Have you been looking for love in all the wrong places?  Are you tired of being let down by your exercise routine?  Are you tired of going it alone?  Are you looking for some support?

It sounds like you just have not found your soul mate workout yet!

When looking for your soul mate routine you need to consider a few things.

1. What are you looking for in a soul mate?  Do you want to have fun and look forward to your time with this program?  Do you want results?  Do you want it to work as hard for you as you are for it?
2. When spending time with your soul mate what do you want to do?  Do you want to dance?  Do you love cardio?  Are you more mellow?  Are you looking to build strength?
3. How much time do you have to dedicate to this relationship?
4. What has gotten in the way of love in the past?  What have you struggled with?

The good news is I am ready to be your match maker!  I have finally found a few workouts that really do make my heart go pitter patter!  I have found the support I needed to stay successful in my relationships with these programs, too.

If you are ready to find your soulmate you just need to fill out this match makers questionnaire.

Once you and your soul mate have found each other you can join me starting February 1st in my Love Yourself Bootcamp where we will learn to take care of ourselves- body, mind and spirit!

Let’s find love this February!

Yep!  This is the current state of my laundry schedule!  I am so very tired of living out of laundry baskets and I want to put my new clean laundry room to good use.  So it is time to create a laundry schedule.  The way I see it is you have 1 laundry day a week or you do a little bit every day.  I have tried it both ways and I have decided that like everything in my life that sticks- slow and steady wins the race!

Although I love the idea of one laundry day and then not seeing dirty cloths again for 6 days, the truth of the matter for me is that the task never really gets done in one day.  I never get around to finish the folding, hanging and ironing (Bahahaha)!

So here is the schedule I have come up with, but go ahead and search Pinterest if this one doesn’t work for you.  There are a ton of great ideas out there.

This was somewhat strategic- I want the boys to have cloths washed and set out for the week on Monday and I am always helping Steve get ready for a trip on Sunday anyway.  So I put all their days towards the end of the week.

My hopes with this schedule are…

• the loads won’t be gigantic and I will have 2 loads at most to do each day
• I will sort the night before and start the first load before I head down to the basement for my workout and therefore have everything folded and put away by mid morning
• except for Jacob’s and Alex’s cloths because THEY will be putting their own cloths away.  I am not sure why they don’t already do this and am a little embarrassed to admit it.

As with my journey to health and happiness last year, I whole heartedly believe that small steps taken daily are the best way to move forward.  I need to just get in this habit and it will become just part of my day.  I also know that if I can tackle this, it will create a happier home for me.  My current laundry process stresses me out and causes me anxiety because I feel it is never ending and I am always behind!

Like I said, check Pinterest or Google “laundry schedule” and you will find a ton of examples.  I will put this blank PDF in our group for you to print out and use if you want!

Any one is welcome to join our little support group on Facebook for more fun tips and a place to check in with your progress and ideas.

52 Weeks to a Happy Home

So, what is your method when it comes to laundry???  Do you get it all done in 1 day or do you do it throughout the week?

 

I love lemon chicken, but my family not so much.  So when I saw this yummy looking recipe in the Master’s Hammer and Chisel meal guide I reluctantly tried it.  I am so glad I did because it was a big hit, just enough lemon for everyone’s liking.

Almond Crusted Chicken

• 4-6 chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup almond flour *
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest (grated lemon peel)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil

Preheat your oven to 425.  Pound chicken with a mallet or tenderizer, set aside.  Combine almond flour, garlic, lemon peel, salt and pepper in a shallow dish, set aside.  Whisk together egg and water.  Warm oil in an ovenproof skillet.  Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture, then the flour mixture, then place in warmed skillet.  Cook for 3-4 minutes each side.  Place skillet in the oven and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes or until thermometer reads 165 degrees.

I served mine with roasted broccoli.  It was delicious!

*you can purchase Almond Flour, or sometimes called Almond Meal.  I prefer Bob’s Red Mill brand.  To make Almond Flour just use raw almonds and pulse in a food processor or blender until you get a fine flour.  One cup of almonds yields about 1 cup of flour.

If you are following the 21 Day Fix or Portion Fix meal plan this counts as 1 RED, 1 GREEN for your veggie and 1 ORANGE.

Enjoy!

This week I tackled my laundry room which may seem like a strange place to go on only week 2, but my laundry room is right off my kitchen and because of that is a catch all for…well ALL.  If it does not fit in the kitchen or panty- it will fit in the laundry room!  If someone needs to put something away but they don’t know where it belongs…it will fit in the laundry room!  Need to hang a hat, coat or bag…it will fit in the laundry room.  Some days I think everything has found it’s way into my laundry room making it hard to fit actual laundry in there!

