One New Habit

How about getting a head start on those New Year's resolutions?

I'm not talking about a major, all-at-once, life overhaul. This is the wrong time of year for that, and those never work, anyway.

I'm talking about adopting one, small, daily habit that can have a huge impact on your health and all aspects of your life. Some ideas:

Drink more water (yes, I'm harping on that again!).

Take a daily multivitamin.

Use the stairs instead of the elevator.

Compliment someone. Sincerely. At least once a day.

Floss.

Do some stretching.

It would be great if you all could post other ideas for each other in the comments field. This doesn't have to be huge. One small habit to start TODAY that will benefit you for the rest of your life. A gift to yourself.

Smile, baby, smile!

1) It's cheap, legal, and makes you feel good.

2) This is the best time of year to practice smiling; everyone is countering Seasonal Affective Disorder with Holiday Cheer -- join in!

3) Seeing your smile makes other people happy.

4) Smiling is healthy. Just doing it (even if you don't feel like it) releases endorphins, reducing stress and making you feel better.

5) Others are more apt to like and trust you if you give them a genuine smile.

6) Smiling can make suspicious people even more so, and it's fun to mess with the paranoid and grouchy.

Why Organic? Part One, or Some Good Dirt

I'm going to save the alarmist stuff for later: those who don't already know that bad stuff about commercial agriculture wouldn't really hear it anyway, right? We'll start with some basics.

At the heart of organic agriculture is an approach to plant nutrition completely different from its commercial counterpart. (I am using the phrase "commercial agriculture" to denote today's "standard" methods of using chemicals to grow things, attempting to avoid more inflammatory buzz words. I do acknowledge that any organic farmer who sells his products is commercial.) Organic growers follow the age-old precept of feeding the soil. They know that good, healthy plants require good, healthy soil, and most of their energy goes into the long-term maintenance of this under-foot ecosystem . Good soil is abundant with life, from beneficial bacteria and fungi to earthworms, all of which work to make the nutrients in the soil accessible to the plants. Organic farmers tend to the life of the soil, knowing that healthy plants are sure to follow.

In contrast, commercial growers focus on feeding the plants, giving them specific nutrients for a specific short-term goal, usually a higher yield this year. Unfortunately, the compounds containing these nutrients are detrimental to the beneficial organisms in the soil, so over time the only nutrients the plants get are the ones in the "fertilizers." It's a bit like popping a vitamin C tablet instead of eating a varied, healthful diet; any good effects are going to be short-lived. So the farmer has to give successive generations of crops more and more of these "fertilizers," as well as insecticides to protect the ever-weakening plants from bugs, and herbicides so sickly crop plants don't have to compete with weeds for the dwindling supply of nutrients. It can be a bit of a downward spiral.

Finding Jeans -- or Persistence Can Pay

I've been wearing the same two pair of jeans for a year and a half now. They are dying (one pair was second-hand when I got them, the other I've just worn the crap out of), and I must replace them, which I have been trying to do for a year. But I have these fit issues (which I won't go into now) and nothing ever works.

And it's so frustrating. I'd go into a series of stores, each of which carries maybe three different brands, trying on the most promising three or four pair in each store, putting my shoes back on to trek to each successive establishment, trying to hurry as my husband and toddler waited (very patiently, I must add) at every stop.

So last night I went to TJMaxx all by my lonesome:

14 pairs in my size range in styles that I thought I could be caught dead in, some were even cute.

11 different manufacturers (best reason to go to a store like this!)

All 14 fit fairly well around the hips, tush, and thighs.

1 pair was generally too big in the waist (and they were adorable, more like denim trousers than jeans; too bad they didn't have those in a smaller size for me to try)

10 pairs gaped at the back waist to varying degrees, from "obvious that I'm wearing underwear" to "what kind of lace does said underwear have around legs?"

1 pair cut into my belly, causing stuff to squish over the top, and gaped at the back waist (talk about adding insult to injury).

1 pair gaped in the back and gave me the Supreme Wedgie (okay, maybe that's when the injury happened).

