More Do-It-Yourself Therapy

I've come to the conclusion that my current DIY obsession is a form of self therapy. The act of keeping the hands busy, keeping the mind focused on the project at hand—it's very meditative and calming. It keeps anguish and unnecessary fretting at bay. It soothes the heart from aching and wanting.

Composition in Glass

I love this curried chicken salad with spiced chickpeas and raita recipe from Epicurious for its pretty, dainty presentation. Composing the layers was like painting. It was gorgeous to see the turmeric-colored chickpeas lying on a bed of white raita. The sprinkle of almonds was a lovely finish. It was a lovely dish to have as we enjoy a bit of early spring weather here in San Francisco. This dish is great by itself, on crackers, or wrapped in a sturdy lettuce leaf.

Handmade Decorations for Chinese New Year

Like Christmas, there are plenty of tacky, commercial decorations that can be bought on the cheap for Chinese New Year. I have a couple myself that seem a little lovelier than the typical fare. But I thought I'd make some by hand to add to this year's decor. I found some helpful instructions from Folding Trees for making kusudama balls.

Farewell To My Old Baby

This Sunday, Wasabi crossed over to join his brother Mushu. We are grateful that we were able to say goodbye to him at home, with him laying on his favorite sofa, surrounded by his loved ones.

DIY Obsession

I've got a case of Do-It-Yourself fever. So far in the new year, I have made, here at home, with my own hands (albeit with the help of several home appliances):

– a jar of soymilk

– seven jars of yogurt

– thirty muffins

– sixty gyoza/wonton dumplings

– two batches of soup with homemade broth

– a loaf of bread

– a steam basket tower full of Hubei pearl meatballs

– finished sewing my Christmas felt dove ornaments

– (and right now, I'm in the middle of folding some kusudama flower bouquets for Chinese New Year!)

While it is food-heavy right now, this fixation with homemade started with fabric, before Christmas. I bought over a dozen fabric patterns, one after the other, from Purl Soho. I got these beautiful hand-stitched buttons from a super talented embroiderer in England. I also bought a handmade wreath, three handsomely-sewn decorative elf stockings, and several packs of holiday cards from Etsy, the online exchange for all kinds of amazing handmade goods.

So why do I get such a high from DIY? Let's see...

• I feel more satisfied. It feels really gratifying to be feeding my loved ones and filling my home with wholesome goodness that I've made with my own hands.
• I appreciate and care for things more. I find that I take better care of things; I'm not as rough or careless; I'm more thoughtful about throwing out stuff. And that feels good—it feels like a good Zen practice of living with more awareness!
• I consume less and get higher quality. Not that I spend any less $$, but by choosing to pay more for quality handmade goods, I buy less stuff in exchange for better craftsmanship and materials. Less junk in the house, less mess, less carbon footprint on Earth!

I guess I can thank my dear sister partly for this influence, inspiring me to take out my sewing machine again, and not to be so wasteful!

Sticking with it

I'm a resolutions person. I recall as far back as secondary school in Hong Kong, writing up goals, and clear plans and timetables to fulfill them.

I love taking the time to reflect on the year past, what I am proud of and thankful for. I love looking ahead, envisioning where I want to take my life, evaluating where it is now, and feeling out where I need to focus for the following year. I'm not alone—this is the time of the year when blogs and magazines are chockfull of resolutions-themed articles. I think it's a beautiful ritual of humanity, to not just be swept away by daily survival, to want to ponder, review, dream and hope.

But resolutions often get broken, cast away and forgotten along the year. Here's a tip using basic human psychology to increase your chances of sticking with it: COMMIT.

I'm not being facetious. I'm being literal.

1. Commitment means not being wishy-washy and general. Be clear and focused, and make your resolutions actionable.
2. Commitment isn't just thinking about some things you may do. Tell yourself you'll do them.
3. Better yet, commit in writing. A contract with yourself. A poster. A collage.
4. Even better, commit in public. Tell your family and friends about your resolutions. Write a blog post. Put it on Facebook.

The more you do to commit, basic human psychology will come to play, and motivate you to be consistent and stick with your commitments. That's why people sing national anthems, couples celebrate wedding anniversaries, organizations encourage members to display their affiliation. Commitment and consistency are wired into human behavior. (You can read more about the psychology of influence here.)

One more personal tip for sticking with your resolutions—write a "quick-how" list every month. Revisit your resolutions, and write out a list of quick, fun, easy things you can do that month to fulfill your resolutions. That way, your action of commitment is constantly renewed!