I love that bar!

Don't celebrate commercial things!

Er, obviously except all the brands you endorse and openly advertise on your website and write about in your blog. Not to mention actively making money out of your readers for your own financial gain! 

I would say you and your product, for that is what you are creating, are a perfect example of commercialism.

Lovely blog and I enjoy reading but please don't ruin it by being hypocritical and false!

John

It sounds like you're mixing things up, 'John'.

The fact that we take advantage of having much readers and post some ads up on the blog has obviously nothing to do with what I or we celebrate in life, has it?

But if you could please be so kind and explain to me a better way to make money than from a blog like this whilst still having freedom and sail around the world, that would be much appreciated. I think I have found the perfect way so thanks for reading.

Life is a celebration Taru, as you obviously know. 

All I am saying is that you can have your cake and eat it, as indeed you are and good luck to you  because it  sounds amazing and I'm genuinely happy for you and enjoy following your posts. 

But be realistic in the knowledge that you are only eating your cake and celebrating your life in such a way through the gains of commercial enterprise. Every post you send out is in effect a money making venture, no different from the commercialism that has become Valentines day. It's  
hypocritical to say otherwise and patronising to your readers.

I'm not saying its wrong at all, unfortunately that is the way the world works, there are very few of us who can live in such a way without embracing commercialism it's just that for me not 'keeping it real' ruins the credibility of your posts and thus ruins the adventure. 

Taru,

I wonder why you post John's name in quotes? Do you think anybody that replies to you is being disingenuous?

Listen, you're going to a resort this week to produce a commercial for a resort. That's what your post about it will really be. And you talk about "things" that make you happy every day, from your designer clothing, to your coffee pots, to your shoes. All of that is fine. All John is saying is to not be so hypocritical by acting as if you are above all of that. Talking that way is so "cruiser-ish".

Enjoy Life.

I don't celebrate Valentines day, I totally agree with Taru in her way. However I understand what John wants to say. To buy branded, expensive clothes, for example,I think unnecessary, especially for someone, who choose to be close to the nature. BUT! You need to make money at the same time (unless you are millionaire) so I think you did (doing) great "job". You are making money with this blog, and making us, the readers "happy" with your writings. Congratulation!

Heather, the reason I'm quoting Johns name is because not many uses their own, real name when the comment anonymously in blogs. Particularly not the ones that are commenting with a critical point of view.

Of course there's a commercial feeling to this blog, I created it so I should be the first one to admit, which I think I have done in many posts as well. I have a commercial interest with my project, yes of course, I need to make money during the way we're traveling, and that I don't need to nor want to hide. We are not rich and can not continue traveling if we do not have incomes. The blog gives me several ways to make money, firstly through ads and product collaborations, secondly as it works as my portfolio, and for both I am depending on the high number of visitors that we have and am thankful that you all are reading.

I don't think that many who'd put in this amount of time in a venture as I am doing in the blog, would want to do that without getting some paid. The banners and the product collaborations that we're doing here, they are what keeps me writing/sailing. The blog works just as your weekly magazines, without advertising incomes it will be hard for me to justify the work put into it.

But just as I have chosen not to celebrate commercial days as Valentines day, you are also free to choose not to read magazines, websites or blogs or look at television that are financed with commercial. I think it might be pretty hard to take a distance to all things commercial though, what do you think?

When I say I don't celebrate Valentine's day, I do not intend to be "above it all" as you insist, I say that only because that is my philosophy, I think Valentine's day is a silly thing, just like I think most religious celebrations are that are turned into moneymaking ventures. For me it has always been important to question every day behaviors and patterns that we humans occupy ourselves with, and to find out the real reasons to our actions. If I can't find a reason to it, I won't bother with it. Just like I haven't yet found out the real reason to why I should have children, or get married, or believe in a God, or celebrate Christmas. Love, happiness and celebration of life are fine in the way they are, no need to follow society's rules and embrace all things "normal", just because it has "always been like that". I am a free human being and I create my own way, philosophies and beliefs as life unfolds.

