Eliminating Toxic Food Dyes

I recently read an article titled, 13 Banned Foods Still Allowed in the US. This article is written by the authors of the soon to be published book titled, Rich Food, Poor Food. This book outlines foods that have been banned in other countries because of their toxic nature, but not banned in the US. The article, from Shape magazine mentions 13 items you should eliminate from your diet. I am pinning this article on Pinterest and writing the list in the notebook that stays in my purse. To be honest, I know I do not consume some of these items, and I can tell how to easily eliminate some others, but the food dyes caught my attention.

According to the article, you should not eat anything with the coloring agents: blue 1, blue 2, yellow 5, and yellow 6. Of  course I know that eating all natural foods that do not contain any artificial colors is the best bet, but that is not a realistic goal for me and my family at this time. BUT, I do think I can eliminate a few things.

I went to my pantry and pulled out the 2 brands of macaroni and cheese that we typically buy. Again, I realize the nutritional pitfalls of these foods, but they are not all we eat, so I don't mind them being in the rotation for our family's foods.

     

It turns out that the blue box, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese contains yellow 5 and yellow 6 while Velveeta Shells & Cheese does not. My family is saying good-bye to the blue box. It is a small step, but it is a step in the right directions and every significant journey starts with one step. 

I have known about Annie's Organic Mac & Cheese for quite a while, but I live on a budget and have passed it over because of the cost. It's time to make a change. I can not feed my girls foods that can be dangerous simply because they are cheeper. 

I have talked with the girls and we will purchase Annie's Organic Mac & Cheese to fill our mac & cheese need and perhaps indulge in the Velveeta Shells & Cheese once in a while. As a mom, I realize that what I need to do is offer a better rotation of side dishes that do not come from a box. Perhaps a homemade mac & cheese, potatoes, pasta with parmesan cheese (the real stuff). We'll get there, one step at a time.

Can we have a rational conversation?

I don't understand the gun laws in this country. I am not a gun owner and probably will never be a gun owner. I am not opposed to people owning guns, but I do believe that gun ownership should be regulated. I think we need to take a look at this process. I also believe that that disagreeing is a positive part of the creative process and people who can disagree in respectful ways while remaining open to the views of others can get a lot done. Let's find those people and lock them in a room and let them work this out.

Here are some of the places where I am confused. I am not making any specific statement about these events, but they make me go, "hmmmm?"

I have a daughter with ADHD. She takes medication for her ADHD. She needs this medication and she wants to be on this medication because she likes her brain better when it is medicated and she can focus. I see a doctor every 3 months in order to be able to keep her on this medication. In addition, I can not get a prescription for more than 1 month at a time. I have to contact the doctor each month to get a new prescription. I have to go to the pharmacy in person with a paper prescription because you are not permitted to order this prescription over the phone. I also have to show a photo ID TWICE to get this prescription. I have to show it when I drop off the prescription and I have to show it when I pick up the prescription. All of this annoyance is due to REGULATIONS placed on the purchase of this medication because some people have chosen to misuse ADHD drugs. It is annoying and it makes things difficult for me, but I accept that this is the reality.

Here is where it gets even more confusing for me...I was in Walmart the other day. I had requested a new prescription for my daughter's meds early because of the holidays. I do NOT want to get caught without my daughter's meds and holiday office/store hours can get tricky, so I called for a new prescription. I tried to fill it at Walmart the other day because I was there picking up other holiday necessities and I wanted to get all of my errands out of the way. The pharmacist refused to fill my prescription because it was a week too early for me to be permitted to have these pills that are prescribed by a doctor. I was sent away because of the regulations that were placed on access to this drug. That same morning, I was chatting with a woman and her family in the fabric isle. She was angry because she had to call a manager and yell at him in order to be able to buy her ammunition that morning. It seems she did not know what type of ammo her gun needs, so she had her teenage son request the ammo and she was going to buy it. When the counter clerk told them she could not sell the ammunition to them because you can't sell ammo to a minor, the woman explained that the ammunition was for her. Regulations prohibit the clerk from selling to the mom either because it was the son who requested the ammo and he is a minor. As a result, the woman I was chatting with had requested to see the manager and yelled at him (her words). She got her ammo but I did not get my meds. To be fair, I did not try yelling at the pharmacist. Although, I did jokingly say that the people who make these rules should have to spend a week with my kid unmedicated. :-)

Now, regulations are put in place because of people who have done things that are wrong. I am sure the woman with the ammo is telling the truth and is actually buying the ammo for her gun and not giving it so some random minor who asked her to buy him ammo. I am also not going to sell my daughter's ADHD meds to college kids who want to use it to study for exams. We both are forced to live with regulations.

Why does she get to have her ammo but I do not get to have my meds? Well, the ammo is sold by a retail store that wants to please its customers. My meds are dispensed by a licensed pharmacist who wants to please customers, but must adhere to the regulations in order to keep that license. Even if I had yelled at the pharmacist, I am pretty sure I would not have been able to get those meds. I have to go back in a week.

Why is having a minor with you a problem? I am not sure why, but I do know that I have been sent away from the state run liquor store without a bottle of alcohol because I was in the store with a friend who did not have his wallet. I was buying the alcohol, we were both in our late 20s, and he was actually older than I was. I had to leave and come back later to get the bottle of alcohol. Because the liquor store is state run, the regulations were enforced. Because Walmart is a retail store, the regulations were not enforced. 

While we are on the topic of alcohol, let's look at that. Sometimes people do bad things when drinking alcohol like driving. A majority of us do not drink and drive, but when people do the results can be catastrophic. As a result, there are REGULATIONS on alcohol. These regulations are not only because of drunk driving, but because alcohol can be addictive and because minors are not permitted to buy alcohol and many other reasons. In North Carolina, where I live, I can only purchase liquor at a state operated store. Also, I can not purchase any beer or wine on Sunday before noon. That makes NO sense to me. I am a working mom and I have to do my grocery shopping on the weekend because of my busy schedule. Because I hate being in a crowded store, I try to go first thing in the morning. If I happen to need to shop on Sunday morning, I can not pick up a bottle of wine. What? What on earth does buying wine on Sunday have to do with anything? If I buy it on Sunday morning will I be more likely to drive drunk and kill people? Is Sunday when minors are are out trying to buy alcohol so they lock it down to protect the kids?

Look, regulations are a fact of our life. We all have to share this space and we have to find a way to live that looks out for all of us. Many of our laws and regulations are put in place to prevent bad things from happening. So yes, we all are subject to regulations because of a need to look out for the "greater good." I don't have the answers but I do have a lot of questions and I would like them to be answered in a respectful and reasonable way. 