So I started by taking everyone out of the room and evaluating whether I need to keep it.  I literally asked myself

“Do I use this?” or “Do I love this?“

This was surprisingly hard because- it’s the laundry room for crying out loud.  There should be nothing sentiment in there!

Then it hit me- I have incredible guilt when it comes to getting rid of stuff.  Someone spent money on these things!  I feel awful getting rid of them.  So then I asked myself my other question,

“How does this space make me feel?“

Guilty, Unproductive, Chaotic.  Just looking at the room as it was caused me anxiety.  This question helped me remember that my goal is not just a clean home, my goal is to simplify and create a happy home.  For that to happen these things need to go.  I don’t need 2 ice cream makers, even though they were both very generous gifts.  I don’t need to keep all those towels and cloths and rags.  We don’t use those extra workbooks I bought the boys.  We don’t paint.  We don’t juice anymore.  Why do I have 2 different cordless vacuums and why am I keeping my old cameras???  Do I need 31 Thirty-One bags?  (I told you this room is a catch all!!!)

Part of my guilt is also that I hate to be wasteful.  I hate throwing things away so I bagged all the towels and rags up for the local animal shelter.  I am donating the juicier and ice cream machines to a local thrift store that helps support women of domestic abuse.  I called my friend who runs a daycare to see if she can use the art supplies.  I also recycled many of the old electronic stuff so that they don’t clog the landfills.

Week 2 is officially in the books!

Now I have a laundry room I can actually walk into.  The only things in there are things we actually use.  I actually have empty spaces on some of the shelves!!!  Now when I look into my laundry room I feel Calm, Productive, Organized!

What project did you work on this week?

Feel free to join my 52 Weeks to a Happy Home support group on on Facebook!  We can keep each other accountable and motivated.

52 WEEKS TO A HAPPY HOME

Here’s to a happy home, one week at a time!

Say hello to the whole coffee fruit!

Shakeology’s latest and greatest superfood powerhouse thrives in the regions of Mexico and India.  This highly coveted crop is actually where coffee beans come from.  For centuries, farmers would only harvest the seeds, which we recognize as coffee beans, and discard the surrounding red fleshy fruit.  However, all that changed when science revealed that the fruit has antioxidants, chlorogenic acids, and polyphenols.  Shakeology is excited to have Whole Coffee Fruit as part of the Cafe Latte flavor formula, because in addition to its advantages, harvesting the entire fruit and not just the bean also minimizes our carbon footprint while increasing sustainable farming.

So basically you get the coffee flavor with the health benefits Shakeology!

Does this mean there is more caffeine in this new flavor?

No!  Cafe Latte Shakeology has no more caffeine than any other Shakeology flavor

Like the other 6 flavors, Shakeology is nutrition simplified. It can help to increase healthy energy, reduce cravings, support weight loss, and improve digestion and regularity.

Also like the other 6 flavors there is nothing artificial added, including no artificial colors to give Cafe Latte it’s rich dark color

Who should drink this or any of the other delicious flavors of Shakeology?

Anyone who wants to be healthy!  Shakeology contains a wealth of exotic superfood ingredients that supply the body with a rich source of proteins, fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, prebiotics, probiotics, and digestive enzymes.

Cafe Latte Shakeology can be purchased in a 30 serving bag, 24 serving packets or in the Barista Triple Combo Box with 8 Vanilla, 8 Chocolate and 8 Cafe Latte packets.

For more information on Shakeology check out my blog on why I drink it every day HERE.

Email me at wendy@wendylivingclean.com or Message me on Facebook so we can chat!

My love affair with oatmeal is no secret.  I apparently have made it my life’s mission to figure out all the ways I can make it quickly and make it healthy!  This one is a keeper and one I hope you will love as much as I do!

Healthy Instant Oatmeal!!!!

Here is what you will need:

• 16 ounce or larger mason jars (I prefer the wide mouth)
• OR sandwich bags
• Quick Oats or Rolled Oats, this will NOT work with Steel Cut Oats
• Flavor (more on that below)

The flavor option are endless!!!  Seriously, you can really make these about a billion ways.

I took a trip to the Trader Joe’s and stocked up on some dried fruit varieties and came up the following recipes:

Tropical Fruit Instant Oats

In a jar or sandwich bag combine:

• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/4-1/2 cup of dried pineapple, mango and jackfruit
• 2 Tbs unsweetened coconut flakes
• dash of cinnamon

Store in a jar or baggie.  When you are ready to enjoy it, simply add 1 cup of boiling water to jar or a bowl with the content of the bag and stir.  Let set for about 5 minutes and enjoy.

