Monday, March 21, 2011

Does eating healthy cost more?


Last week we got a membership to Sam’s Club.  We had one before, and now that we again live within a reasonable distance from one, we decided to get another membership.

I like Sam’s as much as the next person.   It has a pretty good offering of things that you can’t get elsewhere, and the produce is great.  I also like their selection of meat.  I’m not necessarily seeing better food prices, though, so I’ve come to a dilemma.  As you know, I want to eat better.  I want my family to eat better.  You also know that we are on a tight budget.  All of that being said, do we dig into our budget so we can spend more money on better food?  

To some of you this is a no-brainer.  Of course we should spend money on food that’s better for us.  For me, though, dealing with a tight budget… what do I do?  In my experience fresh food is less costly than processed, preservative-laden food, but I’ve found contradictory articles on this.  This article states that calorie for calorie, healthy food costs more.  It also states that people with lower incomes are likely to be overweight for this reason.  However, THIS article in Shape Magazine says that you can avoid higher costs by simply following a few guidelines.  It also says there are no “bad” foods.  Hmmm… I think I need to chew on that a bit.  As you can guess, most of what I read fell into either of these two categories.  Didn’t help me much.  And I didn’t really see anything different coming from nutritionists or doctors.  I found that odd.    
Certified Organic food is more expensive.  Period.  I’ll leave that one alone, even though I’m going to try to move in that direction.  That’ll be fodder for another article.  

After all of that soul-searching, I’m hungry.  So I’m munching on some grapes.  And I’ve decided that I’m just going to go for it like I’ve wanted to all along.  I’ll let you know what my experiment produces.  In the meantime, let me know what YOU think.  Are healthy foods more costly? 

Friday, March 18, 2011

Cut the Old Food Out of Your Fridge


It can kill you.  And if it doesn’t, it’ll give you wicked food poisoning.  

What is the reason for this rant, you ask?  Salsa.  OLD salsa.  I mistakenly thought it was “okay” and ate it with my chimichanga on Tuesday.  A few hours later I was SORRY.  REALLY sorry.   I was miserable and missed two days from work. 

All of that got me wondering about how long we should leave opened bottles of Pace Picante Sauce in the fridge.  Among other things.  I know that food I prepare myself should stay in the fridge no longer than 4 days before it goes in the trash.  But what about all that preservative-laden stuff I’m currently trying to get rid of?  (Yes.  I’m eating it.  I don’t want to waste it. )  So I did what every person of the 21st Century does.  I Googled it. 

I found this article that gives a pretty good idea of time frames on how long we should leave certain things in the fridge.  But it wasn’t enough, really.  It says that pasta sauce lasts 5 days after being opened.  Does salsa fall in the same category as pasta sauce?  I want to know about PRESERVATIVE-LADEN foods. They do have a shelf life; I get that.  But what about that expiration date?  Does that mean on the shelf, before it’s opened?  Or in the fridge AFTER it’s opened?  Does that expiration date mean you should eat it BEFORE?  Or is that really a guideline?  You know… like the pirate code that nearly screwed Johnny Depp out of the Black Pearl?  I’m just sayin’…

So that brought my search to THIS article on WebMD.  This article states that the expiration date is the “eat by” date.  The “sell by” date is another story altogether, and the two should not be confused.  To make matters worse, most items have “sell by” rather than “expiration” stamped on them somewhere.   There are other pesky things on packaging that don’t really help us much… such as “best if used by” and “pack” dates.   The article goes on to talk about other things with expiration dates like drugs and condoms, but since the main crux of my search was focused on food items, I skimmed over these sections. 

I read other items that pretty much say the same thing.  These “dates” they put on our food are guidelines.  Just like I thought.  What have I learned from all of this, you ask?  I need to look at dates on packaging and be more vigilant about what I put in my body.  Hopefully, once I get all the food-flavored preservatives out of my house, I’ll not have to worry about such things.  

Wish me luck.      

Monday, March 14, 2011

And OH How Our Garden Grows!

So, after the success we had last year with our small experimental garden, we are going to plant an even bigger garden this year.  We’ve already started growing our seeds in little pods that sit in our kitchen.  Megan is having great fun checking them every day to see what has sprouted and what is growing larger.  This weekend we put these seedlings in bigger pots to start acclimating them to the great outdoors.  Eventually, we’ll put these plants in the ground when the threat of frost/snow has passed.  Can’t wait for that!

I can’t begin to tell you how much I love eating fresh fruits and veggies.  There really is no substitute.  We hope to harvest and freeze right away to seal in freshness.  In the meantime, though, I’ve found a wonderful site of which I might consider becoming a patron: Door-to-door Organics.  I think this is a wonderful idea!  Why not support our local growers? Of course, part of the year this company procures it’s produce from California growers.  Still, I think this might be something I’d like to explore a little bit more.    