Photo Credits:

http://abcnews.go.com

http://connect.additudemag.com

http://thewhiskyexchange.com

Pumpkin Quinoa Breakfast Idea

I recently tried quinoa for the first time. Since then, I have been trying to find a way to cook it for breakfast. I saw a recipe for  Apples and Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa on Pinterest, and wanted to give it a try. It called for apple sauce, which I did not have, so I decided to take the author's suggestion and try it with pumpkin and cranberries. Not feeling adventurous enough to create the entire recipe on my own, I hit Google in search of a pumpkin quinoa recipe I could use a guidance for my own creation. The Pumpkin Quinoa Breakfast recipe that served ad my inspiration can be found at the Make and Takes blog.


Here is how I cooked my Pumpkin Quinoa Breakfast:

• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup rinsed quinoa
• 2/3 cup pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons pureed carrots (Optional - I had some so I added them)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup splenda
• 1/8 cup pecan meal (can be chopped pecans instead)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 apple cut into small chunks

**Note: I doubled the amount of the spices to fit my preferences. I also substituted splenda for brown sugar.
Combine milk, water, and half each of the spices called for in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes (or until water absorbed). Turn off heat, stir in the rest of the spices, the pumpkin and the carrot. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, apple chances, cranberries, and pecans. Serves 4.

My Version of "Best Banana Nut Muffins"

This recipe comes from an AWESOME blog called "Pinch My Salt."
http://pinchmysalt.com/baking-with-whole-grains-best-banana-muffins/
I am including the recipe here with my modifications.

Best Banana Muffins

1 ½ C. whole wheat flour
½ C. Oat Bran **I use 1/2 C Whole Rolled Oats (soaked in water from this recipe while mixing other ingredients)
½ C. Pecan Meal (I make my own ground pecans)
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt

2 T. butter, melted  **I use 2T Olive Oil
½ C. honey **I use 3/4 C Splenda and 1/8 C water instead (I use this water to soak the oats)
3 egg whites
1 C. banana **I don't measure my banana in a cup, I use 3 (usually from the freezer)
2/3 C. buttermilk **I use powdered.

**I LOVE nuts, so I add a handful of chopped pecans, walnuts, or even almonds.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 regular-sized muffin cups or line with paper cups. **I find that cups stick to the muffins
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (first six ingredients) until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients (last 5 ingredients).
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
5. Immediately spoon batter into the 12 muffin cups, filling each cup almost to the top. **I use an ice cream scoop to fill my muffin tins.
6. Place immediately in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking early! **Do not leave them in any longer than 25 min. 22 is usually enough.
7. Turn muffins out of pan and cool on wire rack.

8. Enjoy!

Warning: May Contain Vegetables!

I am on a mission to get my family to eat more vegetables. With Isabel (the oldest), this is pretty easy. I can talk to her about the importance of changing her eating habits and how it will help her as an athlete. She has already made positive changes to her diet and is eating more fruits and vegetables. With Anabel (6 yrs), this is "Mission Impossible." I have used hidden vegetables in my cooking for a while, but I am going to be taking it up a notch from now on.

Today I cooked one of my old favorites, Veggie-Rich Pasta Sauce. Using spaghetti sauce to hide vegetables allows me to feed my girls spinach, peas, mushrooms and many other veggies that they would not normally eat. Whenever you are hiding veggies in a recipe, you have to consider what will work with the color, texture and flavor of the recipe. By now, my kids don't think anything of the slightly brown color  (caused by the spinach) that my spaghetti sauce has because it has always been this way. While the "recipe" always changes based on what is in my freezer or fridge, here is the basic idea.

Veggie-Rich Pasta Sauce
1. Check freezer, fridge, and pantry for vegetables and tomatoes to include. Sort into 2 groups: cooked/frozen/canned and fresh. As with soups, this recipe is a great time to put little bits of leftover veggies to use.
2. Sauté 2-4 cloves of finely chopped garlic in 2T olive oil.
3. Add in any chopped raw veggies you are putting in the sauce (tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc) and sauté until soft. I usually prefer to include peppers and mushrooms, but I forgot to pick some up this week.
4. Toss in a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes (or any type of canned tomatoes you have in the house) and a small can of tomato paste. If you are using fresh tomatoes, they go in during step 3.
5. Add in frozen and cooked veggies, stir well. Today I used blended cauliflower (leftover), frozen peas, frozen spinach, and carrots that I had blanched and frozen in the past.
6. Add spices such as: salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf, basil. I like to add in a handful of fresh basil leaves. (I have a pot of basil growing in the dining room. It is a very easy herb to grow indoors.)
7. Add in a jar of any tomato based pasta sauce you have in the house and simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes (until all veggies are cooked and soft). I usually let it simmer longer.
***(If you are using a homemade spaghetti sauce, you can prep that sauce along with the these steps. You simply sauté the fresh portions along with steps 2 and 3.)
8. Allow the sauce to cool with the lid off.
9. Once cool, blend all of the ingredients in the blender.
9. This sauce keeps well in the fridge or can be frozen in smaller batches.

Tonight, we are going to enjoy this sauce with meatballs and whole wheat spaghetti. I will cook the meatballs in a small pot of sauce and that will add to the flavor of the sauce. It will be served differently for each member of my family. Isabel will eat meatballs, spaghetti, and a side of broccoli. Anabel will eat meatballs, spaghetti, and a side of carrots and ranch. I will eat 1/2 cup of pasta with sauce and 2 cups of broccoli. I put the broccoli in my bowl and put the pasta and sauce on top. This is a dinner I can easily eat a few times this week.

It has been too long!

I decided to write a post for my blog and realized it has been nearly a year since I have written anything. Wow, that's a long time. I know I have thought about writing in my blog often, but I just have not done it. That does not mean I do not value writing in my blog. I have been writing in a journal instead. I have done a lot of writing over the past year, but it has been on paper. It has been a busy year for work and family commitments and has included some positive changes. I hope to write about them here.

Pizza

A friend of mine asked me to post these recipes. This is a great weekend recipe. I like to have my girls help me make pizza.  We use Canadian bacon, pepperoni, feta cheese, artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes as toppings. I usually make a double recipe. This pizza reheats well. I hope you enjoy!

 

Pizza Sauce (makes 1 quart)

1 teaspoon crumbled dried basil

1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried marjoram

1/4 cup white wine (the cook can drink the rest)

• Add herbs to wine and marinate for 15 minutes.  

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I buy a jar of already chopped.)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• While herbs and wine marinate, sauté garlic in olive oil until soft but not brown. 

