The winner of UPrinting.com‘s 500 Custom Business Cards is Danielle at Mom With a Minivan. Congratulations!

Imagine, for a moment, that you have an awesome new idea for a business. You decide the concept is too good not to pursue, so you decide to give up your current pursuits and embark on developing your new company.

What do you do?

Well, first you develop your idea. You write down your goals and the steps you need to take to get the venture going. You determine your start-up costs, create a budget, and search for sources to fund your venture. You create a mission statement. You write your business plan. You consult experts to gain the financial, insurance, and legal issues of your endeavors. You consider your overall package in terms of marketing and networking. You establish business hours. You acquire the tools and office equipment to set up your work environment. And, after you have taken all of these steps, you open for business.

Have you ever thought about how employing the same steps to setting up a business would also be beneficial for setting up our homes?

Think about it. As a mother, we have a multitude of responsibilities: tending to the physical, mental, and spiritual health of our children; planning and shopping for meals; cleaning, organizing, and decorating our homes; scheduling and planning for events, holidays, and appointments; providing transportation services; assisting at school, church, or other community functions; managing the household budget and paying bills; caring for the family’s clothing; and a plethora of other duties too numerous to mention. Our homes are mini-corporations; our “product” is a healthy, well-adjusted family.

And yet, most of the time, mothers are flying by the seat of their pants, so to speak. Issues are dealt with as they approach critical mass. Clothes are washed hours before they are needed. Women agree to do volunteer work for one organization, forgetting that they are already committed for the same time to do something else. The family will spend a couple of days frantically cleaning before company comes over. The tool for a job is missing because belongings are not organized, and it becomes faster and easier to go out and buy another one rather than searching for the missing one. Multiple errands to the market are made during the week because something is forgotten on each trip.

Women are heard to say all the time, “I need to get organized.” But, really, women need to do more than just get organized—they need to change their mental approach to their work so they can determine their organizational needs.

It isn’t cold or callous to think of operating your home as a personal business. While, certainly, there are particular qualities of family life that cannot compare to a business—for instance, your job is a 24/7 operation, mothers do not have a “quitting time,” and the customers you serve are the people you love most and are dependent upon you for their needs and well-being—the overall management of a home has the same requirements of any successful corporation.

Mom managers need to put “getting organized” into perspective in order to make “getting organized” work. How can we do that?

1. Take the time to plan. You cannot get yourself or your household organized in a matter of hours. You need to devote the time to getting your company in order. If you were starting a new business, you would ask for people (spouse, extended family, or a babysitter) to watch your children while you work, or get up early/stay up late to get your planning finished; why not do so while you create a plan for your family? Don’t expect to get all your planning accomplished in one sitting; just as it takes weeks or months to organize a business, it can take weeks or months to organize your family. That’s perfectly okay!
2. Start with a solid financial and legal plan. Money may not buy happiness, the ultimate goal of any family; however, it is a necessary tool to provide for our basic needs. Evaluate the needs of your household corporation and create a realistic budget. Consider needs versus wants, and create a plan to obtain them incrementally. Review your legal and insurance needs. Are your wills up to date? Is it time to review your homeowners’ and life insurance coverage? Do you need to make any changes to your medical and dental insurance plans? Do you have a secure place to keep all of your legal documents—insurance policies, social security cards, investment paperwork, etc.? Just as a business needs to be prepared for liabilities and protect itself against the unexpected, so does the family.
3. Create a household plan. Approach your family plan like a business plan: think of the goals, both short-term and long-term, for your family, and create a plan to achieve those goals. Make a plan of how to reach your goals. Create categories of your home (i.e. budget, meal planning, etc.) and create a plan for operating each area. Consult books and websites that offer organizing advice to find ideas and inspiration in creating a plan that works for your family.
4. Get the tools you need to do the job. For instance, for cleaning your house, think about the tools a cleaning service would bring to your home,and set up a cleaning kit to do the job. Get a planner that suits your needs and personality, whether it be a paper planner like ListPlanIt or an electronic device. It is financially prudent to spend the money on items that make you more efficient at your work, as you will save both time and money in the future. Evaluate your needs and acquire the right tools.
5. Look and act like a professional. This is one of the most difficult things for a mother to do. While, certainly, a person’s character is far more important than appearances, how we treat ourselves sets the tone for how others treat us. Yes, it’s tough some days to get that shower or sit down to eat a meal, but it is important to do so for your physical and mental well-being. Self respect is not selfish! Think of the role model you are for your children; if you are not treating yourself with respect, why should anyone else? And, remember, “appearances” are not limited to how you look physically, but how you project yourself. Never act ashamed of being a mother, or tell others you are “just a mom;” you are a career woman who works hard doing the most important job in the world. Speak of your work with pride, and politely and respectfully refuse to let others put your work down!
6. When making a plan for your household business, make a plan for yourself. This also goes along with number five, above. No business can succeed if its CEO is mentally and physically exhausted, and doesn’t have the tools she needs to do her job. Create a routine that includes personal care such as showers, manicures/etc. (they can be done at home inexpensively, or make appointments to get them done), and exercise. Plan out your wardrobe, and dress with self-respect; you don’t need to spend a lot of money to look put-together. And get business cards—cards with your contact information to give to people you meet at schools, places of worship, etc. A contact card is a very practical tool—it’s much better than finding a scrap paper or receipt in your purse on which to scribble information. (My giveaway for 500 custom business cards ends on Tuesday, August 31, so if you’d like to have some for free, dont’ forget to enter!)

