Clearing the Clutter

I'm kind of awesome at organizing. This caused another problem. The collection of stuff that I (used to) have was a little depressing. Once you understand the principle of letting things go, your life seems to be a little less... heavy. I don't know why I seemed to enjoy collecting things. Maybe it was my past trips to the store with family. There was always a certain emotional bond tied to shopping.

You really discover how much you truly have when you're preparing to move. Since high school, I have moved five times. You would think that after that many moves, I would have pared down to just the essentials by now. Not true, unfortunately. With every bag of stuff that would come in the door, you just kind of make room for it!

This all changed once I was finally on my own. I say "on my own", because there was always some bit of financial help that I was receiving from my parents until I was around 21. Once their money stopped flowing, I tended to clutch my hard-earned dollars much more aggressively. I shake my head now at others (like myself) who take the financial help for granted, but I understand it's something that must be experienced.

I had this realization that no, I didn't need a pair of $40 jeans. And why do I own 80 shirts? I only really wear about 20. Why did I think I needed to go spend money that I didn't have on things I didn't need? I can blame my childhood or anything else, but I realized that some people never truly understand that they don't really need all of this.

I guess what I am getting at is that it's important to dig down deep and figure out why you think you "need" all of the stuff you think you need. Can the shirt that you've worn once be useful and cherished by someone else? What about that pair of jeans that you're keeping on hand in case you lose those last 10 lbs.? My advice: give anything you don't find useful now away. And don't look back.

Hot Yoga, Anyone?

As part of my new lifestyle change, I decided to incorporate exercise into my routine. For the first few weeks my main concern was the food. Once I felt comfortable with that, I began to walk five days a week for up to 70 minutes a day.

I recently reconnected with a friend and she recommended that I go with her to a Bikram Yoga class. For any of you out there who haven't heard me personally speak about this yoga, it's basically 90 minutes in a room that's set to 105 degrees with 50% humidity.

The transition from the treadmill to the hot yoga studio was definitely not easy, although I do think it was helpful that I had been working out for nearly two months prior to stepping into that first class.

To anyone who is curious, I'll say this: yes, it's hot. Yes, it's sweaty. However, the challenges you face in every class is a rewarding experience when you realize that you can do the poses. Maybe not perfectly the first few classes and certainly not the first few years.

It's the challenge to hold the pose and push myself beyond yesterday's limits that keeps me coming back for more. It helps that I end each class with a feeling of relaxation, as well. If you're looking for a great workout change, then consider Bikram!

Celebrating Mother's Day

I've been preparing for today for at least at week. Mother's Day is more than just a celebration of the moms in our family. It's also a celebration of food. Everyone pitches in to bring a dish, whether it be a dewberry pie or frying up the main entree: chicken.

It's been 91 days since I made a commitment to myself. No more animal products. Okay, so I loosened up the restriction after about two months in to just no meat of any kind. The only animal product I had not been to kick completely and am currently consuming sparingly is cheese.

This Mother's Day will be a challenge for me. Among the food will be some of my old favorites: fried chicken, dressing (with chicken), twice-baked potatoes (with bacon and cheese) and pea salad (with eggs).

Today is also the first time to see most of my extended family in over five and a half months. My grandma already told me the other day, "You can have a little fried chicken. It's Mother's Day!"

I may have to explain why I've decided to make these choices, my journey the last 91 days and why I plan to pass on some of my all-time favorite dishes. I'll be eating my vegan quiche and roasted potatoes while I do, though.