Friday, March 11, 2011

Thursday, March 10, 2011

And more about stress relief

In honor of yesterday’s post, I decided to look up how other people relieve stress.  I did a search on Yahoo Answers (yes, I like using this medium), and was not surprised to see that this question has been asked before.  Many times.

Physical activity comes out on top.  What kind of physical activity, you ask?  ALL kinds… from walking, to yoga, to sex (and that one came on top, too).  Many others cited quiet time activities like reading, massage, tv, simply doing nothing at all, etc.  There were a lot of crude answers I won’t share here, but they definitely got points for being colorful.  Here are a few of my favorites:
  • Here’s a comment that I swear my husband wrote: “In no particular order: Scotch, sex, spending a few hours on a combat pistol range with my favorite 'therapist' (a ParaOrdinance P45.15), throwing myself out of an airplane, or trying to pull the wings off of one.”
  • “Harassing people who ask stupid questions on Yahoo Answers. Or taking a huge dump. It's a close call.”
  • This person reminded me of my dad: “don't laugh,,,but I like to build model cars,,it takes my mind off what is bothering me,,makes me think about what i'm doing,,such small detail,,I like to paint everything,,the gauges on the dash board,radio buttons,,,the lug nuts on the wheels,,it really makes me concentrate,,so I forget about the day I've had,,specially if it was a bad day,seems to work for me!”
  •  “I take two eggs and roll them in my hands like stress balls.  But I'd love to try destroying a room.”
  • “Putting on the music loud.  The landlady comes to complain. We start quarrelling. I`m shouting at her, she`s shouting back, I`m blaming her for every single evil on earth, she`s threatening she will raise my rent or kick me out of the house. Then all of a sudden I become quite. I realize my problems are nothing compared to walking homeless as a street dog, my aggression and frustration are relieved by speaking out , so I give her a kiss plus a piece of cake and I`m the old me again.  If it doesn`t work, try kickboxing:)  Seriously, don`t hide anything in yourself, just say it all aloud. There will be always someone to listen and help.”
Stress relief is very obviously necessary.  Without it, we’d all go bonkers, and, dare I say it, the Human Race would no longer exist.  We would have killed each other to extinction long ago.  I should think that more people need to better handle their stress.  I know I’m one of them, and I know that I don’t manage it nearly as well as I could.  But seriously, wouldn’t life be much more simple if everyone could find his/her specific pressure relief valve and use it on a regular basis?  Is this a no-brainer, and if so, why haven’t we all caught on?   

Suffice it to say that while I do get stress relief from writing, I could use a bit more physical activity.  I think I’ll up the ante on that particular item.  In fact, I’m going to do whatever it takes to get the stress out of my life… one step at a time.    

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

To write or not to write...

I’m trying to get better about posting on my blog.  It IS, after all, an outlet for me.  I need to write.  It’s like a pressure relief valve.  I started thinking about what this really means to me the other day.  

At work, I’m part of this writer’s group that meets once a week in the break room for a write-in.  On the weeks that I can participate, I’ve noticed a marked improvement in my work performance overall.  I feel better about things.  I respond more quickly to my action items.  I’m slower to anger and angst.  I actually have some clarity by and large.   I think that by writing on a regular basis that I cut certain amounts of stress from my life.  In short, writing is good for me.  

I found an older blog post that pondered the value of daily writing.  It states that in order to get therapy from journal writing, that one must chronicle feelings and emotions.  I’m not sure I agree with that completely.  I seem to be reaping benefits just from blogging and working on my novel.  I share feelings here, but they aren’t in depth.  Even this small exercise is great therapy for me.  I would encourage anyone to take up writing as a form of stress relief.  Even WebMD recommends it.  :) 

What other ways do any of you relieve stress?  Let me know.        

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

YAY For New Phones!


I just complicated my life with a new cell phone.  An HTC Inspire 4G.  Boy oh boy is this thing awesome!  I spent a large part of my evening playing with it and downloading free apps.  The touch keyboard is taking some getting used to, but I think I’ll figure it out eventually.  The new droids now make it easier to get all my exchange server email/calendar/tasks.  I’m LOVING it.  This thing is LIGHTYEARS beyond my old Blackberry 8310.

I think I simplified my work life by purchasing this phone.  Everything else got a bit more interesting, though, as I think I’m addicted to apps.  LOL  Do any of you have any app suggestions?  Hahaha!      

Monday, March 7, 2011

SoCal, here we come! Hopefully.