Again, thanks for reading my little magazine, without you I wouldn't be able to pay my bills.

Now if you excuse me I will continue reading my favorite blogs, and yes they do have commercial on them as well. Perfectly fine with me as I know that we all must make dineros, but no, I still won't celebrate Valentine's day next year.

P.S for New Crystal: However close to nature we will be in life, we will still be looking for the best and most qualitative products when we need "products", We won't lower the quality of our existence just because we have chosen to live a more hippieish and a more fulfilling life. Nothing hypocritical with that either. As long as there's money in our pocket we will buy the best that money can buy. When there's less money in the bank, well then we need to lower our costs obviously, nothing strange with that either.

Nice plant...

You don't have to buy flowers and gifts to honour your loved one on Valentine's Day. it's far from mandatory. My husband and I don't buy gifts for each other, but we do exchange lovey-dovey cards. We look at the day as an reminder to let one another know how much we mean to the other and to go out for a nice dinner—which we do often enough anyway so that part isn't outside of the norm. Once you get married, sometimes you don't tell your loved one all the special things they need to hear often enough, and Valentine's is a lovely reminder to express those things and to spend a romantic night out.

I can't speak for Taru but the way I read that, particularly in light of other posts on here, was not that they were "boycotting" Valentine's Day in protest or because of a perceived level of commercialization, but rather that she just doesn't happen to care about what is essentially a made up holiday that we're all generally expected to observe.

"Valentine's Day", "Pope", taboo, "society", etc are all just ghosts that we create in our heads and, if we let them, can wield terrible power over us. If you wanted to buy chocolates or go out to dinner on Valentine's Day then abstaining from it out of a feeling of guilt or because someone said you shouldn't is exactly the same as mindlessly observing it because you never considered why you always bought flowers on Feb 14th.

Take rational actions that maximize your happiness.

Hmmm,,,nice plant ,,the red flowers make me sneeze,,,the beautiful green leaf makes me dream, and as Hesse says '' if we advance confidently in the directions of our dreams,,,,'' ,i'm for dreaming !!.Have good days you two and good to see someone else works 70 hour weeks to keep their dreams alive...cheers 'different drum''

I think what Taru and Alex are doing is fantastic. They are living confidently in the direction of their dreams. How else would one propose they make money to sustain their lifestyle? In some effect, as mentioned above, we all buy into consumerism - it is a way of life, sadly. But I think that they are being creative in the way they play the system - and I give them props for that. They are sharing, enriching and fulfilling our lives - and maybe even giving us inspiration to follow in their footsteps. I think they're brilliant. Taru didn't mean for her Valetine's Day comment to sound snarky at all - "Hallmark" holidays have taken the meaning away from the true purpose of what Valetines Day, Christmas, Easter, etc. originally were. Thank you, Taru and Alex, for sharing your lives with us!

Oh dear! This thread has sent me on a downward spiral.
Must be only me that can see the hypocrisy in all that's been said and mis understood here.

No, JT, you're not the only one who can see that hypocrisy...and at least one of us agrees with you. But then, that person (ie: me) clicks here multiple times a day to see more of that sailing life...so I'm to blame because my clicks are being monetized (and more power to A and T that they have enough traffic to do so).

But you're right: there is a hypocrisy in saying, "Don't celebrate commercial things...oh, except for these sandals/this resort/this restaurant that paid us/gave us freebies in return for putting in this mention."

Don't let it get you down, though. Know that it's there and just focus on the lovely photos and enviable lifestyle...and then get out there and do your own version. Cheers!

Thanks Anonymous, you're right and have restored my faith. I will get back to enjoying the pictures and posts without thinking about it too much.

Have a lovely day wherever you are.

JT

"we don't celebrate such commercial things which are made for us to spend even more money on unnecessary things as we all know that things won't make us much happier"

yet then you say that you should buy the best that money can buy, for what other reason then it makes you happy?