Have you looked in your medicine cabinet? Did you purchase Advil, Tylenol, etc. when it was on sale and buy more than you could use? Look at the expiration dates on medications and lotions. Discard anything that has expired.
Do you purchase packaged foods in large quantities when it is on sale? Look at the expiration date on boxes, cans, jars, etc. Discard foods that have expired. Donate foods you no longer use BEFORE they expire. Use up the surplus before you purchase more.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Sunday, March 1, 2015
A New Month...New Opportunities
March signals SPRING. Daylight Savings Begins Sunday March 8th and Springs Begins Sunday March 20th. As we enter March we have the opportunity to think about preparing our homes for spring.
Spring Cleaning Checklist:
1. Do you have winter clothes you did not wear this year? If so, donate them.
2. Do you have shoes or clothing that need to be taken care of before being put away for the season? Many dry cleaners will make repairs to clothes as well as clean them. In many communities there are shoe repair shops that will replace heels and take care of damage caused by wear or salt used to take ice/snow off sidewalks. Shoe repair in San Diego can be found here.
3. Check your herbs and spices. If they have lost their vibrant color, it is the time to get rid of them. Many have a shelf life of about 4 years, but each home environment differs. Some companies have a use by or fresh by date. Look for that to get an idea if your bottle should be kept.
4 Check your pillows. Are they stained? Does your pillow stay folded when you fold it in half? Is the foam in your pillow lumpy? If you answered YES to any of those questions, it is a good time to replace your pillow!
5. Look through your cupboards. Replace any plate, bowl, etc. that has a chip or a crack. If your non-stick cookware is starting to "stick" it is time to get new pots or pans.
Allow SPRING to a an opportunity for a fresh start for you. There is no need to make your fresh start break the bank. If you realize that you need to make some purchases, look for sales. If you stat now, you can spread out your spending over the course of the next two paychecks....or more if necessary!
Spring Cleaning Checklist:
1. Do you have winter clothes you did not wear this year? If so, donate them.
2. Do you have shoes or clothing that need to be taken care of before being put away for the season? Many dry cleaners will make repairs to clothes as well as clean them. In many communities there are shoe repair shops that will replace heels and take care of damage caused by wear or salt used to take ice/snow off sidewalks. Shoe repair in San Diego can be found here.
3. Check your herbs and spices. If they have lost their vibrant color, it is the time to get rid of them. Many have a shelf life of about 4 years, but each home environment differs. Some companies have a use by or fresh by date. Look for that to get an idea if your bottle should be kept.
4 Check your pillows. Are they stained? Does your pillow stay folded when you fold it in half? Is the foam in your pillow lumpy? If you answered YES to any of those questions, it is a good time to replace your pillow!
5. Look through your cupboards. Replace any plate, bowl, etc. that has a chip or a crack. If your non-stick cookware is starting to "stick" it is time to get new pots or pans.
Allow SPRING to a an opportunity for a fresh start for you. There is no need to make your fresh start break the bank. If you realize that you need to make some purchases, look for sales. If you stat now, you can spread out your spending over the course of the next two paychecks....or more if necessary!
Friday, February 6, 2015
YogaLean
Beth Shaw’s YogaLean is a remarkable book meant to help readers develop lean consciousness. She lays out a simple plan to achieve lean consciousness, formatted after the eight limbs of yoga; she calls the path the Eight Limbs of YogaLean. The path involves clearing clutter from your life, understanding your body type, emotionally committing to stay positive through the journey, exercise, and nutrition.
Each one of us has transformations to make in our lives. Beth Shaw is here to help us on our journey; we are not alone. She walks us through the eight limbs, she is our coach as we embark on our transformation.
YogaLean is a positive book. It does not tell you what NOT to do rather it gives you tips on what TO do to have a healthy lifestyle, something I have been trying to do for as long as I can remember. My favorite part of the book is the section that gives you an opportunity to learn about your body type. This section helped me better get to know myself and those around me. Now I can understand why my family orders such diverse foods when we go to a restaurant together! Understanding MY body’s natural tendencies has helped me let go of judgment and competition. I am focused on being the healthiest person I can be, not comparing myself to others. I cannot change my genetics, but I can make the best of what I have!I connected with the book right away!
I lead a healthy lifestyle and understand that life is a matter of choices, YogaLean encourages readers to make more positive choices than not.
I will share a few recipes from the book from time to time!
For more information about living the YogaLean lifestyle, visit their website, www.YogaLean.com. Interested in buying the book? You can find it available by following this link.
Each one of us has transformations to make in our lives. Beth Shaw is here to help us on our journey; we are not alone. She walks us through the eight limbs, she is our coach as we embark on our transformation.
YogaLean is a positive book. It does not tell you what NOT to do rather it gives you tips on what TO do to have a healthy lifestyle, something I have been trying to do for as long as I can remember. My favorite part of the book is the section that gives you an opportunity to learn about your body type. This section helped me better get to know myself and those around me. Now I can understand why my family orders such diverse foods when we go to a restaurant together! Understanding MY body’s natural tendencies has helped me let go of judgment and competition. I am focused on being the healthiest person I can be, not comparing myself to others. I cannot change my genetics, but I can make the best of what I have!I connected with the book right away!
I lead a healthy lifestyle and understand that life is a matter of choices, YogaLean encourages readers to make more positive choices than not.
I will share a few recipes from the book from time to time!
For more information about living the YogaLean lifestyle, visit their website, www.YogaLean.com. Interested in buying the book? You can find it available by following this link.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Reduce Stress...BREATHE...YOGA will help!
Sometimes it is just a simple change that we need to make that will improve our daily lives. The change seems simple once we hear it, but it is not obvious to us in the moment of stress and the hectic hustle-and-bustle of our daily lives.
If we take time to breathe, really breathe, we can unlock (or begin to) the tension we are holding inside.
Follow these simple instructions to find your breath. Once you have the muscle memory, you can take the breath with you into all aspects of your daily life.
Let your breath help you find inner calm. In sport, when your adrenaline is running high, your breath will help you fell calm and prepared to perform in the heat of the moment. In a stressful situation in work or at school...with a deadline approaching...your breath will help you find the peace you need to accomplish your goal.
Start by sitting upright in a chair.
Let both feet touch the floor with your ankles resting UNDER your knees.
As your inhale lift your shoulders to your ears.
As you exhale allow your shoulders to roll down your back and toward your hips.
Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
As you inhale feel air enter the space under the hand on your heart.
As you exhale feel air enter the space under the hand on your belly.
Begin to lengthen your breath. Take even inhales and exhales.
Imagine your lungs are sponges. Fill the sponge with an inhale. Empty it with the exhale.
This long, even breath will help balance you mentally AND physically.
This is the yoga you TAKE OFF THE MAT and INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE.
Start a new routine in 2015
Cultivate a Healthy Body and a Healthy Lifestyle
If we take time to breathe, really breathe, we can unlock (or begin to) the tension we are holding inside.
Follow these simple instructions to find your breath. Once you have the muscle memory, you can take the breath with you into all aspects of your daily life.
Let your breath help you find inner calm. In sport, when your adrenaline is running high, your breath will help you fell calm and prepared to perform in the heat of the moment. In a stressful situation in work or at school...with a deadline approaching...your breath will help you find the peace you need to accomplish your goal.
Start by sitting upright in a chair.
Let both feet touch the floor with your ankles resting UNDER your knees.
As your inhale lift your shoulders to your ears.
As you exhale allow your shoulders to roll down your back and toward your hips.
Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
As you inhale feel air enter the space under the hand on your heart.
As you exhale feel air enter the space under the hand on your belly.
Begin to lengthen your breath. Take even inhales and exhales.
Imagine your lungs are sponges. Fill the sponge with an inhale. Empty it with the exhale.
