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.

Flip-It Friday: (up)Date Me!

Five things from me:

1) I changed the look and title of my blog a bit. I am looking to simplify. Here, at home, in my mind. I am vowing not to bring anything else into my home that isn't completely necessary and well thought-out. (Those pillows I was going to recover? gone. Those pants that I never wear? gone. Those abstract art pieces that I was going to paint? Fu-get-uh-bout-it.)

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com viaKari on Pinterest

2) We are going to see Macklemore this weekend at Purdue, my alma mater. My brother and I (whadup, Greg!) are attending the concert. The Mr. is just hanging with friends in Lafayette. I'm missing my Roo-dog already.

Source: pharosbones.tumblr.com viaMorgan on Pinterest

3) We have a relative staying with us while she gets on her feet in the big city*. We knew it was going to have stressful moments. I don't think I'm surprised, but I am not taking the stress well**. The Mr. and I are both pretty uptight people and have a hard time with disorder. We look each other in the eyes and say, "Where are your Patience Pants?".

4) Some big projects at work have been taken out of my hands. I am relieved to not be held accountable for them anymore, but saddened that I won't carry the baton over the finish line.

5) Not surprisingly, I've been thinking about how women work together (or not) lately. A woman at work is leaving and I'm sad to see her go. I have found out that there is some underlying cattiness among some of the women. I often wonder if they talk about me behind my back the way they talk about others to me. I also have realized that I am somehow a part of a clique that might encourage the cattiness. (I wasn't in the "in" crowd growing up, so this is a weird situation for me. Be kind, people!)

Source: all-things-bright-and-beyootiful.tumblr.com viaAlice on Pinterest

Geese make sense here, right?

This probably makes more sense.

For the flip-it part, share some things with me? Or respond to my five things?

* Unrelated to point 2, promise.
** Does anyone handle stress well?

Tipsy Tuesday: Uses for Essential Oils

These are from Amazon. I bought mine on sale from Whole Foods (the 365 brand).

Initially I bought peppermint oil to make scented candles.

Then I bought eucalyptus oil because I like the scent and realized how much a bit of scented oil can make my house/self smell and feel awesome.

Here are how I've used essential oils:

1) candle making
2) scent + Dawn dish soap + vinegar + hot water = clean, awesome, fresh hardwood floors
3) detox baths (Not sure if it actually does anything, but eucalyptus is a really good refresher for a tired, stuff-up body. I hear it's a natural antimicrobial. Plus, your skin gets all hot-cold.)
4) a couple drops in the corner of the shower makes it feel like a spa.
5) similar to 2, but I also use it for dusting
6) a few drops with some salt make a nice body scrub.
7) foot soak

And sometimes I just like to open them up and smell them - which could be the 8th benefit. I think I'll add rose oil to my collection next. Or bergamot.

Do you use essential or scented oils at home?

Tipsy Tuesday: Waiting for Home Delivery

Waiting for something to be delivered can be a pain. It's as convenient as waiting for the cable guy or a plumber. They give you a 4 hour window and then show up 20 minutes after the 4 hour window closes. OR if you are there for the majority of the time, they will show up during the 5 minutes you were in the shower or out back or, in my case, taking a jog around the block. 

Murphy wrote a loophole-less law, right there. 

So I've compiled a list of things to do at home while you are imprisoned by in-home delivery/service. 

1. Dust the baseboards. If you have pets, this is something that should be done regularly.
2. Prepare and cook an elaborate meal for dinner (something like this).
3. Do some laundry.
4. Scold the pets for things they probably do every day but you aren't around to see them do it. (Pet shaming, anyone?)
5. Hand mop the bedroom floor in preparation for placement of a fancy-schmancy rug.
6. Do not attempt to place the rug yourself because it's a 9x12 rug wooly beast that will crush you.
7. Run a short run. But run hard to compensate for your limited time. Then come home and do your very first pushup... ever.
8. Feel proud of yourself. And then ashamed that it was your first pushup ever. #ProudAshamed
9. Dance around to T.I. Wonder if he's still in prison. Wonder if the neighbors can see you dancing around to T.I. Move further from the windows.
10. Shower a quick shower for fear that you'll miss the delivery guy. 
11. Continually look out of the peephole without prompt. 

Through the peephole.

A preview of our bedroom. iPhone photos don't do the blue justice!

Ok, ok. This is just a list of what I've done today. Oh, and I worked a bit too. 

Beverage pairing: Water after the run/dance party. Wine with the braised pork.

Song Suggestion: What You Know About That by T.I.