1 pair fit! Truthfully, a bit snug, but wearable. I'd try the next size up by that maker, but all identifying marks have been obliterated, which could be part of the reason for the $16.99 price tag. These are some one-and-onlys. Don't worry, I'll be sure to enjoy them. Until they die. And I get to do it all over. But at least now I have a method!

Five-Cent Facial

Cleanse and rinse your face as normal.

Sprinkle some baking soda onto your fingertips and rub it gently into your still-damp skin, avoiding the eye area. If you share your house with little ones, you can borrow one of those baby washcloths, but be gentle and use almost no pressure. Baking soda is mildly abrasive and therefore exfoliant. It also dissolves fats, so any sebum built up on the surface of your skin will be cleaned away.

Rinse thouroughly.

While your skin is still wet, spread some honey on it. The thin and crinkly bits around your eyes can take some too, just be sure to keep it out of your eyes themselves. Honey is a natural humectant (it attracts moisture), is very nourishing, and has antibiotic properties. Let it sit on your face for a few minutes, while you do the whole brushing/flossing thing.

Rinse. Pat dry.

At least once try sleeping without your moisturizer after doing this; let your skin breathe all night.

Ridiculous New Product

Imagine a product that requires more of your hard-earned money while adding nothing to the quality of your life, introducing yet another chemical cocktail to your household (and the waterways), potentially irritating your child's skin, and cluttering up landfills. How did we ever live without it?

Huggies disposable bath mitts with built-in Watermelon Splash body wash.

"Now my toddler can wash himself!" because the washrag and soap weren't working for you? My toddler is doing just fine, thank you, and her soap has no irritating artificial scents in it.

"Less laundry, more fun!" because those washcloths, they pile up so fast? Frankly, I'd rather add a few washrags to a load every couple of days than have a week's worth of soggy mitts sitting in my garbage can come trash day -- Ew.

In addition to actually thinking before buying this product (or any of the similar washcloths and wipes Huggies is currently marketing), you can drop the company a line at http://www.huggieshappybaby.com/utility/contactus.aspx You can call, or write, or fill out the online form they have so thoughtfully provided.

Lose 10-11 Pounds a Year Without Even Trying!!

You know that 2 liters of water you've been drinking every day? (What!?! You haven't been? We must work on that. It's good for you, dearest.) Supposing you have been drinking your water, here's a simple little tweak:

Make that same water COLD, and you could burn an additional 100 calories per day. (The blurbs I've read haven't gone into a lot of detail, but I'm guessing it just takes a certain number of BTUs to get the water up to body temperature.) 100 calories per day, times 365 days per year, equals 36,500 calories per year. A pound of body weight "costs" 3,500 calories; so in a year that cold water would theoretically be worth 10.43 pounds.

Now, if you eat the way I tend to, that may be 10.43 pounds not gained rather than actually lost, but that is worth something in terms of life-long health. This one is easy; do it for you.

Recipe -- Lentils and Rice

This recipe takes a little planning (must start cooking before you get hungry) as it spends some time on the stove, but only requires about 5 minutes of hands-on time. Use the simmer time to spend some QT with those near and dear.

1/2 t Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
3/4 c Lentils
4 c Water
1 c Long Grain Brown Rice
3/4 t Salt
1/2 t Black Pepper
1/2 t Cumin

Saute onion in the oil in a non-stick pot until translucent. Add the lentils and water; bring to boil, turn down heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the rice, re-cover, and cook for an additional 45 minutes. Stir in seasonings. Enjoy. Tasty with earlier Green Bean recipe.

Serves 5: 1 cup has about 250 calories, 11 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fiber.

All ingredients are readily available and inexpensive (even organic) and are easily kept on hand to throw together when you don't know what else to cook.

It May (Not) Be About You

I haven't written in the last week because I'm a tad paranoid. I've been asked (more than once) if prior posts were intended for a specific other person; which in a way is good. At least folks are seeing some connection to their own experience, even if that connection is not direct. Now I'm caught between the desire to have a positive influence on someone's life and the fear that someone else will take a general comment personally and feel the need to dislike me.