This long, even breath will help balance you mentally AND physically.
This is the yoga you TAKE OFF THE MAT and INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE.
Start a new routine in 2015
Cultivate a Healthy Body and a Healthy Lifestyle
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Reduce Workday Stress...Eat Well
Eating well is an important for a healthy body. We ARE what we eat! Many people cannot imagine having the time during the week to cook a healthy meal. When you are pressed for time, it is difficult to prep and cook a complete meal. One way I avoid the workday stress is by cooking a few meals on the weekend and then having them during the week.
What can be done ahead of time?
A few ideas:
Risotto
Pasta Sauce (cook noodles while you warm the sauce)
Lasagna
Chili
Soups
Homemade burgers (of any variety)
Chicken or Turkey Breast (for sandwiches)
If the main dishes that take longer are cooked ahead of time, the vegetable or side dish can be cooked when you are hungry. While that dish cooks you can re-heat the prepared food.
Vegetables can be made ahead of time as well. Oven roasted vegetables reheat well.
Don't skimp on your health...take the time on your day off to set yourself up for a healthy workweek! After you do this a few times, it will become a routine and you will appreciate eating well and feeling more energetic!
Start a New Routine in 2015!
Eat Healthy
Cook for yourself
Save time and money during the week
Reduce workday stress
What can be done ahead of time?
A few ideas:
Risotto
Pasta Sauce (cook noodles while you warm the sauce)
Lasagna
Chili
Soups
Homemade burgers (of any variety)
Chicken or Turkey Breast (for sandwiches)
If the main dishes that take longer are cooked ahead of time, the vegetable or side dish can be cooked when you are hungry. While that dish cooks you can re-heat the prepared food.
Vegetables can be made ahead of time as well. Oven roasted vegetables reheat well.
Don't skimp on your health...take the time on your day off to set yourself up for a healthy workweek! After you do this a few times, it will become a routine and you will appreciate eating well and feeling more energetic!
Start a New Routine in 2015!
Eat Healthy
Cook for yourself
Save time and money during the week
Reduce workday stress
Healthy Recipe Variations
Healthy Body Healthy Lifestyle has a "Sister Blog" with HEALTHY RECIPES that have options for customization. Check it out Healthy Recipe Variations. Today's post was a recipe for Beet Green Potato Pancakes.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Reduce Clutter...Donate and Recyle...Reduce Stress
If you can clear out your living space and your vehicle, you should find your daily stress reduced! No longer will you have to spend valuable time looking for an item, it will be easy to locate. Your valuable time can be spent working on projects, spending time with friends, or having valuable personal time.
If you are like me, you purchase shoes on sale or at discount retailers like TJ MAXX and do not have the original box for the shoes. LABEL YOUR SHOE BOXES so you know the color and style inside each one. An idea is to use an index card or a post-it note and write the shoe information on the paper and tape it to the box. If the box outlives the shoes, you may layer another label on top of the first.
Many people have a "junk drawer". This drawer catches many odds and ends in your home. Go through the drawer and remove items that are no longer relevant.
Many of us save emails thinking we will get back to them. Spend time going through your email and bookmark sites, write down key details, or organize your emails into folders. THEN make it a habit of starting and ending each day with a clear in-box.
Do you have broken/damaged items around the house? Either get them repaired or donate them. Remember, just because it is not the right item for you, it may be a treasure to another person. Donate when you can. Keep our landfills clean!
A few places where you can donate items you no longer use:
Nike Reuse-A-Shoe (rubber soled shoes ground into playgrounds - drop off at Nike Store locations)
Babazuu - small clothing company up-cycles clothing. Have a clothing item with a moth hole or other damaged piece? Mail it to them and they will up-cycle it...perhaps even work with you to create a design out of YOUR items.
Do you have old towels and blankets? Many animal shelters and humane societies will take those items and use them to line cages. Donations GREATLY HELP local humane societies who rely on donations for operating costs.