1 1/2 cups chopped crushed plum tomatoes (I use canned)

2 tablespoons tomato paste (I use the entire can)

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

• Add tomatoes, paste, herb/wine mixture, and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from stove, puree in a blender until smooth. Return sauce to skillet and summer uncovered until it thickens slightly.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (makes an 8 slice, 15 in crust)
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast.
1 1/2 teaspoon low calorie baking sweetener (I use 1t Splenda and 1/2t sugar)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
extra flour for kneading and rolling

• Mix yeast, sweetener, salt, oil and water in a bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes; the mixture will become cloudy and thick.  When this happens, put the flour in another bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and fold into the flour. Add more lukewarm water if needed. Knead dough until it becomes smooth, and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Place the dough in a warm area for about 45 minutes or until it doubles in size. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 15 inch round, place on pizza pan, top with sauce and toppings and bake at 500 degrees until crust is crispy.

*I use 1 3/4 cup of whole wheat four plus 1/8 cup wheat germ and 1/8 cup ground flax seed instead of the 2 cups of flour.

Both of these recipes are from The Miami Mediterranean Diet by Michael Ozner, MD.

 

Self Love

I recently listened to a podcast that has challenged me to change my thinking. The woman being interviewed was Karly Randolph Pitman who is the founder of First Ourselves. Karly talked about "7 Ways to Accept Your Body as it Ages." The entire podcast is worth listening to, but I was particularly struck by her comment about being sure we approach change out of self love.

According to Karly, when we see a need to make a change in our life, there are 2 ways we can think about that change. One way is the negative approach that is almost a form of self-abuse. Even something like exercise can be turned into a form of punishment - Look at me, I need to exercise to get rid of this disgusting weight. Karly says that vanity is a terrible short term motivator. Wanting to look good will not keep you exercising, eating right, and taking care of yourself because vanity is never satisfied. There will always be a better version of you to strive for. If you decide that there is something you want to change, do it out of self love (the 2nd and better approach) - I love my body and I want to care for it the best way I can.

While this sounds like common sense, it is not the way I approach change and I doubt many women approach weight loss out of self love. I believe that I am not too "down on myself" but I have to admit that my motivation for change rarely comes from a place of self love. This is especially true when it comes to my weight. I want to lose weight because I want to be thinner. I know that my self-esteem is significantly impacted by my weight and as a result, I try to keep it under control. Of course, when I lose weight, I feel good for a short time and then I begin to feel like I need to lose more weight.

I am challenged and encouraged by what I heard on this podcast, and I plan to explore Karly's website and resources. I also want to share these resources with you. I realize that learning to accept my body as it ages, be kind to my body and treat myself with love will take time and practice, but I am excited to get started on this journey.

The podcast I heard is from Vicky and Jen. They produce a podcast called "What Really Matters." I love their show and I hope you will check it out.
Vicky and Jen's website - http://vickyandjen.com
The podcast on Self Love - http://vickyandjen.com/podcast_169.html
Vicky and Jen in iTunes - http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/what-really-matters/id201098170

Karly's website, First Ourselves - http://www.firstourselves.org

The information below is from Karly Randolph Pitman and is quoted from the Vicky and Jen website.
(http://vickyandjen.com/podcast_169.html)

7 Ways to Accept Your Body as it Ages
By Karly Randolph Pitman
 1. Mourning / Celebrating Losses. Honor and celebrate what you had. Necessary losses. Grieve what you’ve lost. It hurts to watch our bodies age and lose their beauty.
2. Integrity / Honesty. We feel more beautiful when we are taking care of ourselves. Beauty has a high connecotion to integrity – to living out our values. (We say we love ourselves, but then we do otherwise – i.e., skimp on sleep, exercise, healthy food or overexercise, diet, etc.) Honor your commitments to your body.
3. Compassion / Non-violence. Drop comparisons. Comparisons are cruel. This includes comparing yourself to yourself, to a younger, prettier, thinner, better version of yourself.
4. Acceptance. Accept what you can’t change. Change what you can. Have the wisdom to know the difference. Use love as motivation to change rather than vanity.
5. Know your true nature. Attach your self-worth to something other than your body. It’s a recipe for hurt and pain.
6. Gratitude. Appreciate what your body can do to take the focus on how it looks. Try something new. Expand your idea of what is possible.

7. Authenticity. Adopt your own beauty standards. As we age, we are more comfortable being ourselves - and being ourselves in our bodies. Use jealousy as a way of uncovering how you are inauthentic.


4 Ways to Be Kind to Our Bodies
Body hatred manifests in our lives as harsh expectations, stringent guidelines and general meanness: asking too much from our bodies, and then criticizing them when they fall short. Who wants that? The antidote to body hatred is gentleness: relaxing our expectations so that we can meet our need for a beautiful, healthy body without living with an internal slavedriver.
How can we be more gentle towards our bodies? Here are 4 suggestions:
1. Wear clothes that fit. One of the easiest ways you can feel fat, like you need to lose weight, and generally ruin your day is by squeezing into clothes that are too small. Would you ever do this to a child? Of course not. So why do this to yourself? Because wearing a smaller size makes us feel thinner. Likewise, we think that wearing a smaller size will make us look thinner. But the reverse is true. Well dressed women agree that wearing clothes that skim, rather than cling to the body, creates the most flattering silhouette: good for your body as well as your self esteem.
2. Give yourself time for changes to manifest. Whether you’re a new mother trying to lose her baby weight, or you’re trying to lose your winter hibernation pounds, be kind to your body, and give yourself enough time to reach your goal. Expecting changes overnight, or in a week, or even in a month, result in drastic measures and frustration. Either you’ll kill yourself to meet your goal, or you’ll give up and berate yourself for your lack of progress. Habits take 3 weeks to take; mindsets, over a year. So give it time.
3. Accept a range for an ideal weight, rather than one number. Health is dynamic, an ever changing, living, breathing thing. You can’t expect your body to be constant. Weight fluctuates, especially in women’s bodies. Health fluctuates, as your external circumstances change. The appearance of your skin and hair fluctuates with the seasons and your health. Instead of accepting one weight as your ideal, give yourself a range of at least 6 pounds to accommodate the normal flux of living. Instead of having one definition of a good hair or skin day, increase your options to include a day when you have a small pimple or when your hair doesn’t cooperate perfectly.
4. Accept fat days without shame and criticism. Yes, in an ideal world, every woman would love her body all of the time. But what if you don’t love your body everyday? Let it go, and give yourself a break. Maybe you’re tired. Maybe you’ve got PMS. Maybe you’re tired of winter and sweaters and are longing for spring. Accept that while, yes, your goal is to love your body, there may be times when you don’t. And that’s okay.

Healthy Recipes

Most people would like to improve their eating habits, but don't have time to devote to a total menu make-over. This will certainly take some planning. Check out my post on meal planning for more on the topic of planning your meals. After you get into the habit of making a plan for healthy meals, recipes become the next hurdle.

There are three basic ways to get healthy foods onto your menu: using recipes, making your own creations, or modifying recipes will all help you incorporate healthy foods into your diet.

Recipes:
Although I still have a few, recipe books are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Every recipe you could ever hope to find is on the Internet. I rely on the Internet quite a bit when I am cooking. In fact, all of my Thanksgiving and Christmas cooking was done from recipes I found on the Internet. Recipe books are useful for specialized foods. I rely heavily on a book called The Miami Mediterranean Diet. This book is about incorporating Mediterranean cooking into your diet and is filled with great recipes.

Making your own creations:
Some people are really good at this, but I am not. Put me in a kitchen with a pile of ingredients, and I need Google to help me make use of them in a creative and edible recipe. My lack of talent in this area is exactly why I bought the book on Mediterranean cooking mentioned above. I knew that I should be incorporating certain foods into my diet, but I did not know how. If you are one of the talented or adventurous individuals who can create meals from a list of ingredients, I envy you. Making your own creations also takes time and practice. There are tons of food blogs on the Internet that tell the stories of people who create their own recipes, and I choose to rely on them instead of my own creations (at least for now).

Modifying Recipes:
This is one of my favorite methods of incorporating healthy food into my family's menu. Most mom's learn to modify recipes out of desperation. How else can we get our children to eat vegetables? I also modify recipes because I want my family eating whole grains, ground flax, and less sugar.

How do I make all of this work in my kitchen?
One weekend, I found myself craving pumpkin muffins. I remembered that I had once made some really good/healthy pumpkin muffins several years ago but had no idea where I would find that recipe (it might have been on the back of the label on the can). I typed "whole wheat pumpkin muffins" into the search box and the fourth entry listed in the results was for whole wheat pumpkin muffins with cranberries and walnuts. This recipe is on a terrific blog called Pinch My Salt. I reviewed the recipe and decided it was perfect for me. I had all of the necessary ingredients or knew I could make adequate substitutions and the ingredient list met with my nutritional goals. I did make some modifications to the recipe, but the basic foundation belongs to the talented chef/blogger at Pinch My Salt. When people ask me for the recipe for my muffins, I give out the link to the blog. I thought I would take the time to walk people through how I modified the recipe. I am putting the exact recipe below. The original can be found at the blog Pinch My Salt.  I will note my changes in parentheses.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins with Cranberries and Walnuts
2 1/2 C. whole wheat flour (I use 2C Wheat Flour, 1/4C Ground Flax, 1/4C Wheat Germ)
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice (I don't have pumpkin pie spice so I use 1 1/2t ground cinnamon, 1/2t ground nutmeg, 1/4t ground cloves, 1/2t ground ginger)
1 C. pumpkin puree (I use canned)
2 T. oil
3/4 C. honey (I use 1 1/4C Splenda + 1/4C water)
2 eggs
2/3 C. buttermilk (I use the powdered substitute that is available in any grocery store)
1 t. vanilla
1/2 C. sweetened dried cranberries (like Craisins)
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a standard size 12 cup muffin tin (I use cooking spray).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, honey, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.
5. Divide batter evenly between 12 standard sized muffin cups. Bake 20-23 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven. Muffins are done when they spring back lightly to the touch or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Give it a try, add some healthy ingredients to your favorite recipes or find a new recipe. Please share what you do to add healthy food to your diet in the comments.

How About those Routines?

In my last post, I wrote about returning to routines after having them disrupted. In my case, we were just ending winter break. I am 2 weeks into my "regular routine" and some things are going well while some things are not going so well.

What's going well?

• We are eating healthy meals and the meal planning routine seems to be back to normal.
• I have added a new exercise routine and that has been going well.
• I am trying to change my evening routines and that seems to be going well for me and my family. (I hope to write about this soon.)
• Laundry is getting done. Having a plan in place has made that easy.
• I have been working with my daughter to study for some big tests. I had not planned on this, but we are working on making a study plan as we go.
• I am making time to read everyday.
• My children have embraced the idea of turning off the TV, and that has become a new part of our weekends and evenings.

What's not going so well?

• There are still some Christmas decorations out (they are going in the box today).
• We are having trouble getting back to our evening routines that involve picking up around the house.
• I have not had time to write or research for my blog. It seems this routine has disappeared all together.

All in all, I feel fairly successful with our return to "normal" and I feel as if I am able to deal with the areas that are not going well. I can live with the fact that the house is not as clean as I would like because I know we can get back to keeping it clean. I am also aware of the fact that we have added some new routines to our life that will need some time to get settled into.

Preparing to Return to "Normal"

This is it. Today is the last day of my winter break. I return to work and my children return to school tomorrow. Yesterday (Jan 1) was a lazy day. I worked on my scrapbooks, did one load of laundry (see Managing Laundry) planned the meals (see meal planning) for this coming week, and read. How am I going to get my family ready for the coming week and still enjoy my last day of break? A little planning and a little letting go (see Keeping Routines During Non-Routine Times) are my strategies.

Planning:

• As I have planned, the holiday leftovers are gone from the house and we are returning to more healthy eating starting today. All of our bodies will be thankful for that. I have even planned what I will eat for my 3 meals and snacks today.
• I have a plan for the 3 meals I plan to cook today that we will eat next week (see Meal Planning). It is just past 8:00 a.m. and I have already cooked the first meal for next week (chili made with veggies and turkey). I used the food processor (new gift) and had it on the stove while the coffee was brewing. 
• I have written down what each person in my family needs to accomplish today. For me, it includes exercising , scrapbooking and reading along with the chores that need to get done (see Planning your Free Time). 
• We are all going to take time today to make a plan for next week. This will help us return to our routines and not be stressed out.

Letting Go:

• The Christmas tree is still up and the living room is still decorated. That is just going to have to be OK. We have agreed to take it down next weekend when we will have more time.
• I do not plan to do any house cleaning today. The house was just cleaned the other day for an event we hosted, and is in good enough shape to get us into the week. 
• I had hoped to spend time cleaning out my bedroom this break, but I did not get to finish that project. I will work it into my future plans instead of spending today getting my room finished.
• I will only do one load of laundry today. My laundry system only requires that I wash one load per day. It is tempting to wash an extra load, but that would keep me from getting to the other things on my list.  

Wish me luck! I am finished with my morning coffee now (a routine I can never let go) and I am going to exercise. I know what I plan to accomplish today and I hope I get to everything on my list. Are you using planning to get things accomplished? Tell us about your ideas, successes and/or challenges in the comment area below.

Keeping Your Routines During Non-Routine Times

There are plenty of times when we find it impossible to keep up with our already established routines. Vacations, snow days, holidays, major life events and having guests are just a few of the times when our routines seem to disappear. What can we do to save ourselves from a permanent lapse of routine while making the most of our relaxation time (if any)?

I have learned to rely on 2 strategies: let go and plan. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but give me a chance to explain myself.

Let Go:
Sometimes, we can't keep all of our routines flowing along perfectly. I am currently in the middle of winter break for my kids and myself (2 weeks) and holiday break for my husband (1 week). During this time, we have had two Christmas parties, Christmas Eve, Christmas day, a snow day, friends over for dinner, and friends over for day-long play dates with the kids. In addition, we have several events in the coming days, including New Year's Eve. As you can guess, I have had to let go of several routines and/or standards along the way. Sure, there are things that I will not "let go," but I have given it some thought and I know what I can and can not let go of. Examples:

• My kids have not taken as many baths as I would have liked, but they are brushing their teeth at night and their rooms get regular daily cleanings (even more than typical).
• Holiday meals and desserts are delicious but not always healthy. I make sure the family gets healthy food throughout the day even if not at every meal. Also, we are ALL exercising (even my 5 year old thanks to Wii Fit).
• My kids are spending more time playing video games, playing on the computer, and watching TV/movies than I like, but they are also spending time reading everyday and some of their computer time is directed towards educational games.
• I have not been doing laundry, but I am making it a priority to have my work clothes ready for the end of my break.

If possible, give this some thought before your next routine busting event. Will you enforce all of your nutrition rules during your next trip? When your kids are home from school, will you really spend everyday cleaning up the house or will some things wait until tomorrow? Better yet, develop a plan to help manage all of the routine changes. This brings me to my other important step.

Plan:
As with anything, planning will help you be more successful. Yes, I do let go of some things, but other things need to get done, and when my routine is disrupted, I need a plan to help me get it all done. I also need to write that plan down and refer to it during the day. It is the only way I will manage to get everything done. There are three areas I like to plan for:

1. What needs to get done today? I plan for the chores I need to accomplish, the free-time activities I hope to enjoy and the meals I plan to eat. This may sound like a lot, but it is usually just a list of words on my planning whiteboard. (See Planning Free Time post.)
2. Who can help me? The times when my routine is disrupted (like now) usually involve having other people home with me. When I evaluate all of the things that need to get done, I always delegate the jobs that can be delegated. Right now, there are 4 people enjoying a holiday break in my home. We all chip in to get things done around the house. For example, both of my girls are good with the vacuum, so I rarely do any vacuuming myself.
3. How will I get back to our routines? Weather you are returning from a trip, settling down after a holiday or recovering from a major event or project, you need to know how you will ease back into your routines. As we look at the end of our holiday break, I am thinking about the following: when will the house be returned to normal (decorations put away), when will the holiday food be banished from the house,  and what needs to be done before the kids return to school and mom and dad return to work.

The next time you are facing (or in the middle of) a routine busting event, try to let go of some things and jot down what you absolutely need to get done. Hopefully you will feel that you have more control, find more time to relax, and enjoy yourself a bit more than usual.

Use the comment option to share how you get through routine busting events. Tell us what you are willing to let go of and what you absolutely refuse to compromise on.

Meal Planning

Whether you are looking to improve your health, cut costs, or save money, planning your meals is one step you should start taking. Time management, healthy eating and saving money are all topics that deserve their own articles, but planning your meals helps in all three of these areas, and I will touch on each.

Before you brush this idea off, let me assure you that you have time to do this and that it will be worth your while. I started planning our meals when I wanted to improve our eating habits. I wanted to make sure that my family was eating the most healthy meals possible, and that required planning. Any change requires planning.

Since I am already way to busy, and could not imagine making time to plan meals (you are probably thinking the same thing). I started bringing my meal planning tools (book of Mediterranean recipes, pen, notebook, grocery list) to my daughter's soccer game. We always have to arrive 30 minutes early so the girls can warm up, so I would set up my chair and plan my meals. I would also make use of half time for planning. I would then complete my grocery shopping later in the day.

There are a few things that I did to help the planning process be more smooth for me. My goal was to change our eating habits, so I was relying on a recipe book to bring new ideas to my menu planning.  First, I went through the recipe book and wrote the names of recipes I knew my family would eat in a notebook. I included the page number with each recipe on the list so I could easily find the recipe later. When I was ready to plan for a week, I would choose 3-5 recipes to cook. Then I would list the ingredients I needed to purchase on my grocery list. After eating the recipe, if it was worth repeating in the future, I added it to a list of approved recipes that I keep on the side of my fridge.

First, some basic thoughts on getting started with meal planning.

-You should start your own list of master recipes. It will help you when you need some inspiration. Unless you are in need of a complete mealtime overhaul, you probably have at least three favorites that you rely on. What are those meals and what are the ingredients you need to put those meals together? Those should be the first items on your list. Keep those ingredients in the house at all times so you always have a meal in a pinch. Next, brainstorm a list of meals you have cooked (and enjoyed) in the past. Listing the necessary ingredients for each meal is also helpful, but you can manage without this step if you prefer.

-Be realistic about your ability to prepare meals. Don't set yourself up for failure. Consider the number of ingredients and the prep time necessary before you put a recipe on the list. Also be careful not to plan on meals that require specialized ingredients.

-Plan all of your meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner plus snacks.

-Sometimes less is more. Do you really need 7 dinners to get through the week or will you be able to eat some of your meals more than once in a week? My family can usually get 2 meals out of a lasagna and still have some left over for lunch or a leftovers dinner. Will your family really be having 7 meals this week? Is there a night when part of the family will be out? We have soccer practice night in my house and we have to eat on the run so we pack a portable dinner instead of trying to get home to eat. Before you decide you need to actually cook 7 full meals, be sure you will actually eat all of those meals.

-Make sure you write things down! Don't expect that you will remember that you want to try a new recipe on page 157 of your new cookbook on Wednesday. You might find that you are running late after a crazy day at work on Wednesday, and suddenly you are standing in your kitchen without any idea of what to cook for dinner. Jot down your meal plans and be sure to jot down the ideas that you find successful.

How can planning your meals help with time management, improving your health, and saving money?

Any type of planning will help with time management. I personally have experienced a number of benefits. First, simply knowing what I will be serving has made all the difference in the world. It makes my evenings far less stressful than they have been in the past. My grocery shopping is also way more efficient. I know exactly what I need, so there is no wandering through the store hoping to be inspired. I try to write my list in a way that groups like items, so I am way more efficient in the store and spend less time returning to isles for Items I forgot. I am also better able to delegate dinner plans to my husband. If I know what we are having for dinner, I can have him prepare the dinner or get it started. Finally, since I plan out my meals, I am also able to cook meals in advance. Now that I know exactly what I am going to be making for the week, I find that preparing several meals at once (usually on the weekend) saves me a lot of time. When I have all the veggies out and do all of the chopping at once, it is very efficient.

Planning your meals is the first step to improving your health. Most people make poor choices when they find themselves hungry and without a plan. Opening the refridgerator and not knowing what you will take out is just asking for trouble. Planning your meals can also help you develop better eating habits. If you plan out what you are going to eat, you are more likely to get all the necessary servings of fruits and vegetables. This is also a great opportunity to make adjustments to your diet. Perhaps you want to eat a more heart healthy diet or you want to cut calories, planning will help you be successful in making any changes. Start small, try to add one healthy, new recipe to your meals each week.

When I started planning my meals, I was looking to improve the eating habits of my family. What I discovered was that I was also saving money. If saving money is your primary goal, planning your meals is a must. In most cases, you will want to plan your meals around sales and seasonal produce. One primary benefit for me was that I only buy what I need and I waste less food. I try to plan meals that require like ingredients. If I only need half an onion for a recipe, I check to be sure I can use the other half in another recipe.

So, give it a try. Just start planning your meals. Take one small step towards routinely planning all of your meals. Maybe begin by planning your meals for tomorrow. Then, after you celebrate your success, think about how to customize meal planning to fit your life. I tend to keep a bad with me on the weekends. This bag has my favorite recipe books, a spiral notebook where I have listed all of the recipes I like, pens,and  post-it note. Set yourself up to be successful with meal planning.

Planning Your Free Time

I know...Isn't that an oxymoron?
Actually, planning your free time will help you have more free time. That is why I got started on this aspect of improving my life. I work a full-time job outside of my home and in the past,  I have been in survival mode all week and then I have to spend my weekend in clean-up mode. I did not have time to do any of the things I wanted to do (including writing). To be honest, I was barely surviving. I had (and still have) a lot of things that needed to get under control. My main problem was a lack of systems to keep all of the balls that I juggle in the air. I was dropping a LOT of balls. How could I get all of the areas of my life that needed time in order and then find time for the things I wanted to do? Scheduling.

First, I realized that I needed a plan for maintaining the positive changes I was working to create (like my new laundry system). Second, I realized that my family needed to be a part of the maintenance plan so they needed a plan also. I thought about this for a few weeks. During those few weeks, I paid close attention to what types of things each family member needed to do, what types of organization we were already using, and what types of organization we could add.

This organizing system to help me plan my family's free time is a work in progress, but I am starting to cross this river one stepping stone at a time instead of waiting for all of the details to be worked out. As you know, starting is the most important step you can take.

Here is what I came up with:

1. Each person has a dry-erase board for weekly planning. We use these to make notes about our week. 
2. My daughters have paper calendars for long-term planning. I use a digital calendar.
3. My daughters have nightly checklists that they review to know what they need to do.
4. There is a large dry-erase board in the kitchen for general notes.
5. The freezer (top of fridge) is a designated grocery/food list space that has organized lists.

1. Personal dry-erase boards (mine are homemade) for weekly planning: Each person has a board. I labeled them with the days of the week and used a Sharpie to divide the board into sections. We use dry-erase pens and/or stickie notes to make notes on the board.

I use mine to note when I plan to exercise and to keep my running to-do lists. I use a digital personal planning program on my iPad for a majority of my organizing needs, but this board is for the reminders that I need to see when I am at home and the planner is put away. I also do a majority of my meal planning on this board. I write myself reminders of what I plan to eat. This helps me when I arrive home from work starving and I can not remember what the plan for dinner was. I plan to use this board for scheduling my evening time as well. My goal is to schedule time for reading, blog research, writing, and other things I want to accomplish.

My oldest daughter is in middle school.  Her board is for reminders like: pack soccer bag, practice guitar, bring baked goods to school for bake sale. I let her manage this planning. I expect her to practice her guitar 5X a week. She gets to schedule those five times around her schedule in a way that suits her.

My youngest daughter (5 yrs) has little cut outs for her chart. She helped to make her chart, but I told her what had to go on the chart. I also add things to the chart for her.

Items on her chart are daily things like picking out clothes, unpacking her lunchbox, brushing teeth, and taking a bath. Other items are weekly reminders like remembering to pack her item for show and share. I also add notes about chores I want her to complete (Tues. pick up barbies in playroom). This chart serves as my reminder, for my husband and me, of the routines we want my daughter to develop as well as a reminder for her. By making this chart for her and child-friendly, I can gradually release the responsibility of these routines to her. In fact, we are already asking her to check her chart each evening to see what needs to be done.

2. Paper calendars for long-term planning are now in place for my daughters. Until now, I have been the keeper of the calendar because my calendar needs to be digital. Now, each of my children have a calendar. My older daughter uses her calendar to write soccer games and practices, school events, tests and due dates for projects. She is responsible for keeping this calendar but she is also responsible for reporting any important dates for school to me. She will tell me when she has a test or a project due and then tell me what her plan is to study or complete the project. Keeping this calendar helps her be organized, but it is also helping her see the connection between the planning and the events in her life.

My younger daughter's calendar is mostly about helping her understand the passage of time. When the weekend is coming, when school starts, and when Christmas will finally come are all important questions in the life of a 5 year old. In the future, I will write more events on her calendar, but her soccer team is on the off-season right now, so there is not a lot to write.

3. Nightly checklists for daily maintenance chores. Each of my daughters had nightly chores that they must complete. These chores are mostly so they can manage their own belongings. These lists are simply written on small pieces of paper and taped near the charts. The lists are subject to change at any time. We can read these off before the TV watching begins to make sure nightly chores get done.

