A very good day

I was able to carve out a few hours today to take everything out of the closet!

Preparation was the key to my success. There was an excellent audiobook playing on the iPod, I cranked up the heat to a comfortable "naked" temperature, I had large bags and totes for sorting at the ready and a ruthless attitude!

It was daunting seeing the great mounds of clothes on my bed... But I started at one end (dresses) and worked my way through office attire... I tried everything on, spun around, reached up, sat down and looked it over carefully for wear and tear. (Note:I am about 8 pounds lighter than I was this time last year, I am sure I can sustain this and maybe even get a bit better!)

There were beautiful clothing items of good quality that fit fine, but I never have the occasion to wear. What to do?! Then I remembered there is such thing as consignment stores! Oh ya! 

One large tote was filled to the brim with the more precious garments. I will go to the most respectable consignment shop this week and see that they say. I think these things are worth the effort.

Then I tackled the more daily wear items. Tops, bottoms, casual and the decent-for-public ensembles.

Of those categories I found 5 largish shopping bags STUFFED to donate to the thrift shop and another bag for rags. 

Feeling bold, I pulled out my shoes and purses. I pulled out 6+ pairs of dress shoes and 4 purses. Some are excellent construction and barely worn, so I will try to take them to consignment too.

How did all these extra things make it into my closet?

2 reasons: 

1) a generous sister who shares her awesome hand-me-downs

2) a really good thrift store boutique next to my bank (but they have moved now so that temptation is gone now thankfully)

So my financial commitment to these items is quite minimal, and that in itself makes it so much easier to be brutal with my conviction to pare down the clothes!

Amazingly, I still had some time and energy left after all that. (And a big pile of empty hangers) so I went into the crawlspace and dug out my hot weather wardrobe from storage. This is a big deal! The summer clothes and winter clothes have NEVER both fit in my closet at the same time. Embarassingly, there were 4 bins of summer clothes down there (though one tote is all hats and strappy shoes). 

This batch was harder to purge. I did a decent cull before packing it last fall, and it was fun to say hi to old favourites too. Still I found some more for donation and a few pretty little tops and dresses for consignment. 

My hair was a disaster from all the trying on of clothes, and I kind of felt like having a glass of wine at the end, but somehow my body-image survived all that critical energy and I feel absolutely liberated having my closet filled only with stuff that fits, is flattering, in good shape and that I LIKE!

I put all the donations straight out into the car, Including some books and some gifted perfumed lotions that I've not even opened. Then I drove to the thrift shop closest to my library (I always multi task my excursions if I can)

It was gone without a second thought and I felt good that these items are all in decent shape for the charity to sell.

When my husband came home he immediately noticed the tidiness. He liked it so much that he tried on ALL of his hanging shirts. (He has lost quite a bit of weight this year and never wants to gain it back)  he was laughing trying on the shirts and how much space he had in there. So he only has a few shirts now (more empty hangers than shirts ). He also tossed some slippers into the pile. I guess I will be heading back to the thrift shop LOL

Less, only Better

I am listening to the book "Essentialism" by Greg McKeown. (thank you public library) . Only in the first part of the book and I am so moved by the concept!!!! I recommend it for anyone that feels too busy to have a life. Half hour into the book, and I've already posted stuff as "FREE" on line, because I want less, only better. Oh I want it so bad!

The only reason I ever found the book was when I came across a mention of it at a pretty blog ( http://dallas.citymomsblog.com/why-i-got-rid-of-my-wardrobe-capsule-wardrobe/ ) about an organized closet referring to something called a capsule wardrobe that she heard about on (unfancy.com). It sounds too good to be true, but just maybe..... If I am brave......

Un-fancy was clever enough to take the idea of "Less, only Better" and removing the millions of trivial decisions to give proper time for the few important ones. Their capsule wardrobes keep the "what should I wear today?" question and keeping it so simple with a quality, coordinated quantity of clothes. No choice fatigue in her wardrobe!

I admit, the concept is very appealing to me!

