The Dangers of Sugar

  Sugar is everywhere.   It is in our juice and bacon in the morning, the bread we make our sandwiches with, and even the can of tomatoes we add to our dinner.  Is it any wonder we gain weight?  The producers of our food are now putting sugar in its various forms in many products that we would never even think of as having sugar.
  There is so much conflicting information out there about the best way to loose weight.  In the 1980's, the American Heart Association told everyone that the way to loose weight is to reduce fat.  They wanted the American people to reduce their fat consumption from 40% to 30%.  Well congratulations America we did it.  But what happened?  We weigh more than ever.  I believe there is more than one reason for this, but one of the primary reasons is sugar.
  I love sugar.  I confess to being a chocoholic.  I would eat ice cream everyday if I let myself.  Fried foods have never been a big weakness for me, but sugar is.  Therefore it is with a heavy heart that I have reduced the sugar in my life.
  I always knew that sugar was bad for me, but I never realized how bad it was or how prevalent a problem it had become until I saw a lecture on youtube.com.  The video is a lecture by Dr. Robert Lustig called sugar the bitter truth.  It is an hour and a half long, and contains a lot of biochemistry that is way over my head.  The information it contains has the potential to change the way you look at food.  I highly recommend you take the time to watch it.  If an hour and a half is too long, someone has made an eleven minute summary called sugar the bitter truth (the short version).
  I do not believe that I need to give up all sugar.  But now that I am aware of just how big a problem it can be I will take steps to limit the amount of sugar I eat.  I now read labels before I purchase a product.  I watch out for sugar synonyms such as: sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, and syrup to name a few.  Instead of sweets, I am filling my home with fruit.   Surprisingly, this seems to satisfy my sweet tooth.  However, I will allow myself a slice of cake on birthdays.

After you watch the videos, please share your thoughts.

Project Unclutter: Final Thoughts

  A month ago, I started Project Unclutter.  I got the idea from a book: Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Rooney Doland.  So the big question is, did I unclutter my life?  Not entirely.  I have made great strides in uncluttering my wardrobe, kitchen, bathroom, and living room.  I have also managed to maintain the level of order I've found for a solid month.  It will still take more time for my study.
  Having tried it would I recommend Unclutter Your Life in One Week?  Absolutely.  I have been a pack rat my entire life.  I have tried many different plans to relieve myself from CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) and so far this has been the only one that seems to work for me.  I had the desire to be organized before, but now I feel that I have finally been shown the way.

What books have made a difference in your life?

DIY Savings: "Fabreze"

  I am always concerned about how my apartment smells should anyone come over.  Therefore, I find myself using a lot of Fabreze.  When I am doing a 30-minute clean it takes seconds to just spray down the carpet and sofas as I go.  So when I realized the other day that I was almost out of Fabreze, I turned to the internet to find out how to save money and still keep my apartment smelling fresh.

   There are many recipes for home made "Fabreze".  Most of these recipes involve some combination of water, fabric softener, and sometimes baking soda.  The recipe I used is from tipnut.  There are four options on the page, so you may choose any you wish.  I used #2, and so far I like it.  It seems to work just as well as the real Fabreze.
  So what are the benefits of making my own?  The first is the most obvious: cost.  A bottle of Fabreze can cost $3 or more at your local grocery store.  A bottle of cheap fabric softener can be found at a local dollar store or Family Dollar and will last much longer.  I even used my old Fabreze bottle, so I did not have to pay for a new one.
  The second reason is less obvious.  When buying my fabric softener, I spent a little more money to buy a product called Seventh Generation.  Seventh generation is non-toxic and biodegradable, it uses natural scents, and the softening agent is plant based (most fabric softeners are made from animal fat).  I might have paid more, but it will still come out cheaper than buying Fabreze.  Plus, using the right fabric softener is better for the environment.
*Note: If using on material that is flame resistant, most fabric softeners reduce flame resistance.

What do you use to keep your home fresh?

Project Unclutter: Day 4 (sacrifices)

   I love Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.  If you know me, you are laughing at this point.  It's been my favorite book since age 12, long before the movies came out.  So what does this have to do with uncluttering?  I'm getting to that.

   I started out the day behind.  Two trips to the mechanic yesterday totaled about five and a half hours in a waiting room (at least the car is fixed now).  So I never got a chance to organize the kitchen.  However, thanks to a little elbow grease and the fact that the living room wasn't very cluttered to begin with, I am now caught up.
   The hardest part of uncluttering is deciding what to get rid of.  This is where Lord of the Rings comes in.  I went through my cups this morning.  We have more cups than two people need.  It is difficult to fit them all in the cabinet.  Some of them had to go.  The first question is which ones do we use on a regular basis.  Then there were the cups that we use on special occasions or when we have guests.  We have to keep those of course.  What was left?  Sadly I looked at a tall white cut with an image of a horse and the word "Rohan" on it.  (If you don't know what Rohan is, it is an place in Lord of the Rings where my favorite character is from.)  I love this cup.  It is beautifully made.  Unfortunately, I never use it.  It just sits in the cabinet taking up space.  Then i saw another cup.  A glass goblet with a picture of Arwen, an elf from Lord of the Rings, on it.  This one even had a base that lit up and caused your drink to glow.  I had to make a decision what do I want more an uncluttered kitchen or more Lord of the Rings paraphernalia.   They are now sitting in my yard sale pile.
   Have you had to make any sacrifices for an uncluttered home?

