Giving Up Is Easy


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Homemade Underarm Stain Remover


If you have some white shirts with dingy underarm stains, here is a simple solution that may save your shirts!

In a small bowl mix:
  • one part Dawn dish soap
  • two parts hydrogen peroxide
  • add baking soda to make a gel or paste consistency
I have only used this mixture on white clothes since it contains hydrogen peroxide. Although I have read accounts of others using it on colors, I would certainly test it in an inconspicuous spot first.

Using a small laundry brush or an old toothbrush, work the mixture into the underarm stain. Let the garment sit for about an hour, then launder as usual.

I was amazed at the result! This simple solution saved several white shirts that were headed for the rag heap.

This post is linked to the Chic & Crafty Party.

10 Goals for this Week

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Have you set some goals? How did you do?

I find that writing down what I hope to accomplish makes a huge difference in whether or not it gets done. It doesn't always work (as you will see if you check out how I did this week), but I'm sure it's better than not setting any goals at all

Here's how I did on my 10 goals for last week:

Personal
  1. Get 8 hours of sleep per night While I sort of fell off the bandwagon on this one, I do have a plan for accomplishing this in the future.
  2. Exercise for 30 minutes on a treadmill 3 times this week (after not exercising for quite some time, I am just getting back to it) Not quite. I made it to the gym twice.
  3. Finish listening to 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.  This is my second time through the book and I am taking notes on some specific actions I would like to take. Done.
  4. Wardrobe Update: Create 1 new outfit using pieces I already own (shopping in my closet). Done.
Home Management
  1. Freezer cooking: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Didn't get to this.
  2. Freezer cooking: Chocolate Banana Bread Didn't get to this one.
  3. Try a new soup recipe: Curry Corn Chowder Done. Check out the results here.
  4. Declutter and organize one area per day Maybe one area per week is more reasonable.
  5. DIY Project: Homemade laundry stain remover Done. Read about it here.
  6. DIY Project: Homemade microwave popcorn Done. Read about it here.

Here are 10 goals for the coming week:

Personal
  1. Get 8 hours of sleep per night
  2. Exercise for 30 minutes on a treadmill 3 times this week
  3. Finish listening to 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done.
  4. Stick to my morning routine. You can read about my morning routine here.
  5. Wardrobe Update: Create 1 new outfit using pieces I already own (shopping in my closet).
Home Management
  1. Freezer cooking: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
  2. Try a new soup recipe: Potato Leek Soup
  3. Declutter and organize the cutlery drawer
  4. Organize recipes
  5. Read The Promodoro Technique (free ebook on using a timer for time management)
Check back next week to see how it went. Writing down goals makes it so much more likely you will get them done. Try it!

Habits: The Morning Routine

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Routines give structure to our day. When we have routines in place, we don't need to think about what we are supposed to do next.

And if there is one time that I do not want to think about what to do next, it's first thing in the morning.

Although my alarm goes off at 4:30 am, I'm not a morning person. It just so happens that the reality of my life right now is that I must wake up at that hour. So what happens when the alarm goes off? It used to be that I would hit the snooze button but no more! I have a "wake-up" routine that gets me up and gets me focused.

Since every morning is different at my house, and usually includes a mad rush out the door (despite my early wake-up), I have a very simple "morning routine". Just five steps to get me ready for whatever that day holds.

Here it is:

1.  Start the coffee maker 
It's prepared the night before, during my evening routine.

2.  Drink a full glass of water
It really helps your body wake up, and since I will be having coffee soon I don't want to get dehydrated.

3.  Get fully dressed, complete with shoes
This is often not my outfit for the day, just some comfortable, casual clothes in which I can begin the day. Often, I will make breakfast and complete some small chores before showering and dressing for work. I have found that I am much more productive in day clothes than pj's.

4.  With a cup of coffee, review the plan for the day
The plan was prepared the night before during my evening routine. Every day is different around here with different schedules and activities which is why my morning routine is more of a "wake-up" routine.

5.  Pray
Occasionally, after prayer, I will tweak my previous plan for the day. Perhaps something that I first thought was an important activity, really isn't.

Now that my plan is finalized, I'm ready to start the day!

This is what I do in the morning because it works for me. If you are having a difficult time getting focused in the morning, take some time to develop a routine that will work for you.

Having routines in place provides structure to your day. When you have a routine that works for you, that's one less thing you have to think about.

Curried Corn Chowder with Coconut Milk

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I tweaked a recipe from epicurious.com to come up with a dairy-free corn chowder. Coconut milk and coconut oil replace the typical cream and butter in this recipe resulting in a very tasty chowder.

Serves 6

1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon fresh)
2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 cans (15 oz. each) organic whole kernel corn

4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk

1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
a few turns of freshly ground pepper

In a large soup pot, melt coconut oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion, garlic and thyme in the coconut oil, stirring occasionally. When the onion begins to soften, lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.

Add corn, broth and sugar. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt the additional 2 tablespoons of coconut oil over medium heat. Add curry powder and cook until the mixture becomes fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove soup from heat to puree. If you are using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot. Otherwise, let the soup cool slightly. Transfer small amounts of soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Puree approximately half of the soup. Return pureed soup to the large pot.

Return the pot to medium heat and stir in the curry mixture. Stir in the coconut milk, cilantro, salt and pepper and cook another 15 minutes until the flavors have blended.

Serve warm.

What if...

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Declutter Day 1: The Junk Drawer

It may seem like I took the easy way out with my first decluttering project, but really I started with the most cluttered spot I could find--the junk drawer.