As some of you have heard by now, we’re planning a trip to SoCal for Spring Break this year.  We haven’t seen our family there in AGES.  In fact, the grandparents haven’t even met X yet, and he’s 18 months old.  Yes, we are overdue for a visit!

As we have eagerly been anticipating this trip, we started to make a list of all the things we wanted to do/see/show the children while we’re there.  My hubby and I grew up in SoCal.  We know the ins and outs (speaking of which, we’ll DEFINITELY be eating a meal at In-N-Out), and we know we can enjoy some time at the beach without spending too much money.  However, we do have a limited budget.  So, we had to cut out the crap from our activity wishlist.  We won’t be going to San Diego.  We’re trying to see which relatives will let us crash a night or two at their place so we can whittle down the hotel expenses.  
I think what we’re learning is that we need to figure out what we want most out of this trip.  We want to see our families, AND we want to go to Disneyland.  All that other stuff… whale watching, Queen Mary, etc, can be done later.  Now, I’m not suggesting that everyone should cut stuff from their vacation itinerary.  I’m saying we had to for the sake of our budget.  LOL  

ON that note, does anyone have any cheap suggested for activities in SoCal?       

Friday, March 4, 2011

If you wanted to make your life more simple, what would you cut out?

I posted this question on Yahoo Answers over 8 months ago with the intention of sharing the answers on this blog.  Boy.  Am I behind.  I think it just goes to show you how completely crazy things have been. 

I did get some interesting answers, though, and I wanted to share some of them with you here. The answer that was voted the best by the readers was this: “My very simple answer to this is: I would cut out the wish to make my life more simple”  This man went on to explain that he moved to an island (near Spain in the Mediterranean) and purchased some land with an 800-year-old ruin on it.  He went completely off the grid and enjoyed it.  Then more people moved to the island and things started to get more complicated.  This made him unhappy and caused him to conclude “I can add something else what I would cut out if I could restart my intention for a more simple life: I would cut out the wish to share my life with others.”  I think this is so sad.  I don’t want my life to be so simple that it cuts out interaction with other people.  Reading his response further revealed that he actually did strike an equilibrium.  “Reflecting a bit more about the question, I conclude that it is not what one might *cut out* but what one gains as insights that makes one’s life more easy. As more one comes near to ones *essence* as more simple becomes one’s life, at least this is my experience after long enough struggling and fooling around...”  

By far, this was the most interesting answer I’ve ever received on Yahoo Answers.  It was eye-opening.  Mostly, other people wanted to get rid of material encumbrances that bogged them down.  Others were more esoteric and I think they directed their answers to the WORLD… they said they wanted to get rid of greed, fighting, misunderstandings, etc. 

There were other colorful answers.  Here are a few: 
  • virtue and brains? [REALLY? That one doesn’t make sense] jewels?   my perpetual attitude of suspicion and refusal ?  social non-conformity ?
  • Cut out subconscious desire (be able to better control emotions). For example, it would be easier to get over a past relationship/feelings for someone etc. Life would be so much simpler. [this person must have recently gone through a tough break-up]
  • electricity!!!  That would make my life simpler and happier!!! [I wonder if they had a high energy bill that month]
  • Desire.  Blessings [why on earth would anyone want to get rid of desire? OR BLESSINGS?]
  • My frontal lobe. [maybe that would be a good idea]

So now I’m going to pose the question to you, the readers.  What would you get rid of to make your life more simple? 

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Kick Immunity into High Gear with a Kicky Song

Given that we're just now getting over being sick for two months, I thought this particular article to be pretty relevant. :) I think it's obvious to anyone with a brain that mind, body, and soul are all interconnected. One affects the others. Keeping yourself upbeat and happy can definitely have a positive outlook on everything else. The purpose of this blog, as I've stated multiple times, is to chronicle my family's journey to simplicity... that includes keeping things simple on the inside.

Of course, what might seem simple for one person may not seem simple for another... and some people prefer complexity. Whatever floats your boat. Just keep a positive attitude, and I'm sure you'll do fine!

Kick Immunity into High Gear with a Kicky Song

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Rain Barrels

So we're hoping to buy some rain barrels with some of our tax return.  I've been pretty excited about the idea of harvesting rainwater to water our garden.  I feel green all over.

But have any of you actually PRICED rain barrels?  They're not cheap.  In fact, I'd venture to say they are pretty darned expensive for the most part.  Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting.  The cheapest I've seen so far is $89 for a 40gal barrel.  That's not too bad, I suppose, but it's ugly.  There are plenty of choices out there, though.  I just have to decide how much money I want to spend. 

Do any of you have any suggestions?