While society sadly often ignores the value and skills mothers possess, that doesn’t mean that mothers should dismiss it, too.

Mothers are the best organizers, the most creative thinkers, the most flexible operators, and the most dedicated workers. So give yourselves the time and tools you need to get your goals accomplished. You and your family deserve it.

Once upon a time, two college students got married. One had a used car. It broke down frequently, but it was okay, because the couple lived close to campus and they really didn’t need it very much.

What Passed for Our First Car

Geo Metro. 45 MPG. $5,999. Those were the days.

Yes, we bought two of these. The car salesman was in heaven that day.

Left with only one car, and finding that squeezing two car seats into the back end was a pain in the arse worthy of several swear words every time the children had to be buckled in quite a challenge, and, finding that, at any given time, one car was always parked in the driveway of their home, the couple decided to descend into hell and buy a Mommymobile purchase a larger form of transportation.

We drank the Kool-Aid

And a third child was on the way.

The husband, who was fed up with driving a piece of junk that smelled like farm animals all the time looking for a more reliable vehicle, purchased a new one for himself.

The Mazda RX8. It's a four-seater. After the mini-van fiasco, the wife probably wasn't welcome in his car.

Yes, there's a reason why this car was discontinued after four years. But I love it.

The end.

Until…

…he moved in.

Yeah, he looks cute now. This is before he grew into the size of a baby elephant. (Okay, so he does look cute now, too.)

This is no ordinary dog. Oh, no. You see, this family can’t just buy any old dog…it needs to be an American Kennel Club registered, conformation-standard, breed/show-quality dog with over five generations of champion pedigree so that the oldest daughter can show him in dog competitions. (When he’s finished being a “proper” show dog, she’s going to train him for agility. Oh, and this dog happens to be this young lady’s very, very best friend.)

And, as this dog is the young lady’s beloved show dog as well as family pet, the family now travels across the state and beyond in order for the two of them to compete. This means camping.

It also means…

The vehicle for which the oldest child believes her parents should empty their savings, IRAs, and 401Ks and take on a twenty-year payment to purchase. The purchase price of the vehicle is more than her parents paid for the house in which they live.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the friendly and talented people at Red Newt Winery and Bistro for their incredibly fantastic wines, especially our summer favorite, Red Newt Circle Riesling. If we do indeed go to buy our next vehicle, your product will be deeply appreciated even more than it usually is.

Disclaimer: Before Child Protective Services/the local police start tracking me down, please let it be clear that I am in no way planning on drinking and test-driving/driving home motor homes, or any other vehicle for that matter, EVER. IF this transaction were ever to occur, my husband will be the sober one driving and yelling at me for the insanity of the purchase; I’ll be the one drinking before and after the transaction. He can stay sober and drive me; after all, he got the sports car.

The end.

There’s a difference between being frugal and cheap. Being frugal is to be smart about how you do things and not be wasteful; to be cheap is to take shortcuts and do/spend the bare minimum. Being frugal is to buy the best quality product for effectiveness and longevity; being cheap is buying a poor-quality product that may not last and have much in the way of versatility, but does not cost very much…at the time. In the long run, the frugal person will save the most money, as the product will work well and not have to be quickly replaced.

