New Years Resolutions 2012

   In a blog about changing your life, I would be remiss if I did not write about new years resolutions.  Tomorrow is New Years Day. It is the time when people everywhere promise to make changes in the coming year, but few of them last until February.  Does this mean we should give up on the whole resolution business? No.  We should instead examine our previous attempts and fix whatever we did wrong.
   One common error is that we often make our resolutions vague.  Without a clear plan of action, we almost never achieve what we set out to do.  For example, we may say we want to loose weight, but if we do not plan how we are going to bring this about, we will probably to loose anything.
   Another common error is to set unrealistic goals.  In our weight loss example, if I say I want to loose 75 pounds by the summer, I am setting myself up for failure.  Instead I could try to loose a more reasonable one to three pounds a week.  As long as you are taking steps towards your goal it is okay if it takes a while.

 
  Finally, don't be discouraged by your mistakes.  One of my goals for last year, was to learn how to keep a container garden for vegetables and herbs.  I have always had a bit of a black thumb and for years I gave up on growing plants.  But last year I decided to give it a go.  Well needless to say it did not go well.  After I planted we had a freak rain storm that completely swamped my pots and killed my little plants.  I was very discouraged, but now I know not to put the pots where they get all the runoff from the roof.  I don't know if I will succeed this year, but even if I fail, I will learn from it.
  So what are my resolutions this year.  I am not going to count my three goals as resolutions, because I am already doing them.  Instead, I am making smaller goals to help bring about the larger ones.

Resolution 1: Once again I am going to attempt to grow my own herbs and vegetables.  Do the upside down tomatoes really work?
Resolution 2: Pay off my car.  I'm not sure if I can actually do this in a year, but I can at least pay off most of it.
Resolution 3: Finish my novel. Okay I confess I've made this resolution every year since 2006, but with all the time management skills I'm learning I can pull this off.
Resolution 4: Remember to send people birthday cards this year.

What is your New Years Resolution?

Project Unclutter: Book Review

 One month ago, I wrote about Project Unclutter.  The first step of Project Unclutter was to read the book Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Rooney Doland by the end of the year.  Well here it is December 28 and despite holiday madness and an increased work schedule I managed to make it.  In case you did not read my previous post, in Project Unclutter I will follow Doland's advice and see if I really can unclutter my life in one week.
  I initially scoffed at the title of this book.  I have been trying to get organized and uncluttered for years.  How can it be done in one week?  I still have my doubts, but with the guidance of Unclutter Your Life in One Week I should make tremendous progress.
  The first thing that won me over was Ms. Doland's testimony.  She admits that she was not always organized herself.  As she put it, she was "surrounded by stacks of papers, piles of shoes and clothes, and dozens of boxes of sentimental trinkets."  This is key.  Over the years I have read many articles and books on getting organized.  The only ones which have been of much use are the ones written by people who have actually changed their lives.  Someone who is born organized has difficulty understanding those of us who are not.  However, someone who has been unorganized herself knows what they were doing wrong and what they did to fix it.
  The book is organized by the days of the week, Monday through Friday with the weekend grouped together.  Each week day is divided into three parts: morning, at work, and evening.  This breaks the enormous task of organizing your life into manageable bite sized pieces.  I also liked the fact that she includes work.  I work from home now, but I can still apply her principles to my home office.
  As for the specific advice she gives, there is so much useful information that I could write about.  Some examples are, making a 30 minute playlist to clean to, and scanning information in your computer so you don't have to keep stacks of paper. There is much more, but instead of sharing it all now, I will let you know how it works after I've tried it.  Starting on Monday, I will begin the year by putting Unclutter Your Life in One Week to the test.  When I can, throughout the week I will let you in on my progress.
   Despite my initial scepticism, Unclutter Your Life in One Week is a very useful book.  I still doubt it can be done in a week, but I believe it will be a great help in my journey towards an organized life.

Project Unclutter: What it is

  I have discovered a new website: unclutterer.com.  So far I'm really enjoying it.  It has helpful tips and a bit of humor.  In exploring the site I found reference to a book Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin R Doland, Editor-in-chief of Unclutterer.com.  My reaction to the title: "Yeah, Right.  Like I could really get rid of all my clutter in one week."  But I did look it up on amazon.  The reviews were mostly positive and the sample pages looked like they contained helpful advise.  Plus I had another order to make and this book would qualify me for free shipping.  So I ordered despite my doubts about it's claims.
  It was then that Project Unclutter was born.  I decided that instead of just scoffing at the prospect of uncluttering in a week, I would put her claims to the test.  I have the first week of January off of work and I can devote that entirely to uncluttering.

   Project Unclutter will come in two parts.  First, I need to read the book.  I'll do this between now and the end of the year.  I plan on writing a review of what I find in a subsequent post.  Second, I will put it to the test.  I chose the week I was off, so I fully test the theory without distraction.  I will let you know how it goes.
   I still doubt I can completely declutter in a week, but I can at least make a dent in it. I know it's very early for a New Years resolution, but I will make mind now.  Here's hoping 2012 will involve a lot less clutter.  Who will join me in Project Unclutter?

