Monday- Mental DeClutter

Sunday- Spiritual Strengthening

Friday- Financial DeClutter

• Keep your savings up and expenses down as you work on being the first to yell, “I’m debt free!”
• Don’t let your emergency fund go below $1,000.
• Plan for expenses using the envelope system. You don’t want to have too much month left at the end of your money.
• Spend, Save and Give through the income and expenses of everyday living.
• Pay off debt using your debt snowball.

Thursday- Physical DeClutter

The Happiness Diet

Boosting your mood has never been tastier

By Tyler Graham & Drew Ramsay, MD

Photo credit: Kana Okada

What if you discovered that the best place to begin your personal pursuit of happiness is at the end of your fork? Well, prepare to polish your silverware. Emerging research from the fields of neuroscience and nutrition shows that by changing what you eat, you can stabilize your mood, improve your focus, andboost your brain health, all while trimming your tummy.

We call this way of eating the Happiness Diet. And fear not: It's not all carrot sticks and raw broccoli. It includes foods that are rich in nutrients like vitamins A, B12, D, and E, and folate, iodine, magnesium, calcium, iron, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids—your Essential Elements of Happiness.

Food is directly linked to three areas of brain function that create your "happiness ability." The first is your capacity to focus, think, plan, and remember (we call them "foods for thought"). The second is emotional regulation ("foods for good mood"). And third are foods that give you the ability to power through a deadline and control anxiety ("foods for energy").

This was excerpted from The Happiness Diet (Rodale, 2011). Order your copy today!

Diets

• Beat Your Body's Fat Traps with Yoga
• Why Sugar is Not the Problem
• 400 Calories at the Ice Cream Shop

More Diets

Lose 15 lbs in 32 days! No exercise required!

Happiness Rules

If you want to tap into the mental well-being that comes from the Happiness Diet, follow these basic guidelines.

RULE 1: Reduce the amount of processed food you eat.

Much of it is loaded with sugar, and too much of the sweet stuff actually contributes to the shrinkage of key brain areas involved in mood regulation.

RULE 2: Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Plant foods contain the minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients that we call the Essential Elements of Happiness--substances your brain needs for optimal functioning.

RULE 3: Opt for grass-fed meat, whenever possible.

Compared with typical grain-fed meat, grass-fed has more omega-3 fatty acids, an Essential Element of Happiness that promotes formation of new brain connections.

RULE 4: Strive for variety.

The greater the range of whole foods you consume, the broader the range of brain-boosting nutrients your diet will certainly contain—and the sharper, merrier, and more energized your mind will be.

Read more: http://www.prevention.com

Wednesday- What's Cooking?

Time for a YUMMY dessert recipe.....This one looks SO GOOD!! You know you are going to make it and eat it ALL right? ENJOY!

The Best {Raw} Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Recipe

1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup Greek yogurt or applesauce or peanut butter
*1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (I know we’re not baking them, it’s for flavor)
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment (or with a large bowl and a wooden spoon) cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about three minutes in the machine.  Beat in yogurt or applesauce or peanut butter along with the vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add all at once to the butter and sugar mixture and stir until incorporated.  Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

*(Notes: If you use applesauce or yogurt, you may have to add more flour. I made a batch with applesauce and I had to use 2 cups flour.)

You can use this recipe for any recipe that calls for raw cookie dough.

To print this recipe click The Best Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Recipe.

Joy, from Joy The Baker, dipped her dough in chocolate and froze them. Sounds sooo good!!! (I will be doing this with my next batch!!)

Tuesday- Temporal DeClutter

Totally going to make these....I think Homemade cleaning products are the way to go; saves money and is better for the environment. Thanks makingitfeellikehome.blogspot.com. 

HOMEMADE DISINFECTING WIPES

I made 14 wipes so I used smaller quantities of the suggested ingredients:

1/2 cup of water

1/8 cup rubbing alcohol

1 T. Dawn dish soap (*author says to only use Dawn)

Mix everything together in a container that has a lid.  (I washed out an old baby wipes container and used it.)  Then add the wipes, put the lid on, and flip the container over so the liquid can be absorbed into the rags.  I had 14 cotton rags (old white undershirts) that absorbed this amount of the liquid mixture perfectly, not too wet, but just moist enough.

Monday- Mental DeClutter