We often think “frugally” as opposed to “cheap” when considering buying a mixer, a coffee pot, a lawn mower, or a washing machine; however, how often do you think about the quality of your hair products? When buying hair dryers, hair straighteners, brushes, and curling irons, do you think about the quality and features they have, or do you get the cheapest one that will work?

For years, I just bought whatever was cheapest when it came to hair care. Shampoo? Well, soap is soap…how different can a $0.77 bottle of Suave be than a $13.00 bottle of Redkin? A curling iron? It just needs to get hot, right? Why would I bother spending more than $10 for something that’s just a piece of metal that warms up?

And, just as I held these thoughts, I lamented about how dull, flat, and difficult my hair was. My ends always looked fried. It didn’t shine…it was dull. I blamed my genes, my limp hair, and bad luck for all of my hair problems. I didn’t think that it could possibly be what I was using on it.

A few years ago, I was out of town and decided to visit a salon and get my hair colored as a treat. I lamented to the stylist about how I could never do anything with my hair; that my hair lost a curl three minutes after coming out of the roller; that it looked flat and dull; that my scalp was oily, yet my hair was dry; and I had a ton of breakage. She looked over my hair and told me the reason for my bad hair was because I was treating it wrong…and proceeded to tell me all the things I should buy to fix it. Of course, I thought she was just trying to sell me her products…but my hair looked so incredible when she was done that I was convinced that I needed to invest in some good-quality brushes and an adjustable-heat curling iron.

My hair was dull and dry because the shampoo was stripping all the natural oils out of it; my scalp was oily because it was overcompensating for the shampoo taking all the moisture from my head; and my ends were shot because my curling iron was burning the ends. (I found out later that my thin hair was a result of being B12 deficient; since I’ve started B12 injections, I can feel new growth on my scalp.) The cheap products did their job cleaning and curling; they also did a lot of damage.

I wish I lived in the area where my fabulous stylist is, or I’d continue coloring my hair; instead, I’ve let my hair go back to its natural color, and I actually cut my own hair. (A blunt cut is pretty simple to maintain.) However, I still rely on good products to make my hair look its best, even when I’m doing it myself.

One of the ways to do that is invest in professional-quality products…or enter my giveaway for one.

If you’re in need of a quality, professional hair straightener–or would like to give one to someone for a holiday present (the holiday season will be here soon)–then you definitely want a Karmin G3 Salon Pro Flat Iron .

Karmin 3G Flat Iron

Intrigued by my Karmin G3 Salon Pro Flat Iron Review? Then enter my giveaway to win one, valued at $129! There are two ways to enter: one, leave a comment saying why you think you could use a Karmin G3 Salon Pro Flat Iron, worth one entry; or, two, subscribe to my blog via email (not Google Friend Connect), worth three entries. (Leave a comment letting me know you subscribed via email as well.) Simple, right? The winner will be announced on Saturday, September 18.

FTC Disclaimer: I am being offered one Karmin G3 Salon Pro Flat Iron for free, which I am using for this giveway. All opinions expressed are my own, and have not been influenced in any way by the provider of the giveaway prize. I am receiving no compensation other than a giveaway prize for including the information about this particular product in my post.

I learned something about counting calories last week…something that is so incredibly obvious, and yet it never occurred to me before.

Two weeks ago, I made a decision to give up all coffee, wine, processed foods, and sugar for five weeks. I’ve had pernicious anemia for a while now, and, while my condition has improved, it isn’t resolved; and, quite frankly, I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. Add this to the pain of having four herniated disks and being overweight by about thirty-five pounds, I decided to be more pro-active about getting better and take a few draconian measures for a few weeks.

I haven’t always been in this bad of shape. Two years ago I was quite fit and healthy (until I hurt my back, and spent more and more time sitting in fear of doing something to aggravate the pain). I have always preferred to cook healthy foods as opposed to heavy, fat-laden foods—I love simple, flavorful foods that are unusual but easy to put together. I share the same food philosophy as Tosca Reno—eat clean, eat often, and eat to fuel the body. (I also love her recipes.) By cooking this way, I’ve never felt a need to count calories; however, since I’m on a mission not just to lose weight but to overhaul my total health, I’ve been keeping closer records of my calorie intake, fat intake, protein intake, and fiber intake.