Long term, I hope to see this little "e-zine" I'm working on read by more than "just" people that I know. To write about specific people would bore and turn off other potential readers. Not my goal, really. So if you should ever suspect a post is about you, or someone we both know, here is what I suggest:

Decide if the information is valid and useful. If it isn't, disregard it; simple as that. If it is, use it freely, and consider it a secret gift from me to you. It doesn't matter whether you were the inspiration for the piece or not; if it makes you think, informs you of new options, or helps you with a decision (even the simple ones, like "what's for dinner?"), then my mission is accomplished.

Yeah, Freecycle

I went to http://freecycle.org, found a local group and joined it.

Someone posted that they needed a desk.

I responded that I had a big, heavy desk in my garage.

He came and took the desk away.

I now have a lot more space in my garage.

He posted about how the desk is perfect for his needs and fits in his space so well.

I am very happy.

It's simple, and it works. Check it out.

Choices -- part one

We all make thousands of choices every day -- what shoes to wear, if I should stop for that yellow light, if it's a good idea to criticize another person, what salad dressing, whether to hug somebody, paper or plastic? Then there are the more momentous choices -- what college to attend, which job offer to accept, whether to give this guy another chance, do I stand up for what I believe is right even though I will probably loose?

Maybe it's only in my little world, but it seems more people have been complaining about the consequences of their own actions lately. Before making a complaint, think very hard about how your own choices got you where you are and figure out how to do better next time.

Some suggestions:
Choose to turn off the television and go for a walk instead of moaning about your clothes becoming too tight.
Instead of grumbling that your spouse ignores you, decide to give him or her a back rub tonight.
Instead of complaining about your job, find another one; if there isn't another one, be grateful for the one you have.
Choose to cease unnecessary expenditures (meals out, toys, alcohol, new clothes) rather than gripe that finances are tight.
As an alternative to complaining about a toxic relationship, resolve to get out and put it behind you.
Instead of fussing about how much you have to do, learn to say "no" when others ask for yet another piece of you.
Choose to count your blessings! If you are reading this, then chances are good that you have not lost your home and livelihood due to recent tragic events -- be very, very thankful, look at what good things you have in your life, and figure out how to use them to help those who need it.

With every action we take we make a choice. Even the minute ones matter. If we choose with some awareness, we'll feel less likely to complain about the outcome.

Drink Your Water

I'm going to remind you of this one frequently.

There are all sorts of reasons to drink water instead of other things, and lots more of it. Today, the overview:

Water is inexpensive.
Water is readily available.
It is non-caloric.
It contains neither caffeine nor additives that leach calcium from your body.
Nor does it contain artificial flavorings or colorings that your liver and kidneys have to filter out.
Water is necessary to get nutrients to the cells of your body.
It is also necessary to carry waste away from your cells and get it out of your body.
Consuming water may actually cause you to burn more calories.

That's a good start. Go fill up your water bottle. Don't have a bottle? Use a glass or a cup; I know you have something that will work.

Recipe -- Green Beans with Garlic

I’m usually a plain-veggie kind of girl, but this lightly doctored recipe is yummy. Everyone in my house likes it.

Ingredients:
4 cups (or one pound) Frozen Green Beans
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

Directions:
Place beans, oil and garlic in a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are nearly thawed. Add soy sauce and continue stirring until heated through and the sauce has been soaked up by the beans and garlic. Eat ‘em.
Serves four. About 64 calories per serving.

Bye-bye, Bagworms

Our lovely front-yard redbud had an icky bagworm infestation. That's one of those things that needs to be taken care of in a timely fashion (the darn things just multiply and harm the tree, and we really, really like the tree). The one organic method I know of to get rid of bagworms is to clip off the affected branch and set the whole webby, baggy mess into a bucket of water. The worms drown, you empty the bucket, end of story. Easy right?