My husband enjoys that freedom. Every pair of jeans goes with every T-shirt he owns. He only have comfortable socks and undergarments and has few shoes (all neutral colours). There is his small selection of button up shirts and his one "good" pair of slacks. That's all he needs and other than dirtbiking, it suits all occasions!

Not saying I will switch to only T's and jeans, but the un-fancy contributors look pretty slick! I will be working my wardrobe in that direction.

Wish me luck, in this Essentialism evolution. Choices are power, I don't want to surrender my power to all the things in this house. ....

I will keep you posted.

* freely given away (it only took about 5 seconds for the first mom to hop on the offer) My yard is that much less cluttered now!

... you lose some

All in All the Paleo diet is going so very very well! The health improvements are monumental and the food is so yummy that it almost feels wrong. LOL

I have also pinpointed some foods that give me inflammation and bloating. Definitively connected cause and effect by first eliminating then introducing the foods.

Not surprising:
Grains/ Sugars give me brain fog, moodiness and slowness.
Dairy gives me immediate pain and bloating! (soft cheeses, milk, ice cream, sour cream, yogurt)

Completely shocked:
Tomatoes give me GI distress and joint pain.
WHAT?! I love tomatoes! L-O-V-E tomatoes... sauced, fresh, dried, stewed.... yum.

How did I learn this terrible news?! Since I cut out pasta, the tomatoes are not served as often (spaghetti was a staple dinner before).  And fresh tomatoes just aren't good around here this time of year so I haven't been adding them to the salads. I was easily able to make a direct correlation between my gastric issues and when I ate the tomatoes. :(  And now the intermittent joint stiffness makes sense too.

I was completely sidelined by that revelation since tomatoes are fine on Paleo. Now, I need to follow this one step further and cut out ALL the nightshades for a month. What if it's not just tomatoes, what if it's the whole family? Potatoes, Peppers, some spices, they could all be affecting me this way making my gut "leaky" and spastic. I have come this far with my food education, I will do this next step too. After the clean month I will try potatoes first and then the spices. HOPEFULLY all will go well and I just have to worry about my beloved tomatoes, why couldn't it be turnips that bugged me, I could easily leave out turnips!

Knowledge is power.

Through this process I have learned so much about my own body. Now I can choose to feel good! Just by knowing which foods make me feel bad and making conscious bites.

You win some...

I'm happily decluttering like crazy lately!

Sold a digital camera that was not me "good" one. I still had the software, cables and docking station and even a memory card to go with it. I wasn't using it and for $20 it made a fixed income grandma very happy to have an easy to use camera that didn't cost much!

Also I talked my younger boy into selling 3 large toy trucks. Good quality ones too.

And I have made a monumental choice to sell my beloved Chaise Lounge.

It's generous, its comfy and its a wonderful place to read a book by the window.... BUT it's HUGE in the space, it blocks a lot of light coming in and it's fitting the style I want for my home. I want the space more than I want the furniture at this point, so it's presently listed online.

Also, I took more books to the local elementary school as library donations.

And a stack of kitchen tools that I don't like and even MORE clothes to the thrift shop.

With every box that leaves, I feel lighter inside.

Food glorious food!

Feeling good! 

It's so much easier to get things done when you don't feel like a puffy toad, don't you think? 

The bad food cravings are a thing of the past. I am in love with the Paleo whole foods way of life. 

75% veggies + 25% meat = 100% delicious!

(Note 0%  processed foods, sugar, grains)

Sure some days don't go as planned and the crap gets in, but not much and not often! The result is worth the initial hassle of learning the rules. Seriously, I feel so good! And my husband and kids do too.

The extra energy has gone into just naturally moving more (sitting for hours in front of the TV is simply not appealing now). So decluttering is easier, the dog is getting more walks, the laundry gets put away, we are all sleeping better (husband has snored as long as I've known him -that's over 20 years- not snoring anymore!)

I'm gushing like a proud momma because it's just so good. If you are feeling pain, slowness or depression, or tired of acne and bloat, research the "Whole 30" first (it's the best plan for breaking the processed food cycle), then Google all the gorgeous, easy Paleo recipe blogs and pintrest boards. If your first reaction is panic at giving up something, then maybe you aren't ready to feel better. But if you the least bit excited about the food... Give it an honest try for 30 days!