To do this, I’ve used the free tool over at Livestrong. Called The Daily Plate, the program allows you to enter everything you eat, and it will tell you the amount of calories, fat, protein, fiber, cholesterol, and sodium you consume. If you eat a meal at The Olive Garden or any other major restaurant in America, you just have to type what you ate, and The Daily Plate has all the calorie information for the meal to add to your chart. You can also track your water consumption, weight, measurements, and exercise routines; for a fee, you can also track your nutritional analysis.

So, what is it that I learned about counting calories this week that never occurred to me?

I never thought to subtract the calories burned from my exercise routine from my daily calorie allowance.

Let’s say, for argument, that you are on a diet and you’re consuming 1500 calories a day. You spend thirty minutes on a stationary bike, burning 250 calories, and then spend thirty minutes lifting weights, burning 200 calories. That’s 450 calories you burned. So, in order to consume 1500 calories, you need to eat 1950 calories…which means you can eat more food than if you didn’t exercise at all.

It is important that you eat the right number of calories even when you are losing weight. If your body senses it isn’t getting enough, it’s going to slow down your metabolism, making it harder for you to achieve your goal. When you exercise, you increase your metabolism, and your body knows it needs more fuel. If your diet says you can only eat 1500 calories, and you eat 1500 calories and burn 450 calories, then you’re only eating 1050 calories, which is far too little to be healthy. So, rather than gaining the benefits of exercise, you are actually sabotaging yourself, making it even harder to reach your objective.

This could be why some people complain that they diet and exercise, yet never seem to get anywhere.

So, while I’m eating clean, I’m also making sure I balance my food intake with my workout.

On a slightly different note…I happened across this great recipe from Designer Wife for Breakfast Lasagna. She made hers with watermelon, as she happened to have an abundance of it; since my husband is allergic to watermelon, I made it with strawberries and blueberries. Here’s what it looked like:

My Breakfast Lasagna, Inspired by Designer Wife

So, tell me truthfully–did you all know that you should add your calorie expenditures from exercising to your total calorie intake from dieting? Have any good healthy recipes or recipe sources to share? I’m planning on being on this journey of health for the rest of my life, so I can use all the good recommendations I can get!

Not a Meme, but a Theme
Calculating My Financial Net Worth in My Career as a Mother As today is the last Wednesday of the month of August, it's time to add up all the things I did which earned money for the family. (For how I calculate that which qualifies as an earning, click here.)

This month, my “earnings” are $767.70:

Since beginning this project on May 6, 2010, my total earnings from working for the family are $2812.66. While this may not compare with a salary from a full-time job, it’s still a decent amount that didn’t leave the checkbook.

As always, I am open to your criticisms of my calculations and suggestions for how I can earn even more. What do you think–am I being reasonable adding everything up?

Do you have your own business card, personal card, or “mommy” card?

If you don’t, you should think about getting one for yourself soon.

I’ve been a long-time advocate of business cards for mothers. I write about their importance in Give Me Some Respect and include them on my Resources for Professional Family Managers page. Getting business cards is an easy, inexpensive way to make your life a little easier and look great at the same time.

Consider some of the ways business cards are helpful to mothers, and can be helpful to you:

• Your contact information is legibly printed and all together, saving time and resources. It takes time to fill out forms and write down contact information for people…and, if your handwriting is anything like mine (or you’re just in a hurry), you have to hope the recipient can read what you wrote. Plus, you don’t have to worry about having pen and paper to write on–it’s already handled.
• Business cards are less likely to get lost. If you’ve written your information on a scrap piece of paper, it stands a greater chance of being lost. The recipient might mistake it for her grocery receipt or a shopping list and throw it out. A business card is unmistakable; while it still could be lost, the chances of it being thought of as something else is diminished.
• Business cards can label your property. You can put one in a book you loan to someone, or even attach it as a bookplate. You can attach them to larger items you loan out.
• You don’t have to spend time filling out information on forms. Instead of filling out a form, such as a school emergency contact form (for which I’ll soon be filling out in quadruplicate for my two children when they return to school), just staple your business card where you would write your personal information.
• You can keep your information confidential. Personally, I don’t like going to the auto shop or a medical office and being asked to give my telephone number, address, or anything else out loud for others in the office to hear. While, chances are, no one cares about my information anyway, you really don’t know who is in that same office–it could be someone who shouldn’t hear it. By handing the information seeker a business card, they have their information, and no one else has to hear.
• When you have a card, you look organized and professional, making a strong impression–which is important for future employment opportunities. You may be a stay-at-home-mom today, and you may be for many more years. However, looking professional now will allow others to take notice of you as a proficient, skilled individual…and you never know who you may wish to call upon in the future for a job reference or lead. Being a full-time mother is transitory; eventually, you will move on to other activities. Why not lay the groundwork for your future now?