Tipsy Tuesday: Housecleaning Habit

*Update* Sorry this post was a jumble before. I wrote it on my phone and had no idea how screwed up it looked - yikes!

This week I've been in pajamas more than not. Yesterday I took a half day from work and came home to nurse a 100+ fever. Thank goodness Downton Abbey season 2 is now on Hulu. My saving grace between naps.

So as you may know, today is my work from home day. Thankfully, the fever has lifted. The Mr. and I have a family trip coming up this weekend. So as to not overextend myself and get sicker, I decided not to work out or take on my usual duties for these packed Tuesdays.

I did, however sanitize the house. Can't be spreading the sickness and give the Mr. anything before we embark on some fun travels. It got me thinking about cleaning. We are pretty good at being clean people, but even we need to remind ourselves of some easy, ongoing, habit-forming tips to help the weekly cleaning go quickly.

- clean as you go. If you're making dinner, keep up with the dishes as you make them. If you're brushing your teeth, wash the toothpaste clumps away as you rinse.

- don't touch the same thing twice. If you are taking your dish to the sink, why not rinse it and put it in the dishwasher. Put your shoes away as you walk in the door so you don't start a shoe pile. If you're rinsing out a can, put it in the recycling while you are touching it instead of leaving it in the sink for later.

- if it takes less than a minute, do it now. If you can file the mail, bundle the recycling or pack up the leftovers, do it now. This one gets me to accomplish more, really!

- if you have pets, tackle the hair regularly. We have 2 cats. Correction, my husband has 2 cats. We have 4 different kinds of vacuums just to keep the tumbleweeds at bay on the hardwood, carpets, and furniture.

- purge! The more stuff you have the more stuff you have to put away. I find things I can part with all the time. I bet most Americans, no matter where they fall on the socio-economic scale, have too much stuff anyway.

- this may not be for everyone, but I mop by hand. This way you don't just push debris around, you can actually scoop it up, and you can scrub spots with the appropriate muscle. Plus, you can do the baseboard dusting at the same time.

- this also might not work for everyone, but we squeegee our shower an dry it down when we're done with it. If I'm feeling adventurous I also wipe the soaking tub with scrubbing bubbles and a sponge when I'm done with it.

- wipe the stove down after the burners cool enough. Stoves can really get sticky and gross and it's certainly harder to scrub them if the gunk is burned on. So just wipe it up after use to save some serious scrubbing.

A silly mock-up of our living room I did a while back.

 What clean up tricks do you have up your rubber-gloved sleeve?

Recycling Brigades!

Mr. S said we need to get rid of the pile of corks we've saved. (Why do we save corks anyway, people?)

I saw this site and my eyes lit up when I saw that you can recycle corks here!

and flip flops
and those single-cup coffee pods (they just need these for K-Cups now!)
and toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, floss and more!

How freaking neat!

J.Mill's Diamond Potpourri

Nothing to do with potpourri today, unless you think this is potpourri:

Here lies the contents of our small couch vacuum. Proof that 4 vacuums can barely compete with 2 cats.

The diamond part of the this post is for the Queen. The Today show is on in the background and they are all about the Queen's J-b'lee. It all seems so ridiculous. I mean, they even said the Queen doesn't like to do it, that she's private and shy in reality. So.... why, then?

And why are Americans interested in this? Let us not forget that we seceded from this monarchy. I could understand an hour special in honor of the Queen and her Diamond Jubilee, but hours of morning news TV?

The Mr. and I had our own public appearance this past weekend. There was a celebration, nee "jubilee", of a few "diamonds" we exchanged a year ago this past Sunday.

Happy Very First Anniversary, Mr. S.

Haha. And the Queen just woke up out of a trance after the national anthem. It appears she fell asleep with her eyes open and drifted off to something more exciting in her imagination. Let tradition go already. The Queen is bored out of her bejeweled gourd!

Here's what I speculate her inner monologue to be while 60 cannons, a few songs and some driving rain shock and entertain the crowd. Please read with a British accent.

Oh dear. As if the cannons going off sporadically for miles during my carriage ride weren't enough. I'm 86 and have been partying for days. The drizzle has turned to an outright rain and only I seem to notice. I wonder if I scowl the whole time if they'll  let me go back in off this balcony early. Ah! Someone spelled jubilee wrong on their parade poster. Good show, young drunk, good show. I should hire you as a court jester. We could use a more laid back presence. Even Philip faked a bladder infection not to be here. He promised me next year that I could skip. He better not croak on me before I can make good on that deal. Blah blah blah, God save the queeeeen from this dreadful sceeeene! 

