not always easy, but nothing worth doing is easy…best wishes for you too and I look forward to learning more about how you are doing it…thanks for checking out my life + blog. Enjoy.
and every time I look out the window and see the sun shining – I know it is worth it! 🙂
Most definitely!
Pingback: winter savings | Ripe Red Berries
Pingback: sample sales | Ripe Red Berries
Pingback: cheap or frugal? | Ripe Red Berries
Pingback: transfer station treasures | Ripe Red Berries
Pingback: 365 days ago… | Ripe Red Berries
Pingback: traveling on a budget | Ripe Red Berries
Wonderful to read your story. We did the same things 15 years ago. I stopped working to be with our son. On our very minimal income the high cost of living in Seattle made things a little difficult. It took us 10 years to buy our first home! Although I am back into the workforce we still live a very minimal lifestyle. And beauty is very present in our home! Our son is such a grounded, stable young man and we are so glad we made the choices we did. So good to hear you too have the same values!
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and leave such a supportive and encouraging comment! It’s great to hear from other like minded individuals…
The same will be true for us as well. This limited income will not be forever, nor will our sons first few years be forever, hence why we chose to live this way – same as you…it’s a lifestyle choice, a conscious choice, a choice to live within one’s means both before having a child and after – that makes all the difference…
Thank you again for your encouraging and supportive words!
Congradulations! I have just nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Here is a link to my post for you to accept the award:http://thebelmontrooster.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/my-very-inspiring-blogger-award/.
Thank you Belmont Rooster! I will work towards making this nomination real! All the best!
Jennifer your blog looks fantastic! I look forward to following you and trying out your recipes.
-April
Thank you so much April!! Looking forward to checking out your blog too!! All the best and happy cooking! (: