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Clean up the Yard and Throw a Summer Party

Jun 30th, 2005 home title

What Kind of Shape is Your Yard In? Without realizing it, you may be making nasty comments to yourself about yourself when you go into the front or back yard. You may be mumbling that you’re too lazy to pick up the trash, weed the garden beds, and put the tools away.

Every time you see these things on your way to and from the house (which is really quite often), you have an opportunity to wince a little and feel overwhelmed. If you live in an apartment, you may feel this way when you look at your entryway or balcony. Is it time to take down the winter decorations and clear away the empty clay pots? Why not take advantage of this 4th of July holiday weekend to pick up the yard and get it company ready?

I host a barbecue every year on the 4th because I live on the river close to the big fireworks display. This party gives me a built-in opportunity every year to get my yard spiffed up. If you don’t have a summer party planned, why not plan one? It can serve as a motivator to get the yard cleaned up.

Popular Junk in People’s Yards

an old couch that needs to be hauled off
rusted farm implements
a broken refrigerator
empty pots
unraveled hoses
broken toys
rakes without handles
hand tools
buckets, old tubs, and other containers

How Can You Simplify Your Yard?

One reason our yards get trashed is that we have too much stuff and our lives are too complicated. Can you think of ways to simplify your yard?

Have you noticed that every spoonful of dirt you turn over is prime real estate for weeds? I set a goal years ago to have gardens all the way around my house. This is one goal I wish I hadn’t achieved. I also decided that it would be easier to mulch my entire yard instead of mow it. What was I thinking? There is nothing easier than mowing – except maybe pavement.

This spring it dawned on me that I didn’t have the time to care sufficiently for a complicated yard design. While drinking coffee and staring out at it one morning, I finally decided that destruction was the answer. I started getting excited. I longed for a simpler yard that wouldn’t embarrass me and remind me of my overblown garden goals.

To simplify all of the yard tasks I decided to tear out some of the flower beds lined with rocks (so I wouldn’t have to weed whack them) and let the yard mulch be taken over by things I can mow. Yes weeds. I can plant grass seed in the fall.

I put an ad in my local freecycle group (national group, freecycle.org) that I had free limestone garden rocks for the taking. Two groups of people came and took all the big rocks. A friend helped me take out the remaining smaller rocks so I can easily mow that big garden plot now instead of weed and weed whack. I love it! I can take care of my entire yard now in about 30 minutes because of those two simple changes – taking out some of the gardens and garden rocks so I can mow and turning my yard back to yard, not mulch. Just to clarify: using mulch in gardens is a fabulous idea – mulching the entire yard is not a fabulous idea unless you have a truck, an inexpensive endless supply of mulch, and free weekends to haul and spread it.

Is there something you can do in your yard to simplify yard tasks? Whatever you do, don’t turn over any more dirt…unless you really like to weed.

Here are a few more tips for cleaning up the yard:

See your yard as if for the first time. Is there anything junky that needs to be put away, gotten rid of, or cleaned up? Why not take a few minutes to put anything away in your yard that doesn’t belong there.
If something big needs to be hauled off, contact the city to see about trash pickup. They will usually come to pick up large items if you make an appointment.
Determine that you will weed 30 minutes every morning or evening after work. On this regimen, most yards (even neglected ones) will look pretty great by the end of the week. Put some mulch on them (yes mulch) and you won’t have to weed so much next time.

It will feel great to take care of your yard. I know, I just did it. I feel a lot more on top of life. A junky yard can make you feel junky. A clean yard can make you feel clean and green.

How to Create Single-Serving Breakfast Meal Kits

Jun 30th, 2005 home title

How to Create Single-Serving Breakfast Meal Kits . . . for on-the-go Good Nutrition

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet we get busy, rushed, and head out the door thinking we can catch something on the way to work. And that usually means fast food or junk food snacks.