Remove clutter from your life
Save yourself time
Feel liberated
Appreciate the time saved
Use your new time WISELY
Start a New Routine in 2015!
If you are like me, you purchase shoes on sale or at discount retailers like TJ MAXX and do not have the original box for the shoes. LABEL YOUR SHOE BOXES so you know the color and style inside each one. An idea is to use an index card or a post-it note and write the shoe information on the paper and tape it to the box. If the box outlives the shoes, you may layer another label on top of the first.
Many people have a "junk drawer". This drawer catches many odds and ends in your home. Go through the drawer and remove items that are no longer relevant.
Many of us save emails thinking we will get back to them. Spend time going through your email and bookmark sites, write down key details, or organize your emails into folders. THEN make it a habit of starting and ending each day with a clear in-box.
Do you have broken/damaged items around the house? Either get them repaired or donate them. Remember, just because it is not the right item for you, it may be a treasure to another person. Donate when you can. Keep our landfills clean!
A few places where you can donate items you no longer use:
Nike Reuse-A-Shoe (rubber soled shoes ground into playgrounds - drop off at Nike Store locations)
Babazuu - small clothing company up-cycles clothing. Have a clothing item with a moth hole or other damaged piece? Mail it to them and they will up-cycle it...perhaps even work with you to create a design out of YOUR items.
Do you have old towels and blankets? Many animal shelters and humane societies will take those items and use them to line cages. Donations GREATLY HELP local humane societies who rely on donations for operating costs.
Remove clutter from your life
Save yourself time
Feel liberated
Appreciate the time saved
Use your new time WISELY
Start a New Routine in 2015!
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Relax...WITHOUT that Electronic Device
Articles were published in December 2014 that stated that the light from electronic devices may be negatively impacting our sleep. If we are STARTING A NEW ROUTINE IN 2015 and focusing in January on Relaxation, we must discuss sleep. On average, we do not get enough!
During a two week study conducted by the National Institute of Health, it was found that adults who read from electronic devices for fours hours a night prior to bed "displayed reduced levels of melatonin, a hormone that typically increases in the evening and helps induce sleepiness. They took longer to fall asleep and spent less time in restorative REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. In addition, [they] reported being sleepier and less alert the following morning, even after eight hours of sleep. They also displayed delayed circadian rhythms". If we can take time out of our busy schedules to read, perhaps we can invest in ONE traditional book, or magazine, or newspaper to read in our home prior to bed. The electronic device does save trees, but we do not want to lose sleep! If we limit our consumption of paper reading material to what we keep on hand to read before bed, we are being eco-friendly AND health conscious!
The article was found in the Washington Post December 23, 2104. The article by Brady Dennis is titled "Gadget glow may dim sleep and health prospects".
I love reading and am excited to start each new book. I know I am guilty of making the switch to an electronic device and reading from it more often than not because I can increase the font size and, thus, not have to use my glasses.
If you are looking for a new book to purchase in paper form, why not read one of the books that will be made into a movie in 2015. International Business Times has an article about the eight books:Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, Mockingjay (part 2) by Suzanne Collins, Paper Towns by John Greene, Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahme-Smith, and The Mortdecai Trilogy by Kyril Bonfiglioli.
During a two week study conducted by the National Institute of Health, it was found that adults who read from electronic devices for fours hours a night prior to bed "displayed reduced levels of melatonin, a hormone that typically increases in the evening and helps induce sleepiness. They took longer to fall asleep and spent less time in restorative REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. In addition, [they] reported being sleepier and less alert the following morning, even after eight hours of sleep. They also displayed delayed circadian rhythms". If we can take time out of our busy schedules to read, perhaps we can invest in ONE traditional book, or magazine, or newspaper to read in our home prior to bed. The electronic device does save trees, but we do not want to lose sleep! If we limit our consumption of paper reading material to what we keep on hand to read before bed, we are being eco-friendly AND health conscious!