The 5 year old's list:

1. Shoes away

2. Empty homework folder

3. Dirty clothes in basket

4. Toys away

5. Dirty dishes in sink

6. Dust (3x week)

7. Pick up trash

The 11 year old's list:

1. Study plan

2. Shoes away

3. Jackets away

4. Sweep 1 floor area

5. Dirty dishes away

6. Practice instrument (when no soccer practice)

4. There is a large dry-erase board in the kitchen for general notes. I need to write notes for reminders of all kinds and I am hoping to get my family into this habit also. I do not have a specific plan for this board, but I write things and stick post-it notes on it as reminders. I originally planned for it to be smaller, but I knew my younger daughter would want to write on it, so I left space. 

5. The freezer is now the designated place to organize food needs. There are 3 pieces of paper at all times. 1 list for the regular grocery store, 1 list for Sam's club, and 1 list of left-overs in containers in the refrigerator.  We are pretty good about adding items to the grocery list. I have even trained my oldest daughter to add items to the list. I just needed the process to be more organized. 

These systems are not perfect, but they are a start and they will continue to get better. For me, it helps to have our routines written down so we manage to get everything done each evening. For my daughters, it is putting them in charge of their own routines. Like my laundry system, this is giving me peace of mind because I know that the things that need to get done are at least written down in a central location.

What will my next steps be? I really want to get more specific about scheduling my evening time. For example, my goal is to spend from 8-9 pm working on the things I mentioned above (reading, research, writing). Also, come February, soccer season will be in full swing again. I will need to be extra careful about planning our evening time since soccer practice will take up so many evenings.

Quick Laundry Update (again)

So, the new laundry system is still in place and still working! There are a few things I have noticed that I wanted to share.

1. I am learning that maintenance is the key to success with any changes you try to make. There must be a plan for daily maintenance/up-keep if you want to be successful. When I started this new laundry system, I had a plan for the daily up-keep of my system. That plan was vital for the success that I am experiencing. 

2. I am doing fewer loads of laundry per week. Yes, the daily load plan means fewer loads. As you can guess, that saves me time and money. Because of the sorting system I am using, I can wait until I have enough of a particular type of laundry to do a full load. In the past, I would wash all of the laundry every weekend. That meant I typically washed 6 loads of laundry per week. Of course, I adjusted the water lever for each load to save water, but now I am also saving electricity. I do have to wash my work clothes each week, but everything else can be washed as needed.

3. Bringing the laundry down to be sorted is quick and keeps my house looking less cluttered. I try to use little 5-7 minute chunks of time to manage the sorting. That means the laundry baskets rarely get full and are never overflowing (as they always were in the past). It also helps me with reminding my children not to leave dirty laundry on the floor. A few times a week, I tell the girls to do a "laundry round-up." That means that all of their dirty laundry (from the floor and their baskets) has to be brought to one central basket for me to take to the basement. There is very little dirty laundry hanging around on the main floors of the house.

Stop Procrastinating - Just Start

No, this is not a Nike commercial, but the message is the same (just do it). If you wait for everything to be just right, you will never start. Start!

I know, you are probably thinking, "That's easy for you to say," but it's not. This is something I am learning right now. If I want to change things in my life, I just need to start. This blog is about everything I am starting. I know that I need to accept that I might start the same thing more than once or I might start something and change my mind all together. All of that is ok. Each step I take will get me closer to my goals. I am going to focus on crossing the river one stepping stone at a time.

Let's do it!
1. Pick something you want to improve, start, or change in your life. 
Just pick something. Don't worry about being too narrow or too vague or using just the right "goal setting language." Choose something and write it down. I could make a VERY long list here, but a few of my biggies are:
-better time management so I can do what I need and still have time to do what I want
-better meal planning so I can manage my weight and improve my overall health
-better home organization strategies

2. Start! Take one small step.
I frequently find myself overwhelmed with all of the things I need/want to do. This includes the day to day items that involve managing my life, and the projects that I fear I will never start. I have decided to take things slow and focus on starting and making progress little by little. Here are some examples.

• I need to eat better. I have planned my next 2 meals and written them down. I have to write everything down because I tend to forget things. 
• I need to clean out my basement. For now, I have committed to filling 1 trash bag per week. I can do this while I am switching the laundry from the washing machine to the dryer.
• I need to develop evening routines to maintain a semi-neat home. I am focusing on getting everyone in my house to put all dirty dishes in the sink and all food items away each day. This includes myself. 
• I need to do SO many things to get my life "in order." I am writing down all of the things I want to work on so I will not lose track of them and I can develop plans little by little.
• I have wanted to start writing for a LONG time. I decided to choose one of my many topics and begin developing ideas (this blog is the result).

3. Celebrate your success and plan the next step.

I know this is two steps in one, but I need to do them at the same time. Knowing I have a plan for the next steps lets me relax and enjoy my accomplishments to date.

I love to use pictures to celebrate my successes and I love to post them on Facebook. This is my own way of patting myself on the back. Before and after pictures are also a great way to celebrate your success. Even if you only keep those photos in a folder on your computer, you can look at them and find inspiration to keep going. Don't ruin your celebration with "BUT" (sure I organized the bookshelf in the playroom BUT, the rest of the room is a mess). Just celebrate the victory. Let your next steps wait until the time is right. I know it is tempting to spend the entire day organizing the playroom after you clean off the bookshelf, but if you have other things to do, you need to walk away and come back later. Take a piece of paper and write down all of the ideas/thoughts that are going through your head, hang the paper on a wall or door near your project (on the door of the playroom) and walk away. If you put all of the next steps down on paper, you might drop into the playroom and knock off the things on your list in 10 minute bursts. Here are some of my next steps.

• Improved eating habits -planning an entire week of meals.
• Clean the basement - sweep the floor and make my laundry area better.
• Evening routines - work with the family to "schedule" our evening time.
• Getting my life "in order" - develop a time management system that works for me (in the research phase now).
• Writing - schedule time for writing and research, develop a plan for organizing ideas, research blog writing.

Is it working?

I have found that taking small steps is actually more effective. Not only am I able to get things done, but I am actually changing my behaviors. Let's look at the messy playroom as an example. In the past, I have had to take a day every few months and organize/clean the playroom. Once I am done, I wag my finger at my children and tell them to keep the room organized. As you can probably guess, the playroom does not stay organized. The last time I saw the need to organize the playroom, I only tackled one aspect. Barbies. I brought my daughters upstairs and we sorted, organized and tossed. We all worked on the system together so they are doing a better job of keeping the system going. Instead of saying, "Go clean the playroom," I give specific instructions. "Go pick up all of the barbies and blocks," or "Go spend 10 minutes picking up toys in the playroom," gets better results. Taking small steps is helping me with long term maintenance.