Project Unclutter: Day 3

   Life gets in the way of the noblest of goals.  It's nearly 11am on day three of Project Unclutter and I have not yet begun today's tasks.  Mostly due to the two and a half hours I spent at the mechanics this morning only to learn that I have to go back this afternoon when the part comes in.  Other than that things are going well.
  Since I have nothing new to report yet I thought I'd share something fun.  I mentioned in a previous post that Erin Rooney Doland the author of Unclutter Your Life in One Week recommended creating a playlist for a thirty minute daily clean.  I thought I would share mine today.  (It may change as I continue to develop it.)  I tried to pick upbeat songs.  I figured if it makes me want to dance it will make me want to move (hence all the swing music).  I hope you enjoy it.

1. This is Your Life by Switchfoot
2. Magic Dance by David Bowie
3. Just Can't Get Enough by Depeche Mode
4. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive
5. This Cat's On a Hot Tin Roof by Brian Setzer Orchestra
6. White & Nerdy by "Weird Al" Yankovic
7. Bei Mir Bist Du Shoen by Janis Siegel
8. So Long Farewell Goodbye by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Do you listen to music while you clean?  If so what do you listen too?

Project Unclutter: Day 2

  A day and a half into Project Unclutter, I now have a clean closet, a reception station to hang my keys, coats, and purse, I can see the surface of my desk, and uncluttered my bathroom.  Now I'm working on establishing routines, so I never again face the mess I was facing.  My pile of things to sell at a yard sale this spring has grown from a hill to a mountain.
  I am behind on one thing: my office.  I work from home.  I also live in a modest apartment.  That means storage space is limited.  Added to that is the fact that my husband and I are both pack rats.  Therefore the study has been used for extra storage since we moved in.  Today I am supposed to be sorting through my paper clutter.    I should get rid of the papers I don't need and scan papers I need the information from, but don't need the hard copy.  This will take more than the limited time I have today.  Hopefully, I'll at least put a dent in it.
   It may take longer than scheduled, but with the skills I'm learning, I know I will eventually live an organized life.

Project Unclutter: Day 1

  It's Monday afternoon, and I'm half way through day one of Project Unclutter.  It seems to be going well so far.  I can now actually walk into my closet and close my drawers without a struggle.
   In her book Unclutter Your Life In One Week, Erin Rooney Doland starts Monday off with the wardrobe.  This is a difficult one for me.  I am always worried that once I get rid of something then I'll want it again.  Some of my clothes have been around for decades.  Ms. Doland provides a useful tool, guidlines designed to help weed out what you don't need.  For example I have a cute blue sweater that I have had for many years.  I like the sweater.  It's comfortable and warm.  The only problem is that I don't have anything it really goes with.  I sometimes take it out and make a futile attempt to match it with something, but end up putting it back.  One of Ms. Doland's guidelines is "The item should work in coordination with a minimum of two items in your wardrobe."  It is now sitting in my yard sale pile.  (Before you feel too sorry for me I have the exact same sweater in black.)
   Between the purging, sorting, and relocating the process took about 2 hours.  The second task is my office.  This is going to be even more challenging, but I am looking forward to seeing the results.

Recipe: Berry Delicious Green Smoothie

   I don't know about you, but I have trouble making myself eat enough vegetables.  It's not that I hate them per se.  I just prefer to eat other things.  In the past, I have enjoyed V8 Splash which it turns out is full of high fructose corn syrup, and V8 Fusion which is healthier but still expensive.  Recently I've learned of this recipe.  Like V8 Splash and V8 Fusion it uses fruit to mask the taste of vegetables resulting in a sweet drink that's actually good for you.  It really helps me increase my servings of veggies and adds a nice little snack to my afternoons.

• 1 cup apple juice or water (I use water, it's cheaper and has no sugar)
• Handful of spinach OR collard OR kale leaves (In my experience, spinach is the best)
• 1 frozen banana (previously peeled and frozen) (you can use a room temperature banana if you don't mind your drink a little less cold)
• 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries
• optional: 1/2 cup frozen raspberries (actually any frozen berries will do)

 In your blender puree the juice/water and greens first.  Then add the frozen fruit and blend together with greens until creamy.  If a thinner smoothie is desired, add more water until desired consistency.  Can also add ice for a thicker, colder smoothie.  For a sweeter smoothie add more berries.

 Note: I have no children, but I have heard that this can be a good way to sneak some veggies to picky kids.