Tipsy Tuesday: How to Clean Your Office With Office Supplies (i.e. a paperclip)

Office spaces are becoming increasingly transient. Shared spaces, mobile cubes and office-hopping are the norm. I, personally, just upgraded from an interior office to a room with a view! (A view of another office building, but sunlight is sunlight is glorious sunlight!)

I've heard that my experience with an office move is not uncommon. We change laptops and take our own pens with us, but for the most part, computer hardware, furniture and staple office supplies come with the literal territory. And sometimes, those hand-me-downs haven't been wiped/cleared since the dawn of enterprise!

For instance, my keyboard could very well have been untouched by anything but sticky fingers, sandwich crumbs, hair follicle dust, Slurpee spittle ... (ew, I'm eating) for about 8 years... that's how long it was with the previous owners. And those are just the years that I know of!

So upon light inspection of not only the keyboard but the whole room, one would conclude that 10 minutes spent wiping up on the front end could save for hours of sorting/replacing/cleaning on the back end. I always keep a few things on hand (or hope that the office keeps a few things on hand) to help employees help themselves in the cleanliness department. I got to work with my supplies:

Sanitizing wipes
Can of compressed air
Trash can and recycling
A Paperclip

I wipe down the shelves, desk, draw handles (if not the whole drawer), cabinets, door handle, keyboard, mouse, speaker buttons, phone (receiver and dock), docking station for the laptop, and any other accessories like a printer with a sanitizing wipe. They are more portable than a bottle of spray and more durable than office kitchen paper towels that may leave fuzz behind.

I sort remaining items as I go. Did they leave behind a box of paperclips? Put that in the drawer with push pins. Did they say you could do what you want with their scrap paper but you have your own lot of note-taking paper? Then recycle theirs. Damaged items like chipped coffee mugs, pens without ink, weak magnets, etc. can be pitched at this point. Use this an opportunity to purge your own stuff as well.

The keyboard and the mouse have some of the most annoying crevasses that can harbor dirt and germs. I shake the keyboard upside down while tilting it in all directions (and honestly, banging it on the desk as well) to get out crumbs below the keys. Then I use a can of air to dislodge other things that are sticking. THEN, I wrap a sanitizing wipe around the end of a folded paperclip and use that to dust between each key. For the mouse I unwrap one end of the paperclip and use that to scrape out little crumbs from between the left and right click and along the sides. Then I wipe it all down with a sanitizing wipe. The same process can be repeated on the phone. Tedious, yes. Rewarding, of course!

Source: ruemag.com via Patty on Pinterest

Not my office, but wouldn't it be fun?

This only took me about an hour in the morning and I was so glad I did that. I think the mouse even glided more smoothly after I cleaned the accumulated dust off the bottom of it!

You could do it the long way too, and use the paperclip to pick off each of the keyboard keys and then vacuum, sanitize and wipe-up the whole things like in this tutorial!

Do you guys go to any length to keep your office clean? Are you an office-hopper? My friend B.Lill used to carry her own cleaning supplies with her because she switched work stations all the time, but now she's a personal trainer and will be dealing with more sweat than crumbs!

Flip-It Friday: Double Header

Answer one of the two for today's Flip-It Friday:

A) From my personal blog (are they really separate anymore? who knows.)

 - What is your guilty pleasure TV show? 

or

B) From yesterday's post

- What can you not part with when cleaning out your closet/home even though you know the item is impractical?

Song suggestion: Shake it Out by Florence and The Machine

Beverage pairing: In honor of my tea party tomorrow and cleaning out your closet how about a Peter Pantsless  (or in my family, a Neener Pantsless!). The cocktail is made of dark rum and iced tea. 

via

Purge!

It seems it's trendy now to live on less and get rid of stuff in order to do so.

Exhibit A: the NY Times
Exhibit B and C: blogs I follow, a home improvement one and a fashion one.

All of which make me feel ashamed to own 3 eye liners.

Discussing this issue with another purge-driven lady, we decided that closet content is amorphous. It's like a gas - no matter how much you take out, the remaining contents take up the whole space. It's never ending and exhausting.

Pictures from when I last cleaned out my closet and how, although I took out quite a bit, I still felt overwhelmed with stuff. 


And yes, that is a thick, mountain-scene-howling-wolf-esque blanket on our bed... it's the only thing I ever stole and it was retribution for a mile walk in the cold. I'll explain another time... maybe.