I know that there are more sophisticated was to set goals and motivate yourself, but don't worry about perfect...just start! Choose one thing and take one small step. What will you choose? What is your small step? Comment on this post and share what you are working on.

 

Laundry System Update

I have been working on much more than laundry lately, but I wanted to give an update on the new laundry system.

The new laundry system

It is Sunday and I have had the new system in place for a few days. I LOVE the new laundry sorting system. Before I started this system, I would let the laundry pile up in baskets until the weekend. The baskets were usually overflowing and I usually ended up with piles of dirty laundry on the floor near the overfull baskets. With this new system, the dirty laundry has a place to go and I am not the only person to take there. I have trained my entire family to use my new system for sorting laundry and I had my children sort their own dirty laundry for the first time ever (yes, my 5 1/2 yr old sorted her laundry).

Washing remains my job. My older daughter does know how to move a load from the washer to the dryer and start the dryer, but I rarely have her do that for me. I am a bit paranoid about accidentally putting something in the dryer that will shrink. I have done 2 loads during the work week and 3 loads this weekend. I did one load Saturday and 2 loads today. I do not put my clothes in the dryer, so I decided to wash the delicates on the weekend so I have time to hang them up. That means I will probably do 2 loads on the day I wash my clothes.

I took this picture today, and you can see that I could easily do a few more loads because I have 2 full baskets and 1 basket that is almost full. I will wash one of those tomorrow and one on Tuesday. I thought it would make me uncomfortable to leave these loads unwashed, but it is actually quite freeing. 

Sunday always comes too quickly and I do not ever have time to do everything that needs to be done. Today, my goal was to wash the delicates and get them hung on the line to dry. I did that. My children have clothes to wear to school tomorrow, we have towels, and we will get through tomorrow just fine. I was free to focus my energy on other things. Having a plan in place to get the laundry done means I no longer have to waste my mental energy on worrying about full baskets of dirty clothes.

I like this new system and I think I will stick with it. I still have not mastered getting the laundry folded and put away, but I will figure that out later. If you were to come to my house right now, you will find 4 laundry baskets full of clean clothes hidden in the office. My husband is in charge of putting away the laundry because I know I am not very good at that job. Perhaps I will tackle that problem at another time. For now, I am happy with the progress I have made.  Now I just have to bring this success to other areas of my life.

What makes you laundry system work? How are you managing this chore? Post a comment and tell us.

Managing Laundry - A New Laundry System

One change that I am trying to implement now is changing how I do my laundry. I currently do laundry on the weekend. We all gather up our laundry until Saturday morning and then I take it down to the basement to begin the sorting and washing. We are a family of 4. I generally have 5-6 loads to do a week. I don't consider the laundry to be a burden because I do not "do laundry" all day long. I run downstairs to put in loads and put things in the drier. Folding takes place at another time. I know this is not the best way to manage laundry, but it has been working. (sort of)

I would like to find more time to be with my family on the weekends and then actually find time to relax and do something for me. I am starting with the laundry. Here is the new plan.

• I will do one load per day. This includes washing and drying. It might include folding and putting away in the future, but I am not sure about that at this time. I am hoping to put some laundry away each night.

• The family will now bring laundry down to the basement (my laundry room) and sort it into the proper baskets.

•  There are now 6 laundry baskets spread out on the table by the washing machine. Each basket has a label inside of a plastic sleeve so everyone is clear about where to put their dirty laundry.

•  When a laundry basket is full, I will wash that load.

• The 6 baskets are for darks, lights, work clothes, towels, delicates, and assorted items.

The plan is to make laundry become something I do in my spare minutes. Today, I took the full basket from the hall down to the basement and sorted it while I was waiting for my coffee to brew.

About Me

I am not an expert at ANYTHING. I am just trying to figure out how to live my life the best way I can and I am going to share what I learn in this blog. I am a career woman with a family and I struggle to find balance in my life. I am not an expert in any of the things I am going to write about. I am simply sharing things that I find to be helpful. When reading this blog, please keep the following in mind:
1. This is not an expert's report but rather an explorer's journal. I consider myself to be on a journey that will never end.
2. When trying anything new, adapt it to meet your needs. I always implement new ideas on my own level.
3. Use the "shopping cart approach," take what you like and leave the rest. All of my ideas will not work for everyone (some will probably not even work for me).

Why am I writing this blog? Being a writer has always been a secret dream of mine. If I am ever going to realize that dream, I have to practice writing. I have wanted to start a blog for quite a while, but I never found the time. I have decided that it is time to make time. I always thought I would write a technology blog because I work with technology in my day job, but self-improvement is a passion of mine. I am always trying to learn new tips and tricks to help me find balance in my life, so I will be writing about the things I learn along the way.

Welcome to the Beginning

What is this blog about? A little bit of everything. I was inspired to start this blog by watching Clean House on the Style Network. This show and its amazing cast comes in to help a family that has mountains of clutter in their home. The homes that are cleaned up are usually unbelievably filled with clutter and filth. I enjoy watching Niecy Nash and her team turn a nightmare of a clutter into a nice organized space. This show is entertaining and motivates me to de-clutter, but I can only relate to very small parts of this show. I admit, cleaning and organizing is not always my first priority (for that matter, it isn't usually #2), but I would never qualify to be on one of these shows.

This got me thinking of all of the reality TV shows that are out there that set out to fix or highlight extreme situations. Most of us are not living in these types of extreme situations, but we can benefit from a little help here and there. This is what inspired me to start this blog. Stepping Stones refers to the fact that we could all live better lives if we had a little help along the way. Instead of trying to cross the river by wading through the water, we would be better off if we could cross on stepping stones.

My perfect reality show would be about regular families (I know...ho-hum). These families would agree to total disclosure of all of their personal information. Finances, family issues, eating habits, time management skills (or lack of), school situations with children, and all aspects of their lives would be open to inspection. In addition, cameras would be installed in all living areas of the house for observation over a period of time. After sufficient data was collected on the family, a team of experts would come in and conduct "mini lessons."

The team would identify the areas where the most help is needed, and educate the family. These pearls of wisdom are the "Stepping Stones" to a better life. It is my opinion, that most of us simply need some "Stepping Stones" to make significant improvements in our lives. These "Stepping Stones" are the bits of advice that we can apply to our lives in order to live a better quality of life.

While I do not have my own reality show, I do have this blog. I find this sort of fitting. Not everyone can have their own TV show, but anyone can have their own blog. Not everyone can/should be on The Biggest Looser, but everyone could benefit from some attention to their eating and exercise habits.

I welcome you to come on this journey with me. Together, we will cross the raging river, not by wading through the rushing water, but by using the "Stepping Stones."