Peanut Butter Banana Oats

In a jar or sandwich bag combine:

• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/4-1/2 cup of dried bananas
• 2 Tbs chia seeds
• 2 tsp powdered peanut butter
• dash of cinnamon

Store in a jar or baggie.  When you are ready to enjoy it, simply add 1 cup of boiling water to jar or a bowl with the content of the bag and stir.  Let set for about 5 minutes and enjoy.

Chocolate raspberry oats

In a jar or sandwich bag combine:

• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/4-1/2 cup of dried raspberries
• 2 Tbs chia seeds
• 2 tsp raw organic cacao nibs
• dash of cinnamon

Store in a jar or baggie.  When you are ready to enjoy it, simply add 1 cup of boiling water to jar or a bowl with the content of the bag and stir.  Let set for about 5 minutes and enjoy.

blueberry muffin oats

In a jar or sandwich bag combine:

• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/4-1/2 cup of dried blueberries
• 2 Tbs pumpkin seeds
• dash of cinnamon

Store in a jar or baggie.  When you are ready to enjoy it, simply add 1 cup of boiling water to jar or a bowl with the content of the bag and stir.  Let set for about 5 minutes and enjoy.

more flavor suggestions

• any dried fruits (banana, apple, blueberries, raspberries…)
• raisins
• cranberries
• cinnamon
• cacao nibs
• cocoa powder
• powdered peanut butter
• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds
• chia seeds
• ground flax seed
• Trader Joe’s Super Seed and Ancient Grain Blend
• shredded unsweetened coconut

Another awesome thing about these…you can make as many of these as you want up ahead because they can be kept in your pantry.  When in the jar you can take these on the go in the morning, too.

I can’t wait to hear the combinations you come up with!

It’s time to organize my thoughts.

I wanted to start here because I know like with my fitness journey where I needed get my mental game on before I could get my physical game going, I need to get my shit together.  No more forgotten library books.  No more forgotten treat days at school.  No more “oh crap, I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow?” conversations with myself.  No more lost permission slips.  No more putting my important info on a post it note!

You get the point!

So as I am getting myself organized this week I am proudly fitting my errands on the same day that I happen to be meeting a friend for breakfast- time management at it’s best!!!  I pull up for the final errand-it’s finally time to sign up Alex for skating lessons.  This is something I have been telling people I have already done, because I knew I would get to it…eventually and I am super excited that today is that day.  BAM- I am hit with this response when I proudly announce that I am here to sign my son up for skating lessons…”Oh I am sorry, that class has been full since late November when registration opened.”  You know, when I told everyone I had done it!!!  I had printed the form out…twice.  Twice it got lost in my pile of papers that I needed take care of and now I am too late to get him in.

Yep!  I desperately need to organize my thoughts!

One of my problems is I can’t seem to find a good way to get myself organized.  Do I go digital? Do I go old school?  I have tried a few methods and I finally decided that I am a paper and pencil kinda girl.  There is just something about crossing things off a list.  There is just something about taking the time to write it down.  I believe when I write it down I remember it better.

After researching a few planners over our vacation, I had narrowed it down to 2 and much to my surprise I arrived home from our trip to an Erin Condren planner that a wonderful friend had given me as a gift.  Sometimes the universe just knows what we need.

I think this will help with one of my other problems which is I have stuff written EVERYWHERE.  I make forms for my forms.  I post notes everywhere.  I have a planner for school stuff, a planner for life and I have some, but not all of it in my phone.  This is clearly not working as evidence of the fact that Alex will not be taking skating lessons staring next week!

Now it’s time to sort through my mess!  Using my rule of asking myself “Do I use this? Do I love this?” I sorted though my forms, planners, papers, writing utensils, folders and plethora of notebooks and tossed, donated and recycled a ton of stuff and my thoughts now only consist of:

• my beautiful new planner
• 1 set of colored pens and 1 set of matching colored highlighters
• 1 cube of post-it notes
• 1 three ring binder with my work stuff (which I cleaned out to only what I use on a daily basis)
• 1 notebook to take notes for calls and trainings

These things along with my laptop all fit nicely into a little basket on my kitchen counter until week 4 when I tackle my office!

I love to color code things- my family has colors- I am pink, Steve is green, Jacob is red and Alex is blue.  I decided to do the same for my planner.

• posts and blogs- purple
• groups I am managing- pink
• work and volunteer To-Do’s- green
• personal To-Do’s- blue

 

I will use the monthly page on my calendar to keep a list of my goals for that month.  Each week I will tackle a portion of those goals and each day I will tackle no more than 2-3 of them.

On my calendar I will include ALL my appointments- school, work, volunteer, sports, Steve’s travel, fun…everything.