The first 10 days can be a roller coaster of ick with your body panicking and all those things you are trying to fix go into hyper drive (aches, acne, bloat, lethargy, headaches) then the clouds lift, the cravings back off and the healing begins. Slow at first... Depending on haw damaged your system is it can take months to really feel "good", but you should feel "better" by the end of the 30 days, enough to maybe want to keep going! 

I'm not even sure I want to reintroduce some of the foods... They say you can bring back things for a couple days and see how it goes. Legumes, non-gluten grains, dairy, then gluten grains. But at this point I am doing fine without these things.

I'm pretty sure soy is something I can live without forever now that I've found the coconut aminos to replace soy sauce. Everywhere else, it's kind of hidden in processed foods, and my husbands homemade paleo mayonnaise is divine!

But it would be nice to try peanut butter again. If it turns out to disagree with me, oh well, but it is a comfort food for sure, and far less expensive than the nut butters.

Happy Shiny Me has never been a more honest blog name. I feel radiant these days! Thanks to good, honest food and a family that's on board!

It's not restrictive, it's liberating

Simplifying for a better quality of life is essentially why I started this blog.

Stuff has left the house by the box load, and it's helping clear my head with less bits and bobs to think about.

(Latest box of craft related items for charity)

But in recent times, with this best-ever healthy lifestyle change, my food shopping has been really simplified, and my pantry is streamlined like never before! There are whole departments of the grocery store that I can ignore! Fruit, veg (fresh, frozen or canned) and all sorts of yummy meats and seafood pretty much cover the whole list! No junk, juice or processed anything leaves out most of the inside aisles.  And the bread and dairy section have nothing for me (except milk for the kids). The weekly specials flyer can be looked through way faster too, only a couple pages even hold interest for me anymore. Just because it's on sale, not good enough reason to bring it home.

Reading labels is liberating. As soon as I come across an ingredient that I am rescuing my body from being exposed to I know I never have to buy that again! Of course my mind may change in the future, I may get more relaxed after I am through the "detox" and "healing" phases, but for now I am revelling in the clear and beautiful food choice "rules" and my body is rewarding me with smooth joints, clear thoughts, energy and good mood. All that just solidifies my resolve to keep doing this "easier" way of shopping.

I will admit, cooking and prepping take more time, but I am loving that part - exploring all the pretty and easily found recipes out there.

Wowza

My first attempt at making Kimchi was frankly terrible, then I found this Paleo version and decided to try it since veggies and fermented foods are both so good for us.

http://paleoleap.com/fermented-food-recipes/#s5

After a week of the mixture sitting quietly beside my fireplace, I decided to give it the sniff test. Mmmmm it smelled wonderful! Like spicy fresh saukraut (I loved my dad's  homemade saukraut). Then a tentative nibble.

Wowza! That stuff is electric flavours of spicy, salty and veggy in perfect harmony. 

So happy that it turned out like that. Thank you Paleo Leap for posting the lacto-fermentation recipes!

Confidence

The year is coming to a close. It's time for reflection on the accomplishments of the year's goals and unexpected happenings. The single most important change has been in my diet.

This way of eating has been good. REALLY good. The food is beautiful, tasty, filling and surprisingly easy to stick to in all situations. 

Yesterday, on a nice forest trail walk, I got a little choked up about how good I felt! This sounds strange, but I had resigned myself to feeling "old" in my joints and muscles. Now, suddenly I feel so much better. My body feels like it did 10 years ago (Not young exactly, but it's still early in the game on this way of feeding myself). The parking brakes are off my range of motion, the minor constant aches are not in my way anymore. My breathing is easier and my pants fit the same in the morning as they do at night (that's a big deal for me). The "balanced" diet I had been eating my whole life was making me slow, and I get teared up from joy and a little bit sad and sometimes even angry that I wasted this much time feeling old when it was so EASY to fix!