Whether you are a stay-at-home-mom, a blogger, a small business person, etc…you need and deserve to look and feel put-together. You feel better about yourself when you do, plus you look like the professional all mothers are. Why miss an opportunity to promote yourself?

And one of the ways you can promote yourself, look fabulous, and be a little more organized is by having a business card just for you.

And, thanks to the generosity of UPrinting Online Printing Company, getting business cards just got a little easier.

UPrinting.com is offering one lucky reader 500 Premium Business Cards for one lucky reader! You can choose your size of card: 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 3”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.5 x 3.5” (skinny card). UPrinting.com also has several choices of business card printing paper, such as 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock, or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock. Winners are limited to US residents ages eighteen years and older.All you have to do is leave a comment stating how you would use the business cards. Simple!

The contest ends at 10:00 PM on Tuesday, August 31, 2010.

FTC disclosure: I am receiving 500 Business Cards from UPrinting.com for sponsoring this contest.

“Some problems cannot be solved, only endured.” ~ J. R. Dunn

If you have a problem, you’re supposed to solve it; if you don’t, you’re a failure.

At least, that’s the message society likes to give us.

The content of magazines and self-help books is filled with ways to solve our problems. Advertising pushes products to provide solutions our life problems. Children bring home fliers from school telling us how to prevent problems such as bullying and low self-esteem. Television shows such as Dr. Phil and Oprah provide entertainment by fixing–or appearing to fix–people’s problems.

If your house is messy, you’re supposed to fix it. If your school/church/organization needs help, you’re supposed to give it. If you’re overweight, you are supposed to diet. If you’re disorganized, you are supposed to get it together.

Life is broken, and we’re on a mission to fix it.

And, as such, we’re so conditioned to fix everything that we feel like we are failures when we don’t succeed.

Well, sometimes you can’t succeed.

Yup. You can’t.

Now, we’re not supposed to say the word “can’t” when it comes to a problem. Psychologists and sociologist and talk-show hosts will lambast you for having a negative attitude for even allowing the word “can’t” to enter your mind. You’ll be reminded of people such as Thomas Edison and Lance Armstrong who succeeded in life because they refused to allow the concept of “can’t” to take hold in their minds. “Can’t” is another four-letter word we’re not supposed to say.

The truth is, we do not have complete control of our lives. We cannot control the economy. We cannot control the behavior of others. We have limited control over our health. We cannot change our family. We cannot always avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sometimes we are faced with circumstances we do not like. Sometimes there is little to be done about those circumstances.

And, yet, we so often feel as though it is our fault if we cannot fix the impossible.

The truth is, there are some things that can’t be fixed. There are some situations that cannot be changed. Sometimes you are stuck with an unsolvable problem. It happens.

The only control you have over impossible situations is your choice of attitude about them. You can feel like a failure, or you can find a way to live with it. You can look at difficult situations from a different perspective, looking for what you are learning from the situation or for what you can do to change the future. You can let the problem consume you, or you can acknowledge it for what it is and focus your energy on things over which you do have influence. And you can recognize that, because you cannot change the problem, it isn’t your problem to solve. Yes, the issue may be influencing your life, but not having the control to make any changes does not imply any failure on your part.

If you ask yourself, “Is there anything I could have done differently?” and the answer is “No,” then let it go and move on.

If you ask yourself, “Is there anything I could have done differently?” and the answer is “Yes,” then acknowledge that, learn from it, and let it go and move on.

Saint Catherine of Siena said “Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.” Sometimes you just have to deal with what is at the moment before you can move forward.

It’s okay if you can’t fix what’s broken. It’s not okay if you beat yourself up for it.

So don’t.

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Everything we possess that is not necessary for life or happiness becomes a burden, and scarcely a day passes that we do not add to it. ~Robert Brault

I just finished purging my bedroom for the second time this year. The first time, I eliminated all of the home remodeling equipment—everything sans the table saw—that was staged for work in the space between the wall and the foot of our bed. I spent two years crawling over tables with cans of paint, power screwdrivers, extension cords, stacks of wood, and other things that did nothing to enhance the décor of the room to get to my side of the bed. The second time, I eradicated all the miscellaneous stuff that I had eliminated from other rooms in the house and relocated for sorting in the same place the construction equipment used to be. I had coolers, Rubbermaid totes filled with old toys and books, stacks of clothes to be sorted into hand-me-down boxes or donated to the Salvation Army, a toddler bed, a desk, a dresser…and a lot more.