We've all see the hoarders shows where they help people categorize by creating piles for "keep", "give away" and "trash". If you don't need it, give it to someone who does or throw it away it no one needs it.

Simple, right? But what about our emotional attachment to some things. What about sentimental gifts. What about specific items used for specific purposes that are valuable but not frequently used. Are they worth a storage unit?

Hmm. Noodle on that. Ask yourself, "If I had to pay to keep this in storage, would it be worth it?"

S and I plan to clean out our guest room closet in the coming weekends. It's really gotten away from us since we moved in a year ago. I'm baffled at the stuff 2 people can keep without knowing why.

I think this will be our first major overhaul of clutter that we've done together of a shared space. I anticipate a few tiffs over it.

When we moved in, he hated this vintage mirror I bought of craig's list and wanted to get rid of some of my wicker items.
When we moved in, I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why he kept his high school text books. High school, people... textbooks!

So this closet might be a good test of our patience. My plan for success and minimal bruising is:

A) Go in open-minded, willing to throw things away. If I'm going to ask him to part with ridiculous French language CDs that he's never listened to, I need to be prepared to pare down my wrapping paper. One of my favorite ideas from the NYT article is that we need to allow ourselves to get rid of sentimental things. After all, we aren't throwing away the feeling, we're just making room for our homes and psyche to breathe.

B) Stay on task. See the big picture. Sometimes when purging, we get so hung up in the details that we spend 3 hours going through a collection of finger paint artwork whilst sitting in a pile of junk. Also, if your purge process will take long enough to need a lunch break, make sure you time it and get right back to work!

C) Clean as you go. Somewhere between Mr. S's and my cleaning style should be a happy medium. Don't be so OCD that you slow down or stop. Don't be so flippant that you end up putting things away dirty either. (We take turns being overly thorough and avoidant: this past week he told me cleaned the bathroom... but somehow that didn't include the shower or the toilet bowl... And I will just walk right over cat vomit and let him clean it up... I mean, they're his cats! haha.)

D) When purging with another person, be considerate. We all have histories with our stuff. So when you see empty picture frames or find yet a 5th winter coat, be patient with your partner. Be open to them questioning your keepsakes as you treat them with kid gloves. Remind each other of the end goal (space, emotionally and physically) and work towards it together.

Now off you go to clean out your junk drawer or frolic in a field.

---

I should just start making this portion of the blog my personal update section. I guess that's why I have another blog, though!

Double Duty

This is for my thrifty friends who are looking to make their household items do double duty! I know there are a few of you out there and maybe even more now that the holidays are here (we all have less time/money and need to make ever minute/dollar count!)

http://manofthehouse.com/home/projects/new-uses-for-everyday-items

I've seen cabbies use rubber bands as this article suggests, but I'm skeptical of all of the toothpaste uses...

Ten Tips Tuesday: Ways to Burn and Cut More Calories Daily

Happy Tuesday Lovers!

I just found out that I will have my wedding dress in.my.hands this weekend for keeps and in a last ditch effort to look slim-n-sleek here are some tips to burning more calories without adding any more designated exercise to your routine.

I do these things whether I'm working out regularly (always!) or not so much (... always).

1) Take the stairs. It's good for your butt and it is a form of cardio. If you live or work in a building with an elevator, try taking the stairs. If you work on, say, the 84th floor, take the elevator up to the 80th and walk the last few floors.

2) If there are copiers all over the office, use the one furthest from you. If you aren't networked to that machine, network yourself or ask for help!

3) Chew your food thoroughly. Not only does it aid in digestion, but the actual act of chewing burns more calories. Gum chewers, chomp away with your mouth closed.

4) Take a walk on your lunch break.

5) Do crunches or push-ups during commercial breaks at home.

6) When mopping or sweeping the floor, treat every reach forward as a crunch or a lunge. Instead of moving to the spot you are mopping/sweeping, reach for it while crunching your abs or take wide, lunging steps. Make sure you are alone with the house alarm set when you do this. You will want plenty of time to straighten up and look "normal" if someone walks in.

7) If you are on a long phone call (professional or personal), don't sit down. Stand or even walk around. Standing burns more calories than sitting.

8) While you're brushing your teeth, do squats. Also, don't let the water run, jack.

9) Walk/bike to run your errands instead of taking the bus/train/your car. Not only is walking exercise, but you will be lifting weights if you carry jars, cans and produce back from the grocery store. And if you live too far from your destination and must drive, park on the far side of the parking lot.

10) Laugh more.