I'm not being antisocial with it. If there is a special reason to eat a certain food that's not normally on my menu, I take enough to participate. It's rare enough that my health is still improving even with all the Christmas feasting going on. 

On the topic of simplifying...

I have faith that this path of healthy eating is 100% sustainable, therefore I can confidently remove the clothes that fit 10 pounds heavier. 

5 pairs of pants, 12 tops, some sports bras are all off to the thrift store.

Outerwear outa here!

 Sorry for the terrible picture, it's dark this time of year. 

3 decent coats that no one fits and 3 pairs of dressy boots. 

I love the dressy boots look, but I realized that have my favourites and these aren't them, so off they go to a new home. Since I always buy them second hand, I don't feel like I have wasted money.... I just "rented" them for a year from the charity thrift shop for a very reasonable price!

That wasn't a bad purge for a 5 minute look in the front closet! It's amazing what can be lingering neglected behind closed doors. Now these things are off to a worthy cause and maybe a new home, that's a nice feeling.

Pantry clean out: revisited

This new way of eating that we have adopted - whole real foods - has resulting in very very good things in my family. Not only are we leaner, we just plain FEEL better! Physically and mentally clearer, more energy, a better sense of being ALIVE!

With results like that, I really can't see us returning to our eating habits, so I revisited the fridge and dry goods to get rid of even more processed and sugar or flour based foods.

My sister is adopting most of the open packages, and there is some unopened foods for charity too.

As I do more and more research, I see that there is a word for this kind of eating. 

We have adopted Paleo as our choice for feeling good. 

At first I heavily resisted giving up some of the grains, legumes and beans... And the sugar withdrawal was not fun. But as I read the medical arguments (there are a ridiculous number of medical studies) I appreciate that it might be worth it to at least see if I can live without these things I am just used to. 

Of course I can! Just trying to figure out what to eat each meal was the hard part at first. My go-to recipes and snacks were in question after all. So I am retraining myself to cook without these things thanks to ample blogs and recipe books! - the Paleo recipes are amazing! Full of colour, flavour and texture (all the things I love about cooking and food), this is a really diverse and bountiful way to eat and I have the pictures to prove it! 

And that's just a "taste" of the meals we have been enjoying lately.

Different Perspectives

Recently I found out that my husband doesn't think our 3 bedroom, 2 bath home is big enough!

I was shocked. Honestly for the life of me I can't figure out what he would want more space for! It's so far beyond my goals, that I can't think of anything to say about it. I always thought when the children left home that we would move into something smaller like a cottage in the back yard, then rent out the main house to supplement our old age income, but my husband says this house is as small as he wants. Gobsmacked how we could be so far apart in our vision of the future. I guess we both make compromises at every life-step.

Functionally, I think this is far more house than we need, but apparently he wishes it had a full basement as well. We are a family of 4, but our kids are getting older (17 and 13), less toys are coming in (yay!) and their interests are primarily outdoors or digital. So you would think this 1800 sqft rancher house would be more than ample!

Our oldest is anxious to start a life of his own within the next couple years, and will likely move hundreds of miles away for the best employment opportunities (and take his stuff with him). When that happens his room at the end of the hall has so much potential!

I could move the home office from the front room to there (not my favourite option because I like being in the big room next to the front door), or make a small TV room with hide-a-bed sofa to get the noisy video games out of earshot and double as a guest room that our oldest son could stay in when he visits, or a gym, or a craft/sewing room, or, or, or....

We have never had a "spare" room before! The potential is mind boggling (in a good way).

And our son has loads of outdoor gear that he would be encouraged to take too... bicycles, camping gear, tools, and other boy-interest paraphernalia. It would clear out gobs of garage space and a shed! ( I will love tearing those sheds down one day. Handy for now, but eye sores.)

Once again it makes me wonder why our house isn't "big enough" in my husband's eyes. It's only going to feel bigger from here on out. Especially as the purging continues daily bit by bit.

pretty serving dish.... unitasker whose function can be met by other dishes

hand painted pitcher (and 6 matching goblets not pictured) it is heavy and poorly balanced. A gift that I was hanging onto and using out of respect for the gifter

digital camera, charger and battery that was replaced by a newer faster version some time ago

box of miscellaneous cables, books and too-small-boots

... and more clothing and books and toys not pictured!

The fabulous Tea drawer

Drawers are a wonderful thing! Easy access to all sorts of random items, tidily tucked away with a gentle push. Of course this fantastic organizational tool can get terribly messy very quickly so diligence is needed to keep it all working well.

I have a few designated drawers in the kitchen. Items of one category and ONLY that category.

Saucepans

Plastic containers

Kitchen cloths

Spices

Teas

The drawer defines how much of that category I can store practically. I could have more than the drawer can handle, but that only leads to frustration and clutter (trust me, I know from years of experience). Some of the other drawers are less organized/defined. The chaos drawers!

Dry pantry goods like pasta and random bagged foods

Chef knives/measuring cups and spoons/ awkward utensils (like whisk)

Snack drawer

This drawers wax and wane with degrees of chaos and states of fullness. Works in progress...

But the defined drawers work VERY well as long as I stick to the one-in-one-out and respect the physical limits.

(I am particularly proud of my tea set up, it's a rainbow of tea options!)

Pantry clean out: dry goods edition

Eating better and making better choices while grocery shopping has left some items in my pantry that no longer fit my current lifestyle.

So off to the food bank bin they go.... I do feel a little bit of mixed emotions about this. After all, if I don't think it's good for me, why would I give it to someone else? On the other hand, it's completely edible and a loathe wasting food! So I will donate it and hope that the person actually wants these foods in their life. Who am I to sensor other people's diets, right? It's not total crap after all, just stuff I am choosing not to eat right now.

 There will be more to add to the donations as I tackle other cupboards....

In the fridge, I already got rid of the sugar laden condiments (except ketchup) and store bought salad dressings. I draw the line at the homemade jams, they are staying (to be used in moderation). Sure they are full of sugar, but I know exactly what is in them, nothing fake added! It wasn't fun putting the various types of goo down the sink, but it isn't suitable for the chicken or the compost (bears and raccoons would love that action). Oh I loathe wasting food even if it is just a few half empty bottles of things like nasty, processed, brand name ranch dressing!

gone gone gone

As summer leaves us and the leaves fall down and fall creeps in with cool nights and pretty smelling days, the sun peaks lower and the mountain peaks look clearer (and closer) and my clothes get their season change over.

The best mantra I have ever come up with above all others to make a decision about letting something go is this:

"WILL MY LIFE BE LACKING IF THIS IS NOT IN IT"

Anything I truly love or find genuinely useful could never accidentally get tossed, and the things that go are consciously devalued before going.

Honestly there are so many things in the average house that serve no real purpose, or could be so much better served with someone else! Sometimes its just a matter of timing, maybe the enjoyment has run it's course, or even the usefulness has served it's purpose in a different phase of life. Thats the thing about stuff, no decision to keep has to be permanent!

Even sentimental items. There are objects I clung to desperately in my young adult life that I find are more nuisance than joy now. Happy Shiny Me Solution: Take a lovely photo of it with good lighting and then release it to the next person that may appreciate it. Sometimes when I wonder "whatever happened to..." I scroll through the file that holds all those images and smile. No regrets with any of it so far.

As you can probably tell by the intro, this has been a great week for donations!

Pared down my jackets -I found SIX trench coats of different lengths and colours, but really, why?! I kept 1 long/light and 1 short/dark
Streamlined my dresses (asking my husband which were his favourites and boxing the rest)
Summer shoes that didn't get worn all season
Winter boots that I couldn't bear the thought of wearing again at for the upcoming season
Some tattered items got repurposed as garage rags
A small amount of office supplies I no longer use - donated
A few of my son's cute stuffed animals in perfect condition (he's 13 now)

In total: 2 decent sized boxes of stuff that won't be taking up space here anymore!

Not a bad start to fall!

Out Out Out!

I little bit early, but a change of season is a great opportunity to put my wardrobe on trial
Do I love it?
Did I wear it this year?
Does it flatter me?

I took away some unneeded/unloved summer clothes, a box of sandals that I didn't wear (thanks Toms for reliably simplifying my shoes), some books that I read and don't need to re-visit and some odd brick-a -brack that served no function (why was it still here?!)

A big bag, and 2 heavy boxes OUT OUT OUT!

Something to lose

I have a friend that is in distress. Her life is beyond her control and her coping mechanism to to control her "stuff" instead. Her need to hang on to too much has paralyzed her to the point of despair. She hates her home because it is too crowded and "too small" (it is crammed to the rafters with things she can't use because it's too crammed in).

She confessed she hasn't used the family dining room table in well over a year, but she continues to care for THREE full formal dinnerware sets in hopes that one day she can entertain. She has mountains of sturdy matching totes all carefully labeled and stacked full of toy sets that her growing children don't play with anymore. She has several shining steel baker's racks as room dividers artfully clothed in tailored fabrics used as pantries and wardrobes full of many types of multiples of food, cookware and linens (and more totes). Bookshelves in the narrow hallway, multiple dressers in each room, she even raised her bed to epic heights to accommodate more storage underneath.  her mantle is crammed full of her green glass collection to the point of some items being stacked. She claims that she loves every single piece and wants more.

It may be organized, but it is suffocatingly dense.

She ran out of room a long time ago, but refuses to get rid of anything no matter how long it's been since anyone has used it. She is so stressed out about it all that she has anxiety attacks on a daily basis. She has been hospitalized for stress related symptoms and her blood pressure is now serious enough for her to be medicated. I feel for her!

The writing is on the wall. No quick fix though, I think if her stuff was taken or destroyed it might send her over the edge. But, you know what, it's not her stuff - that's just a symptom - it's her relationships that are killing her. She doesn't trust that she can rely on the one she pledged to rely on, and the relationship is toxic in so many ways. He blames her and the stuff for his trouble, and she insulates herself with more stuff to protect herself from harmful events. The kids are living in a cluttered world of micro-managed stuff and parents that are stressed to breaking. It's brutal, and I am helpless to help her except by saying that I am there for her no matter what.

It's easy to blame the stuff.
It's easy to say "we just need more space/storage".
And that's what she always says... "It would be okay if I just had a proper place for everything, then we wouldn't argue and I wouldn't be so stressed all the time"

She is vehement that all of her things are useful and needed... even when I suggest she sell the items or give them to someone that needs them more to make more space. She desperately wants more space (hyperventilating and tense when she looks around) but ironically her home wouldn't be listable for sale in it's current density. And like most people, she couldn't afford to upgrade before selling.

Her home is the same size as mine and we have the same number of kids and pets and hobbies. My family eats together at table every night and host large family dinners at least 4 times a year (she says they eat in shifts at the crowded breakfast bar and haven't eaten together except at restaurants in months). The only real and meaningful difference is that I trust my life will provide what I need even if I get rid of stuff. I feel safe in my life.

I am not a minimalist, not even close. And my home is not a tidy show home either. But I have a happy life and am surrounded by love. Most importantly, I trust my life not to leave me stranded. (Not to say crap can't happen, it all could be taken away in an instant, but I'm loving NOW and genuinely believe I am safe NOW)

Her uncertainty and feeling of insecurity has eaten her reasonable mind. Like water eroding a stone. I've known her for 20 years now (before changeable career, chaotic kids, and untrustworthy husband) and when I met her she was in control of her finances, and hopeful of the future. Her home was a lovely display of good taste and light. She is intelligent and logical in all other things except this, and because I love and respect her as a longtime friend I can talk to her when she wants to talk and encourage any movement she is willing to make (or admit needs to be made).

I'm uncomfortable writing all that down. Just because it's an invasion into her personal life and I feel like I'm making sweeping assumptions. Know that this came from a place of love and respect for the woman I know she wants to be. I'm no professional on these matters, and I can NOT judge her for her choices that were all made with nothing but the very best hope for a loving future. Like I said, she is intelligent and I respect her very much even if I am worried that she is a little lost right now.