It was bad enough that I had to completely clear out my bedroom twice in one year; it was even worse getting started on the job of getting it all out of there. I felt overwhelmed every time I thought about it; looking at it made me wish we could just move and start all over again someplace else. (Somebody remind me why I thought it was such a great idea to buy a 145-year-old fixer-upper house with no closets. Please.) I am still in awe that we have accumulated so much stuff, most of which we don’t even need…and none of it which makes anyone in our family happy. I am not proud that eighty percent of what was pushed from other rooms in my house to my bedroom was donated or thrown away.

My house was—and still is—overweight. It is in desperate need of a diet.

Have you ever thought of the similarities between our bodies and our homes? Our bodies house our mind and souls; our homes house our bodies. Just as we can abuse our bodies by eating too much, and too much of the wrong things, we can fill our homes with things we don’t need but give us temporary pleasure. Both over-eating and over-spending are not healthy habits; and, in both cases, we’re left with a glut of leftover stuff, either in the form of excess fat or excess clutter.

When our bodies are overweight, we feel sluggish, cannot function at optimum levels, and have many health risks. When our homes are overweight, we feel overwhelmed and depressed by our environment, we cannot work efficiently, and we experience complications to our lives as we have to work around the piles and dig deeper to find what we need—or run to the store to get what we know we have yet cannot find.

You cannot organize clutter. The dictionary defines clutter literally as “litter.” Clutter is just a fancy word for garbage; we often don’t think of it as garbage, because much of it still could have some potential usefulness, whereas the things we usually put into our garbage cans do not. However, if there are things which are not being used, taking up space in your home that could otherwise be a beautiful place, and causing you anxiety and to feel depressed every time you look at it…it’s time for those objects to be removed.

An overweight person doesn’t hang on to his or her body fat just in case there is a world-wide famine and there might be a need for that extra fuel someday. Think of decluttering your house in much the same way: when you brought the objects into your home, you had a need for them; now that the need has passed, so should the object. Don’t feel guilty for the “waste;” if it served its purpose once but doesn’t now, there’s no shame in passing it on to someone who can use it now.

Just as you wouldn’t feel guilty about buying new clothes because you lost twenty pounds and can no longer fit into the older ones, you shouldn’t feel guilty about doing the same for your house. Both losing body weight and opening up a space in your home is liberating, as Jan Denise says:

I’ve been getting rid of some clutter —
anything that doesn’t serve a positive purpose in my life —
and making room for things that feel happy to me.
Because I get to make my life whatever I want it to be.
I get to make the room feel however I want it to feel.
I get to make the closet as full or as spacious as I want it.
And, if I have more clutter to get rid of after Christmas,
I’m not going to wait a year, or two or three to do it.

You are in control of your life and your environment. You do not have to let the accumulated rubbish dominate your life; instead, you can release it and reclaim your space. Think about the good you will be doing yourself and others; you will be taking back your home while blessing others with something they may need. You’ll be adding beauty to your home and eliminating unhealthy stress.

Consider the words of Mother Theresa: “The more you have, the more you are occupied. The less you have, the more free you are.”

Just like dieting, clearing your house of useless items is hard work. Do you experience that “deer in the headlights” look just considering purging the clutter from your house? Is the thought of tackling getting your house in order too overwhelming? Then take a look at FlyLady’s page on How to Declutter, which gives eleven steps on how to purge your home without becoming beleaguered by the work. Even better are ListPlanIt’s spring cleaning and decluttering pages;there are pages for each room of the house, providing lists of suggestions on where to start cleaning and purging, and with room to add your own items. The pages can be customized and used from year to year.

You know the benefits of eliminating excess weight from your body; it’s the same for your home as well. You and your family deserve to have a welcoming, unencumbered home. If your house is overburdened with possessions, then put it on a diet. As Charisse Ward said, “Bottom line is, if you do not use it or need it, it’s clutter…and it needs to go.”