Recipe: Texas Chili

  A couple of months ago my gym hosted a talk from a nutritionist.  In addition to all the helpful information she provided, she also gave us several recipes.  This is one of my favorites.  It is different from most other chili recipes I've tried, but I love it.  It's not spicy but very flavorful.  I added a couple of notes of my own to the recipe below.  It has quickly become a favorite in our house.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

1/2 lb ground turkey (omit for vegetarian)
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 can of diced fire roasted tomatoes (I use 1 cup fresh diced tomato)
1 can sauce
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)  (If you cook your own 1 1/2 cup = 1can)
1/2-1 cup water
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 green bell pepper (chopped or chunks)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder

In a large soup pot cook meat, onions, and garlic together.  If not using meat, add some olive oil to cook the onion and garlic.  Cook until onions are tender, add the rest of ingredients, stir and bring to a boil on medium heat.   Turn down to simmer for 30 min.

1/2 cup serving w/ meat and beans is 19g protein, without is 9g protein.
1/2 cup serving w/ meat 225 calories, without meat is 125 calories.

Huzzah!! No More Credit Card!!

   Woo Hoo!  My days of paying my credit card bill are at an end.  Monday evening I went online and paid off the remaining $249.  For the first time in my adult life I have no credit card and no credit card payment.
   When I was younger, I believed that credit cards were a part of life.  I fell for the line: "you need a credit card in case of emergency."  At first I rarely used it,  I maintained a zero balance for several years.  Then I needed a little extra one month, so I used the card.  I intended to pay it off just as soon as I had extra.  But the next month I was a little short as well.  I did not have enough income and I had no emergency fund.  Eventually, I stopped using the card, but I still had a large balance.  Some months I had to decide if I was going to pay my car payment or my credit card payment.  I needed my car, so the interest and penalties soared.   For the past couple of years I have cut costs, found a better paying job, and payed extra on my two cards.  About two years ago I paid off my Discover card, and now the visa is finally gone.

   Never again!  I am prepared now.  If an emergency were to happen today I do not need a credit card.  I have an emergency fund for that.  I will never again be under the thumb of a credit card company.  I can now handle emergencies without them.  Neither do I have to worry about my credit score, for I no longer intend to borrow money from anyone.  If I don't have the cash, I won't buy it.  And if I'm sort on money again, I have one less bill to pay each month.
   Now to work on the car payments.

Happy Healthy Halloween

    Halloween is less than a week away.  It gestures in a new holiday season with all of the temptations that entails.  If you are not prepared yet, now is the time to get ready.  As a kid I always loved Halloween. I really loved to dress up in a costume (still do) and pretend to be something I'm not for a night.  Most of all I loved the candy.  We would always go trick-or-treating in our neighborhood and usually had a fall festival at church.  We would come home with those little orange pumpkins stuffed with candy.  One year my sister my sister won a cake walk, so we also carried home an enormous caramel cake (yum!).  Now I am older and finally have to grow up and worry about things like weight and "will this give me diabetes?"  I look at children today and the things they eat and I worry about the next generation.  The question I ask myself is:  Can I in good conscience distribute a food to children that is so profoundly unhealthy?  I have no answer to this.  I do love to answer the door and see all the cute little kids dressed in their little costumes.  I love watching their faces light up when I give them the candy.  Plus it is only once a year.  However, Christmas is once a year as well, so is Thanksgiving, and birthdays, and many other events all of which involve food.  The candy we distribute hopefully will not be eaten in one night, but over a period of days, weeks, or even months.  There is no way to know exactly how many kids will come to your door, so  you may very well have leftover candy, lying around begging to be eaten.
   So what can be done?  I have been trying to think of alternatives to sugary candy, but I don't want to be the woman who hands out toothbrushes.  I want kids to like what I give them.  I remember as a child that some people would give out boxes of raisins.  This is ok, but there are many kids who don't like raisins.  Even if they do, it's a bit of a let down to receive raisins when you were expecting candy.  Another possibility is to buy sugar-free candy.  This is slightly better, but falls short of being called healthy.  Companies such as Oriental Trading Company, offer small toys in bulk.  This way the kids can have something fun to play with, and I would avoid giving them the candy.  One final option comes from something I received in my little pumpkin as a kid.  I seem to remember someone handing out roles of pennies.  I liked this one, because I could do anything I wanted with it.
   Whether or not I hand out healthy alternatives, the kids will still get plenty of sugary snacks from others. And, when I have children, I am sure I will dress them in little costumes and take them trick-or-treating.  But, I do believe that I can make a difference no matter how small it is.

DIY Savings: Detergent

 In the quest to save money, DIY (Do it yourself) can sometimes save a bundle.  I plan on sharing various DIY money savers in future blogs.  Today, I will focus on a recent project of mine, making my own detergent. I have heard of making my own cleaners many times, and finally decided to try it.  About a month ago, I bought my ingredients and tried it out.  So far, it works just as well as the store bought variety and costs a lot less.  If you do a google search for home made detergent, you can find a dozen recipes.  The one I recommend is at a website called DIY Natural.  The directions are very simple and there are only three ingredients.  Plus is is made with simple natural ingredients for those of you who worry about chemicals.
      I also plan on making my own dishwashing detergent once my supply runs out.  Since it uses many of the same ingredients as laundry detergent, I will not have to spend any money.  I found a recipe that looks good at yahoo finance.  I will let you know how it works.
How do you DIY to save money?

Update: I tried the dishwashing detergent and it works great