Spring Clean Week - Cleaning Up Your Diet

I asked what our live-in cousin wanted for dinner last night after a long weekend of house/dog sitting (that girl  handled two jobs, two cats, and a dog last weekend and everyone lived!... bravo!) and she said she was craving comfort foods. Fried chicken, greens, corn bread, macaroni and cheese, etc.

I said I could cook about half of that on a whim.

We sent S out to get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (I'm not much for fried chicken) and I made some Jiffy corn bread muffins, creamed spinach, roasted potatoes, macaroni and cheese (from a box). It was so good.

But after that meal and a whole weekend of eating out in West Lafayette/Lafayette, I am ready to get back on track.

This spring I am trying to limit meat and dairy in my diet. I have noticed that my digestive system is happier when I take those things in moderation.

I used to have a yogurt every morning and a dinner made with some sort of cheese, cream, meat and/or butter.

Now I've had apples and bananas for breakfast (with peanut butter if I need a few more calories) and a primarily vegan/vegetarian dinner. Lunch is often leftovers from dinner the night before.

I've had chicken since deciding to cut back on meat and I use butter in cooking to add a layer of flavor that I just don't get from oil, but I'm mostly meat/dairy free for now.

I do miss cheese though.

Source: joannagoddard.blogspot.com viaChristine on Pinterest

Have you ever done a cleanse? (Admittedly, mine is not a true cleanse, just some mindful eating.) Did you get sick off of it? I've heard that if you change your diet too drastically, you can weaken your immune system.

Spring Clean Week - Money Tip: Don't Buy The Small Stuff

Don't Sweat Buy The Small Stuff

I was out with some friends at The Container Store a few years ago. Despite being an organization store, this place is really interesting. Cubbies in every color. Hooks that hang on doors, drawers and walls. Shoe boxes that fit all styles and then tetris together in a neat cube! Fun and practical!

TCS had a line of acrylic boxes in all shapes and sizes with lids. I think that they were intended to be used for office supplies, but some of the boxes were so ridiculously small that not even a paperclip would fit. Fun and NOT practical? Let's all buy one!

So we all bought a tiny box for no reason and mine sat on a bookshelf for at least 3 years, collecting dust.

When it came time to purge it, I was reluctant to throw it away. I mean... its a durable, colored plastic box. And it's so cute. But what is it doing for me? Nothing! I never used it and I just ended up knocking it around when I dusted because it was so tiny, light and flick-a-ble.

I try to remember this item's trajectory through my life whenever I want to buy a decorative bowl from a flash sale site or Goodwill... when I think I could get a deal on a great pair or black flats... when I insist that I will use a milk frother at home!

I am challenging myself to leave a shelf empty, a wall bare and a corner vacant! I will throw away holey underwear, I will take that box to the thrift shop (saw Macklemore this past Saturday- waddup!?), I will hold back from buying seasonal/holiday*/temporary items (not that I do this much, but it IS tempting)!

And most importantly, I won't invest in small things. If it's not important or vital, I'll try to do without it. I may acquire things that are small in size, but big in value, but I won't deal with the petty.

Source: catchmyparty.com viaDonna on Pinterest

*This could be another post. Do you buy holiday themed things that can't be used year round? Do you spend money on things that are disposable for the holidays? Do you throw parties with tons of trinkets?