Are you somebody who thinks you should eat breakfast but have a hard time sticking with a regular breakfast routine because you’re short of time or uninspired? If you like cereal, you’ll like this breakfast meal kit idea. Making meal kits ahead of time takes away the biggest obstacles to eating breakfast. If you have kids or a spouse, they’ll love them too. Kids will be more inclined to eat their cereal breakfast kits if they can make them themselves with the cereals and toppers they like. Teach them about the single serving concept and provide healthy options for the contents.

Packaging the Cereal

As soon as you get home from the grocery store, open your cereal boxes or bags and measure single servings into light weight to-go containers. Look on the box for the serving size. It’s usually ¾ cup.
If you like to mix your cereals, pour the different kinds into a large container to blend.
Place as many plastic containers on the counter as you need in order to package up all of the opened cereal.
After you add any optional toppers from the next step, put the lids on and stack them in your pantry for home use or take them to work for your “food drawer.” Note: I like to mix a couple of cereals for variety. This week I mixed these two: Go Lean (small amount for crunch and sweetness) Organic Flax Plus from Nature’s Path – This cereal has no chemicals, no synthetic additives or preservatives. Serving size ¾ cup 100 calories 140 calories with fortified skim milk

Adding Optional Toppers

Rough chop walnuts, pecans, or almonds and place a small handful in each container.
Chop dried fruit (papaya, banana, etc) and put a small amount in each container.
Add dried cranberries, raisins or any other dried fruit.
You can top with a small amount of higher calorie cereals like granola just to add a little sweetness and crunch. Sprinkling a little of this on top is better than mixing the two in bulk so that you can have better control over the amount you use.
Note: I sometimes include a fat date or fig to eat on the side or for a later break that day. Sticking one in the kit makes it more likely that I’ll eat it at some point during the day.

Packaging Milk Options

Fill your single-serving containers with milk using recycled glass bottles, plastic juice containers, or small canning jars with screw tight lids. You can skip this step if you plan to eat your meal kits at home rather than transport them to work.
If you’re lactose intolerant or want to try something different, stock your pantry with quart-size boxes of rice or soy milk to keep in the refrigerator at home or work. The quart-size box doesn’t take up much room in the fridge and chances are nobody at work will “steal” it. You can find these boxed drinks at your whole foods or conventional grocery stores. Another brand that is growing in popularity is Silk Soymilk in a half-gallon size.

Note: I like Rice Dream and was surprised that I also liked WestSoy Lite Vanilla. I tried it at a taste test at our local whole foods store and was surprised I liked it because I don’t usually like soy milk. WestSoy Lite Vanilla Soymilk at 110 calories per cup – 15 calories from fat supplies Because it’s fortified a cup supplies 30% of the daily calcium needs based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Where can you go wrong with meal kits?

including things that you don’t like and probably won’t eat.
using low quality ingredients – low on fiber and nutrition and high on preservatives and additives
putting the groceries away thinking you’ll make them up later and later doesn’t come.
not measuring a single serving size – it’s easy to overeat prepackaged foods, so be sure to package yours according to typical serving sizes

Ready, Set, Go Now it’s your turn to make some meal kits. If you feel that stopping long enough to open a box of cereal, get a bowl out of the cabinet, get the nuts out of the fridge, and open a box of raisins is sometimes four steps more than you think you have time to take, just reach for a breakfast meal kit and pour on the milk.

Comments Please: Do you make meal kits like these? If you do, I’d love from you. Write about it at the comments link below.

Try this Breakfast Experiment Are you eating the kind of breakfast that works best for you? My colleague Christi Lehner has a breakfast experiment for you to try to determine your best breakfast choices.

Calling all Moms!

Jun 20th, 2005 home title

I recently discovered a free ecourse for mothers that I think you’ll enjoy if you’re a busy mom. I signed up for it because I wanted to check the quality of content and the way it’s delivered. I give it an A+. In this free ecourse you’ll receive 52 weekly pep talks all about being a mom. To find out more, go here.