And for our double header (*drumroll): Ways to Cut More Calories!

1) Ask for salad dressing on the side and use only 1/2 of it. Choose oil/vinegar based dressings over mayonnaise based dressings.

2) Drink water at lunch instead of soda.

3) Drink your coffee/tea black or with skim milk.

4) Keep yourself hydrated as sometimes when we think we are snackish we are actually thirsty.

5) Give yourself smaller portions at home and only go back for 2nds after sitting for 5 minutes between portions. Let your stomach feel full before you get stuffed.

6) "Sacrifice" one meal a day. If you have sugar free oatmeal for breakfast, you can have a burger for dinner. If you have a salad with lite dressing for lunch, you can have cookies after dinner. Deny yourself only some things sometimes.

7) Pack your lunch. If you eat out all of the time, not only is it costly, but you have little idea of the preservatives, fat, sodium and calorie content in what you're eating.

8) Do not clean your plate. American portions are plus sized and we tend to eat what we're given. Leave a few bites on your plate and your stomach will thank you.

9) Carry snacks with you and keep them at your desk to fight of starvation. If you can't make it from 9 to Noon without stomach rumblings, have some almonds, low sodium pretzels or cereal at the office to keep you from getting super hungry and eventually overeating. Eating more frequently also keeps your metabolism up.

10) If you have the munchies in the evening, go to bed. Your body might just be looking for an excuse to stay awake.


I'll post some shameless photos of me in my wedding dress after this shin-dig is done so you can be the judge of these slimming tips.

Ten Tips Tuesday: How to Effectively Downsize Your Wardrobe without Limiting Your Options

For the Inaugural Ten Tips Tuesday post idea, I thank my friend Sarah!

1) Get rid of anything that doesn't fit. Whether you've gained or lost weight, don't keep things around in hopes (or discouragement) that they might fit again.

2) If you haven't worn it in a year, you probably won't wear it. Save for something special or sentimental like a wedding dress or graduation cap & gown (which you could vacuum seal and put under your bed to save closet space), clothes that are forgotten for a year are usually forgotten forever.

3) You don't need more than 2 pairs of black pants and *at most* 3 pairs of jeans. Get black pants in lengths that work with both heels and flats and jeans that work with both heels and flats. The only reason you'd need 3 pairs of jeans is if you have them in different washes. Getting all of your jeans in dark washes assures that they are both professional and dressy and therefore more versatile.

4) T-shirts. Downsize your t-shirts to just the ones that are from that special concert or the one that is finally broken-in and oh-so-soft. You don't need "Team Building Exercise '99". See Flight of the Conchords below. You won't regret it.


5) Invest in a good blazer. One good blazer can replace 3 ill-fitting blazers, jackets, hoodies (yes, blazers should be comfy) and some of your bulky sweaters.

6) Rid yourself of anything that you haven't had time to take to the tailor/cobbler in the past month. If it doesn't fit/is falling apart and you haven't tried to fix it yet, you're not gonna. I can't tell you through how many moves I've lugged these broken shoes around and it's not worth it.

7) Yellow pit stains (or any stain for that matter)? Don't deny 'em, chuck 'em!

8) We've all got some slippers, jewelry, sweater that is just not quite our style and we keep it around because it's not polite to re-gift. Now is the time to let it be someone else's style. Liberate it!

9) Special occasion dresses. Some girls like to go out and buy a new dress for every wedding/bar mitzvah/company outting anyway. If you buy new for every occasion, then cycle out the old. If you like to recycle (I do), then limit yourself to the perfect LBD (little black dress) and revamp it with accessories and bright heels to switch it up. Guys: pick your one suit or one jacket/pants combo.

10) Keep one purse/shoulder bag at a time. If you're like me, you ditch the old bag when the new one comes along. Either you cycle through your bags seasonally, or you never return to that old one. Either keep 4 seasonal bags in an appropriate size for your lifestyle or just keep the one you currently use until you buy a new one. Promptly toss the old one.

Sometimes we get attached to our stuff. Remember, it's just stuff.

And don't forget to donate your gently used clothes and accessories to a Salvation Army or a Goodwill store to help support organizations that employ people in your community and work towards good causes.

Some other things to do with stuff from your purged closet? Host a clothing swap (my favorite idea!). Give them away to friends. Sell them on eBay or Craigslist.



Picture via. I love that there is someone sitting in a purple dress in the right side of this photo... gotta play dress-up before you through out that bridesmaid dress! And get pictures. Then send them to me. I will blog them. You will be famous. It's that simple!