I feel like I only have two choices when it comes to buying food: be frugal and buy foods that are not the most nutritious but will feed the family for the least amount of money, or buy wholesome food and double my weekly food costs.

Maybe instead of the government taxing things like soda, sugar, and such, the government could do something about bringing down the price of nutritious food so healthy choices are affordable. (Not that I’m for government involvement in all aspects of our lives, but, geez, if they have to meddle in something….)

I spend about $125-$150 in groceries every week, and that includes all supplies such a toilet paper and the like. For some people, that’s a lot of money; for others, it’s inconceivable that I can spend so little to feed a family of five. Granted, I work really hard to get the best value for my money, possibly spending more time on grocery planning than others, because I am determined to get the most out of my hard-earned dollars. Plus, I have a family member who is allergic to all beans, nuts, and a multitude of fruits and vegetables, so my food choices are somewhat limited. (Have you ever heard of anyone being allergic to watermelon? I mean, seriously, it’s like 96% water, for goodness sake!)

In the past year and a half I have put on some weight. Some of that has to do with a medical condition; some of that has to do with the fact that I have four herniated discs and I’ve spent too much time taking it easy (after being very active). But some of that has to do with the meals I was cooking…meals that were inexpensive but not exactly the most healthy.

Meatloaf is cheap and good comfort food. So is macaroni and cheese. How about chicken fettuccine alfredo? Spaghetti and meatballs? Lasagna? All great food, all can be made on the cheap…and all are loaded with fat. Sure, I’m cooking from scratch…but what is it that I’m cooking?

Sometimes I walk through the isles of the grocery store and think about ways I could cut the food budget further. I could buy a box of the store-brand version of Hamburger Helper for eighty-eight cents, throw in a pound of not-so-lean hamburger for two dollars, and open a can of on-sale fifty-cent fruit, and have a meal for five for $3.38. I could make two boxes of instant macaroni and cheese for fifty cents, add a can of veggies for ninety-seven cents, and throw in that can of fruit, and do another meal for $1.97. But how nutritious is this?

I think of all the families living near or below the poverty line who are lucky to be serving those $3.38 and $1.97 dinners, who are struggling with health issues because this is the best food they can get, and have to listen to our government preach in the schools and in so-called public service announcements about how we need to educate these people to make healthy food choices. In this case, I don’t think “education” is very helpful. Everyone knows a turkey sandwich is a better snack than a fast-food hamburger…but if you can only afford the hamburger, no amount of nutritional education is going to magically place the turkey sandwich on your plate.

And gardening is not inexpensive…at least not on the scale to make a difference in the food budget. In my area, farmer’s markets are actually a little more expensive than my local grocery stores. I like buying local; I like buying fresh…but, if you want it, it’s going to cost you.

The National Bureau of Economic Research stated in An Economic Analysis Of Adult Obesity, “The incidence of obesity is most prevalent among those sectors of the workforce (chiefly low-end wage earners, women, non-whites) whose real income has fallen even as more hours are devoted to work.”

No kidding. If you can’t afford to buy healthy food, then of course you’re going to have trouble keeping your weight at healthy levels.

I know how to make healthy food choices. As a woman who absolutely loves to cook, my preferred style of eating is to eat only whole, fresh, unprocessed foods flavored with olive or grapeseed oils, herbs, and vinegars. I actually like the taste of wheat bread–real, fresh wheat bread, not the stuff that passes for wheat bread (that is really just artificially-colored enriched white bread, or the whole-grain stuff that has the look and consistency of cardboard). I like to snack on apples and vegetables dipped in hummus. Oh, and cilantro…I love fresh cilantro with everything–chicken, tomatoes, you name it.

But when I come home from the market after spending five dollars on two pounds of grapes, and my children consume half of them in one sitting, well, that’s expensive. A comparable serving of chips would cost me fifty cents. I want my children to have the grapes…but when they’re gone in five minutes, what am I supposed to do?

And, as I have decided, due to medical concerns and weight issues, to return to only eating whole, unprocessed foods (my philosophy is much like Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean diet), I’m faced with trying to figure out how I’m going to do so on $150 a week…or deciding what else I’m going to cut in our budget to make it so I can buy what I need. Fortunately, I am in the position where I can make choices about where to spend my money, and can adjust my budget accordingly, but the fact that I have to do so just to buy good, healthy food is sad.

How about you? Do you find the same thing as I do when it comes to making healthy or inexpensive food choices? What do you do about it?