Except that invariably part of the branch sticks out of the water, and the worms head for higher ground. What starts as an impersonal eradication of ugly bags turns into a face-to-face battle against hundreds of cute, little, fuzzy caterpillars. They climb up and up until they run out of stick, and hang on with their back feet while their upper bodies wiggle about feeling for another solid surface to cling to -- I swear they send out tiny, squeaky "Help us" signals. Then somehow one caterpillar's front feet make purchase on the edge of the bucket and others follow it to safer ground. Since the whole purpose of the exercise is to get rid of bagworms I can't just let them climb down the bucket, across the grass and back onto the tree; so I hang out with another stick, diligently flicking the escapees back into the water and actively assuming the role of "murderer."

The sort of ill feeling that comes from actively killing little, white, fuzzy caterpillars (they didn't intend any harm, after all) is, of course, amplified by the fact that my toddler is squatting down next to the bucket and talking to them. "Hi, bugs. Hi. What doing, bugs? Bugs swimming? Hi." Yeah. I start to wonder a little about what she's learning from this experience, watching Mommy put into the water innocent creatures that obviously cannot swim.

Long term it's all good, right? In a couple of years I can explain to her that one reason we do it this way instead of spraying on some chemicals and walking away (easier to disassociate with the whole death thing that way, I'll admit) is because the good bugs are hurt by the spray, too. And yes, there are good bugs. The praying mantis in our front bushes will eat aphids and other harmful insects for dinner, as will the lady bug on the slide in the backyard. And that bee pollinating the autumn clematis may just make some honey. And because all of them have been allowed to do their thing, future generations of praying mantises and lady bugs and bees can do their good things.

So I can take a deep breath, let the queasiness subside, and know that long term the experience was all worthwhile. I saw to the health of our tree in a way that did not jeopardize the future health of our yard.

The Art of Retouching

When I first began flirting with the idea of starting a blog, this is SO not how I thought it would begin. But I think this is important.

Before I give you the link to The Art of Retouching's portfolio, I have to say that I believe Glenn Feron is highly talented and very good at what he does. But when I was describing the site to my mom, she said she thought tweaking media images should be illegal; and a small part of me feels that way too. Before I show how truly wishy-washy I am on this point, have a look at:
http://glennferon.com.nyud.net:8090/portfolio1/index.html

Lesson number one is that NOT EVEN MODELS REALLY LOOK LIKE WHAT WE SEE IN THE MAGAZINES! We all know this on a conscious level; but seeing is believing, and we see these glossed up images in the media day after day. Does seeing so many before and after shots help the reality sink in? Consider that these are all beautiful, fit people to begin with. Then they put on make-up and special clothes. Then they walk into an environment enhanced by professionals to provide the most flattering light. Then they pose and are photographed from the most flattering angle by other professionals . . . resulting in the BEFORE shot. THEN Mr. Feron works his magic.

As we are presented with these retouched images daily, and invariably compare ourselves to something that is not real, the whole situation would seem, well, bad. But let me present another side . . .

The second lesson: SUBTLE CHANGES CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. A minor reshaping of a shirt's neckline can flatter your jawline. A slight change in posture can smooth those skin wobbles. A tiny shift in the hairline can draw attention to already gorgeous eyes. An uncluttered background lets the people in the room take center stage. If something small, safe, and inexpensive can make a big difference my self-perception, shouldn't I try it? By way of example, the most consistent change Mr. Feron has made in his portfolio photographs is to even out skin tone. Some self-tanner (Lavera makes a safe one) or a little foundation (Bare Minerals is natural and has an SPF of 15) can do that for most anyone. I think my spider viens will get a coat of tanner tonight -- they will still be there, but maybe I will notice them less for a few days. It's a little thing I can do for me.

There could be other little lessons hiding in that portfolio. Take only what benefits you. I got some amusement at what Feron and/or his market percieve as beautiful: sometimes less is more (bodices and bellies were almost universally reduced), sometimes more is more (both bottoms and the clothing covering them were increased). And I got some catty satisfaction in knowing that even those gorgeous models have thier tummies flattened and thier celulite smoothed.