The article was found in the Washington Post December 23, 2104. The article by Brady Dennis is titled "Gadget glow may dim sleep and health prospects".
I love reading and am excited to start each new book. I know I am guilty of making the switch to an electronic device and reading from it more often than not because I can increase the font size and, thus, not have to use my glasses.
If you are looking for a new book to purchase in paper form, why not read one of the books that will be made into a movie in 2015. International Business Times has an article about the eight books:Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, Mockingjay (part 2) by Suzanne Collins, Paper Towns by John Greene, Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahme-Smith, and The Mortdecai Trilogy by Kyril Bonfiglioli.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
A New Routine in 2015 ...Find Time to RELAX...Foot Massage
We all have stress in our lives. We try to accomplish in 24 hours what it may take 48 to realistically accomplish! The mere act of trying to find TIME to relax can be stressful!
So, how do we break out of this rut? We have to MAKE TIME. Perhaps it is scheduling 10-15 minutes at the end of the day for yourself. The previous post about visiting a museum to relax is a great way to reduce stress, but it cannot be done every day. One thing you can do every day is, rub your feet, yes, that is what I said. RUB YOUR FEET!
Our feet take abuse on a daily basis: they carry our weight, get enclosed in shoes, get stepped on, and get bruised through activities of daily life and sport. If we can get our feet to relax, we can relax!
Let's look at the foot reflexology chart. After our nightly shower, perhaps while watching TV, we could get out some lotion and rub our feet following the chart. We could pay special attention to the parts of our feet that may correspond to a part of our body that feels an ache or pain. We could take a moment to wiggle each toe. We could put our fingers between our toes or wear Yoga Toe Sox Sandals. Perhaps after you finish, you could put on a pair of socks and let the lotion penetrate your feet and soften them overnight.
Take 5 to 10 minutes for you. You will sleep better and start the next day fresher!
So, how do we break out of this rut? We have to MAKE TIME. Perhaps it is scheduling 10-15 minutes at the end of the day for yourself. The previous post about visiting a museum to relax is a great way to reduce stress, but it cannot be done every day. One thing you can do every day is, rub your feet, yes, that is what I said. RUB YOUR FEET!
Our feet take abuse on a daily basis: they carry our weight, get enclosed in shoes, get stepped on, and get bruised through activities of daily life and sport. If we can get our feet to relax, we can relax!
Let's look at the foot reflexology chart. After our nightly shower, perhaps while watching TV, we could get out some lotion and rub our feet following the chart. We could pay special attention to the parts of our feet that may correspond to a part of our body that feels an ache or pain. We could take a moment to wiggle each toe. We could put our fingers between our toes or wear Yoga Toe Sox Sandals. Perhaps after you finish, you could put on a pair of socks and let the lotion penetrate your feet and soften them overnight.
Take 5 to 10 minutes for you. You will sleep better and start the next day fresher!
Monday, January 12, 2015
A New Routine in 2015
Many people create New Year's Resolutions. Why not start the year with new intentions. Start a routine that is attainable. Ideas such as "I will try a new food each month" or "I'll slow down and take time for a massage" or "I'll invite a friend to go with me to the new museum exhibit".
A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE allows time for work and pleasure. A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE is a balanced lifestyle where one has a healthy diet, finds time to relax, and gets adequate rest.
Research shows that ART reduces stress. Take time to visit each exhibition as it comes through your local museum. If you live in San Diego, there is still time left to take in the From Gauguin to Warhol, 20th Century Icons from the Albright-Knox Gallery. The San Diego Museum of Art exhibition closes January 27, 2015.
A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE allows time for work and pleasure. A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE is a balanced lifestyle where one has a healthy diet, finds time to relax, and gets adequate rest.
Research shows that ART reduces stress. Take time to visit each exhibition as it comes through your local museum. If you live in San Diego, there is still time left to take in the From Gauguin to Warhol, 20th Century Icons from the Albright-Knox Gallery. The San Diego Museum of Art exhibition closes January 27, 2015.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