Upon closer examination of said "junk drawer", I realized that it was very appropriately named since most of it's contents was, in fact, junk. As in, why do we even have this hanging around, taking up space, and cluttering things, junk.

So I plucked out the (very) few things that I wanted to keep (like scissors, a ruler, a few pens that actually worked). And the rest, I dumped into the garbage can. No looking back. No regrets.

My plan is to transform that junk drawer into my office supply center. In reality, that was largely what was in there to begin with: pencils, pens, paperclips, rubber bands. But instead of a mess of old stationery supplies, I envision an organized office supply station.

Check back soon to see the  transformation.

DIY: Frugal & Healthy Microwave Popcorn


It's so simple!

It's also better tasting and so much better for you because you control the ingredients. Here's all you do:

  • Place 1/4 cup of popcorn in a brown paper bag. 
  • Roll the end of the bag over a few times so that it stays closed. 
  • Microwave on high for approximately 2 minutes (depending on your microwave). Listen carefully. Remove from microwave when there are about two seconds between pops.
You may wish to add salt and oil before popping, but I prefer to add that afterward so that the bag doesn't get so messy with the oil.

I simply pop the corn, dump it in a bowl, then drizzle the oil and sprinkle some salt. YUM!

Now, about those ingredients..

  •  You can use olive oil but, for movie-theater taste, my preference is Organic Coconut Oil . If you've never tried coconut oil on popcorn, I highly recommend it.
That's it! Super-simple and perfect for your next movie night.
Popcorn Bowl from Amazon

Time to Declutter!

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10 Goals for this Week

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At the beginning of the year, I set goals for myself in the following areas:
  1. Spiritual
  2. Family
  3. Personal Development
  4. Home Management
  5. Business/Career
  6. Financial
Actually, I am still in the process of tweaking goals in several of these categories. But I have identified six areas that are important to me. In each category I have set broad goals which are then broken down into specific tasks.

Here are ten of my specific goals for the upcoming week. Hopefully, I will be able to give an update next week to let you know how it went.

Personal
  1. Get 8 hours of sleep per night
  2. Exercise for 30 minutes on a treadmill 3 times this week (after not exercising for quite some time, I am just getting back to it)
  3. Finish listening to 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.  This is my second time through the book and I am taking notes on some specific actions I would like to take.
  4. Wardrobe Update: Create 1 new outfit using pieces I already own (shopping in my closet).
Home Management
  1. Freezer cooking: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
  2. Freezer cooking: Chocolate Banana Bread
  3. Try a new soup recipe: Curry Corn Chowder
  4. Declutter and organize one area per day
  5. DIY Project: Homemade laundry stain remover
  6. DIY Project: Homemade microwave popcorn
Check back next week to see how it went. Writing down goals makes it so much more likely you will get them done. Try it!

    Someday it will all make sense...

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    DIY Frugal Face Wash



    Cleaning your face with oil may sound counter-intuitive, but you can read about how and why it works at Simple Mom and Simple Organized Living.

    It is so simple to make and very inexpensive. My skin feels fabulous and looks so much better. The process is so relaxing, I like to think of it as my mini-spa treatment.

    The two ingredients are: castor oil (to clean) and a second oil to moisturize.

    Update: I am currently using this castor oil found on Amazon.

    I am using equal amounts of castor oil and olive oil which is the recommendation for normal skin. If your skin is oily, you may need more castor oil. If your skin is dry, more olive oil.

    Pour both types of oil into a plastic squeeze bottle , shake it up a bit, and you are ready to go. Here's what you do:
    1. Pour a quarter-sized amount of your face wash on to a dry hand.
    2. Massage the oil onto your face for about one minute.
    3. Run a washcloth under warm water (as warm as you can stand without being uncomfortable).
    4. Use the washcloth to cover your face. Gently press the cloth onto your face for about one minute.
    5. Rinse the washcloth. Then use the cloth to remove any remaining oil from your face.
    6. Rinse the washcloth and repeat if necessary.
    Still not convinced? Take a look at this great video tutorial from Keeper of the Home. This video is what convinced me to give homemade face wash a try.

    This DIY face wash works better than anything else I have tried for a fraction of the price. Can't beat that!

    (I love the convenience of shopping online and I think you will too. The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

    Heard Any Good Books Lately?

    I have been making the most of my time in the car by listening to audio books. I don't have an overly long commute, but over the course of a week it's amazing how much time I spend in the car. I also listen to audio books when exercising on the treadmill.

    Since I don't have as much reading time as I would like, I have found that by listening to books, I am able to experience many more books than I would otherwise.

    Audio books may be purchased in a variety of formats so that you are able to listen from your phone, computer, ipod, or other mobile device. I purchase my audio books for use on an ipod. That way, I can listen both in the car (using a speaker) or on the treadmill (using ear buds).

    Since an audio book's reader can have a huge effect on your enjoyment, I always listen to the preview clip available from many online retailers. I have purchased the majority of my audio books from audible.com (a division of Amazon). At audible, you can listen to a 5 minute sample of the book. By listening to the sample, you will know whether you will enjoy that particular reader before you make the purchase.

    Here are some the audio books I have listened to over the past several weeks. Watch for detailed reviews of my favorites coming soon.

    168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam  (Read my review of this book here)
    Quitter by Jon Acuff (Read my review of this book here)
    EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches by Dave Ramsey
    18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done by Peter Bregman
    A Mind at a Time: America's Top Learning Expert Shows How Every Child Can Succeed by Mel Levine

    I would have never found the time to read these great books. But, over the past 6 weeks, I have had plenty of time to listen to them. I have even listened to a few of them more than once!