no buy july: go outside

Take a walk with a buddy.

no buy july: go fly a kite

A kite is a fun and free (thank you to my collection of crafting items) thing to make in the summer.
I got the directions from PBS's webpage on Ben Franklin- it also includes his own instructions from 1752.

Send it soaring!

no buy july: making presents

Another birthday this month. Alison is turning 30 and has the
greatest taste in music. She's old, she likes music, so I gave her a
Lawrence Welk record shaped into a bowl for entertaining.
How to: put a record and and some rocks on top of a glass bowl
and pop it in a 300 degree oven. As the LP begins to soften
and sink, you can mold it and shape it as desired,
then plunge in cold water.

Other ideas:
make CD mixes
write a poem
draw or paint a picture
spend time with the birthday gal/guy

no buy july: find the free II

Here are some free options for summertime tunes: iTunes has a free song download every week and this month, Nylon magazine has a free summer playlist that is killer: 22 great songs by bands like Phoenix and the Plastiscines. Just click here and rock out.

no buy july: free fête

My friends' B-day was July 1st- which meant no going out to lunch or getting pedicures. So I brought the spa experience in-house: I put an "Ann's Spa" sign on my front door, burned incense and played classical music. Then we used products that I already had like scrubs, face masks, and lotions, and painted our toenails. After that, a detox lunch- hummus and rice crackers and tofu stir fry. It was a nice, no spend surprise.

no buy july: jazz up jeans

Okay, so I can't buy clothes this month, which is REALLY hard, especially after I saw this Fumblin Foe jacket. I mean, it's 75% off and a architectural delight and I love it and it fits (size L, if anyone is feeling generous...)! Arrrggg. Anyway, I'm dressing up a few items that I already have, like adding ribbon-pins to a shirt. I know Wendyness is stiching colored thread and yarn on a t-shirt that looks really cool. I'm also in the process of drawing designs on these jeans- I want to have them completely covered. How can you redress your wardrobe?

no buy july: find the free

Just because I'm not buying anything this month does not mean that now there's nothing to do: outdoor concerts, tudou or hulu for movies, and lots of time at the library. This month there are at least three different events in the area for dogs. Me and Pirate were both very happy about all the free samples. So go out and find the free!

no buy july

I am up for challenges right now. I'm trying to write the bulk of a dissertation this month, and I've started a cleanse- banning all dairy, wheat, alcohol, and sugar for 21 days. But that's not enough. So, yet another goal for this month: not to buy anything (besides detox food of course- a girl's gotta eat and that means having ingredients for gluten free living). SO, no buying shoes (gasp!), clothes, entertainment, restaurant visits, or things for my dog (double gasp!). I honestly can't imagine it right now. I think the last time I did this was before I received an allowance.

Anyway, there are a lot of "NOs" this month but I have to reframe these experiences:
YES to productivity
YES to health
YES to saving
YES to new ideas

Let the experiment(s) begin.