Lastly, I will put  the most important stuff in my phone with an alert to remind me.  I will also continue to use the shared calendar Steve set up for anything that involves the boys so we are both on the same page.

Every day I will sort though the mail and kids school stuff and add anything to my calendar that comes in and toss and recycle anything that I don’t use or love right away.  One goal this year will be NO MORE PILES OF PAPERS.  Just thinking about my piles gives me anxiety- they need to go!

I realize that this will be a work in progress, but I am already feeling like some of the weight and anxiety is being lifted.  I feel ready to take on next week’s task!

And just like that week 1 is done!

What do you think?  Do you need to organize your thoughts?  Want to join the conversation?  Join my group on Facebook where we are talking about creating Happy Homes by simplifying and organizing our lives.  Request to join here:

52 WEEKS TO A HAPPY HOME

See you next week when we tackle my laundry room!

 

 

This was our dinner last night- a simple twist on an already favorite dish.  The boys thought it was cool that their dinner came in a ready made bowl, and I love being the “Cool Mom”.

What you need:

• 2 small sized spaghetti squash
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano
• mozzarella cheese (optional)

Here is what I did:

Cook your spaghetti squash as you normally would.  My favorite method is in the crock pot.  To cook your squash in the crockpot you simply poke holes in your squash and place it in the crockpot with about a cup of water.  Then you just cook it on high for about 4-5 hours depending on the size of the squash.

I then browned a pound of ground turkey with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano.

Cut the cooked squashes in half.  Scoop out the seeds and shred with a fork.  Then top with ground turkey, sauce and cheese.  I left the cheese off mine and it was still really good!  Cook in the oven for another 25-30 minutes.

I let them cool for about 10 minutes.

The boys requested these again so it was a hit!

Enjoy!

Do you believe that physical clutter can cause mental stress?

I honestly never really thought about it until I started to focus on my Personal Development this last year and in several of my favorite books they talk about just this.  In both of her books, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home, Gretchen Rubin focuses on possessions and how they affect happiness.  Like her, I want my home to be a place of happiness and calm, not clutter and chaos.  In The Slight Edge, Jeff Olson talks about how unfinished business can actually drain your potential and your momentum when trying to move forward and reach your goals.  This was such an eye opening thing for me to read.  He is so right!  The unfinished stuff is what wakes me up in the middle of the night and keeps me awake and full of anxiety.

In the last year and a half I have made a lot of changes in my life.  Based on what I have been successful at and what I have not, I do believe in the concept behind Olson’s book, that small steps forward taken with consistency deliver big results!

I am so very ready to take on my clutter and SIMPLIFY my life.  I am ready to create a happy home, a place that gives my family a place to recharge after taking on the crazy world outside.  I am ready to finish my un-finished business so I can let things go and move forward.

So starting next week I will be taking on my clutter 1 week at at time.  Would I love to get this all taken care of and put behind me, YEP!  However, I know that small actions done with consistency are going to get me farther than trying to tackle this all at once.  I also know when you take on smaller, more manageable projects, you get to enjoy a sense of accomplishment that will help keep you going.

I am taking on this project like I did my health overhaul with the attitude that slow and steady wins the race!

I realize that this concept is not new- it is all over Pinterest.  I did take a look at a few lists to get some ideas and then created my own- based on what I need to do in order to create my happy, simplified home.  Please feel free to download my list and follow along.  You can also create your own, or use one of the others you can get online.

Join me on this journey!

I have created a private Facebook page where I will share my weekly journey and other ideas about decluttering, organizing and “getting your shit together”!  This is a place we can check in and share ideas and support as we work to create a haven of calm and happiness in our homes.  Join me here:

52 WEEKS TO A HAPPY HOME

The rules:

I will be following a few simple rules as I set out on this journey to simplify and, therefore, “happify” my home and life.

As I am cleaning out areas and rooms in my house I will ask myself 2 things:

1. Do I use this?
2. Do I love this?

If I can’t answer YES to this question it needs to go!  I need to toss it or donate it- the end!

To keep up on the everyday clutter of life I will follow the One Minute Rule.  Basically this means that if I can get something done in 60 seconds or less than I will do it right then and not later.  I know that I will be happier, more at peace, if I can keep up with the daily clutter.  I know if I take care of the small, seemingly inconsequential stuff instead of letting them add up to big projects, I will be on my way to creating my happy home!

Finally, I need to take a look at each room/area in my house and ask myself “How does this space make me feel?”  I have way too many areas in my house right now that make me feel like turning and running away!

For me this project is NOT about perfection.  I know myself and my boys well enough to know that our house will always be lived in.  This project is more about simplifying my home.  This project is about creating a happy haven for myself, my husband and my boys.

Join me on my Year of Simplicity!