Every Day

Every day is full of new challenges and adventures.

Every day I am finding something to declutter from the house and a healthy something to eat from the garden, so every day I find something to be happy about!

Some days are mundane (full of answering work emails) and some are full of small thrills (like harvesting the 24th zucchini) - note just because the thrill is small doesn't make it any less fun!

I have never enjoyed gardening so much! There is something completely wonderful about eating something scratched out of the earth from your own efforts. Sure the lettuce may be a bit "intense" compared to grocery store stuff (more vitamins?) and everything has to be checked over for bug-damage... but that's just proof that it's got no pesticides. I love it.

Pantry Challenge

It's Pantry Challenge time again!

With the garden in full giving of many beautiful veggies, it's time to clear out some space in the freezer in anticipation of more harvests.

We've been very mindful about processed foods since April, so no ugly ingredients have been in the pantry for a while (amazingly easier to shop!), food is eaten more regularly and it's REAL food!

The freezer is fairly full, again, but it's all good stuff.  No "convenience" meals.... have you ever noticed how so-called convenience entrees take just as long to bake as fresh meals that are simply better in every way? The only challenge is being sure that the ingredients are at hand.... mindful shopping and menu planning easily take care of that.

My number one tip for better meals every night of the week:
- Look at the weekly flyer and plan meals around the local, seasonal foods that are on sale.
(I plan for 5 dinners and make enough for leftovers to take for lunches - 2 spontaneous dinners a week either from opportunities provided by meat discounts or other unplanned invitations or cravings)

Little food is spoiled and between the wonders of homemade soups, stir fries and our chickens eating the scraps.

But for now, dinner plans with be made around the freezer's inventory and my garden's yield instead.

Today's Small Victory

Time to go through the closet again. Like brushing teeth, it's a chore that has the best preventative effects when done more often.

Sometimes the best line of attack is to remove EVERYTHING from the drawer or rod and start from scratch. When everything is cleared out, it only takes a moment to give the emptied space a quick vacuum or wipe, then a nice, clean place to put back only the BEST stuff.

Be HONEST about what should go back so that the wardrobe is full of good feelings.

Is this in the right place?
Does it fit?
Is it flattering?
Is it out of date?
Has it seen better days? (Is it worth repairing?)
When is the last time I wore it?
Do I like it?

Another thing to keep in mind its whether your lifestyle has had any significant changes. For example: when I changed from the full-time professional office environment to a freelance-from-home work life, it took me YEARS to admit that I only needed enough slacks and blazers for the very occasional meeting instead of every day. As a result I was able to purge all but the VERY BEST of this category of professional clothes and give the rest away. Now when I do have a meeting it's very easy to put together a nice outfit and I freed up a significant amount of closet space.  Moving to a different climate would be a similar opportunity to purge.

Today's small victory:

And from my youngest son's shirt drawer:

some are rags, most are off to another family

Body Clutter Update.

It was month of no wheat (though I once accidentally tested the the kid's pasta for done-ness out of habit) and my refined sugar intake was ALMOST completely removed too. Though I binged on chocolate one day - about 75g of milk chocolate, and felt icky for many hours afterwards.

Unfortunately I have not seen much in the way of success. The initial carb-flu whoas were followed by a bright clarity that was nice, and I thought I might be losing some weight and water retention. But it was different from day to day and I haven't nailed down why. Some days were slim, light and perky, others were puffy, heavy and achy!

The bulk of the experiment is over, 4 weeks was enough for me to get into a habit of whole foods. I will continue to choose real foods and avoiding processed. But I'm not going to be super-stringent about gluten anymore, though I will choose other options if they are available.  Sugar is still a struggle for me, and I will continue to fight that addiction.

Thinking ahead, I will stick with my original plan... real, whole, healthy foods. It can't hurt, right?

Maybe I have it all wrong and it's not food, but some other environmental trigger?

Meanwhile my meals will continue to be beautifully colourful and interesting!