Flourless Sweet Potato Muffins (Blender Muffins)

Declutter Challenge Week 3 Update

I had one of those “my eyes are bigger than my stomach” kind of weeks. The kind of week where I had grand plans of all the things I would accomplish, only to realize I only had the time to get through about one-fourth of my intended tasks. Almost every day had a something that broke up the day and didn’t allow me to get as much done as I hoped: I chaperoned a field trip, I had two different volunteer meetings, and it was my week to bring lunch to Luke’s school. Meghan’s birthday was also in the middle of the week.

Blah, blah, blah. I know you don’t want to hear me complain about my busyness. But I do feel the need to apologize for 1.) never getting these updates to you by Thursday like I promised. I should have learned a long time ago to never promise posting on a certain day. It never works out for me. 2.) Not completing the whole challenge this week.

Yep, I had a #DeclutterChallengeFail this week. The challenge was to declutter the pantry, refrigerator, and a nightstand. Nothing like biting off more than you can chew (and overusing idioms). I did complete the pantry task. It took me almost six hours. Six hours!  I love that it’s done, but getting one more decluttering task done just wasn’t going to happen.

I’ve lived in houses with no pantries and houses with small pantries. When we built our current house, my biggest wish was a big, walk-in pantry. What I didn’t realize that more space just means you accumulate more stuff! I can’t believe how much stuff I had in my pantry. This job was insane. Are you ready for picture overload? Okay, here we go!

Let’s start with some BEFORE pictures. I had to take a lot of pictures to show you everything because there is nowhere to stand and get the whole thing in one view. 

You can tell that I decluttered my pantry at the end of the week. Our produce drawers are only this empty by the end of the week!

You can also tell I shop at Costco. Hello bulk everything!

The top shelf housed all of the mason jars I use for food storage and, of course, mason jar salads. I also use the pantry to store small appliances and accessories. They were crazy messy and getting out of control.

Here’s a close up of one of the food shelves. I’m embarrassed to admit some of the things I found in this pantry. Easter candy shoved in the back of the shelves. Items that I’d clearly bought a second of because I couldn’t find the first and thought we were out. I can’t decide what’s more embarrassing—this or my purse?

 I followed my own advice and took it all out. It felt weird to stare at an empty pantry. The items of my pantry took over my entire kitchen and dining area.

Just emptying the pantry took a long time!

The real work was sorting though everything and figuring out what we didn’t need to keep. I ended up with a huge box of items to donate. I threw a lot of junk away. As much as it pained me to throw away food, I did have to toss some things. I had a tub of Brewer’s yeast that I haven’t touched since I was nursing Luke and using it to make lactation cookies. There were a few expired things. Most of what I threw away, however, was not food.

Once everything was sorted and categorized, I started putting things back in. I had so much less stuff that I ended up with an empty shelf!

Getting rid of a lot of things allowed me to spread out the food so it wasn’t as cramped together. Now maybe I won’t forget I already have something because it’s hidden way in the back behind so many other things!

 

 

 

 

I made these labels with my Brother Label Maker a few years ago and they are holding up pretty well.

 

I am so happy this task is over. I hope you’ll find some inspiration here. Cleaning out your pantry is a big task, but sooo worth it!

We have one week left in this Declutter Challenge! I think I’ll be ready to take a break from decluttering; how about you?

Week 3 Declutter Challenge Tasks

Big Task: Declutter a closet

This week we are tackling a closet! Choose any closet in your house that needs some attention. It can be your bedroom closet, coat closet, linen closet, or basement closet. Pick the one that’s the messiest! You are going to be floored when you see the closet I’m tackling. It may be an even bigger job than my pantry. I’m scared.

Declutter a Closet Action Steps

1. Remove everything from the closet. Take it all out!
2. Sort and categorize the items. Categorize them like this:

• This item belongs in another closet or room.
• This will be given away, sold, or donated.
• This is not needed and will be thrown away.
• This is not mine and needs to be returned to its owner.
• This is a “maybe”. If you can’t bear to toss something out because you might need it later, put it in the “maybe” box.

3. Take action on all the items that don’t belong in the closet.

4. Organize the items and put them back into the closet.

Small Task:  Digital Declutter

Having a tidy digital space can be just as good for your mind as a decluttered physical space. Take this week to choose at least one digital space to declutter. You can clean out your inbox, unsubscribing to the unwanted emails you keep getting (hopefully the Happy Healthy Mama newsletter isn’t on that list! ;-)), or maybe you need to organize your digital photo library. Pick a small task that will take you 10-20 minutes and go for it!

Let me know how your Declutter Challenge is going. I love hearing from you!

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And Then She Was Eight

Yesterday, the girl who first made me a mama turned eight years old. Eight. There’s something different about this age, isn’t there?  A feeling like something is ending. An edging towards something. Or is it away from something? It’s like she’s holding hands with me, but just my pinky, not ready to let go, but still wanting to move forward into the world of her peers independently. There’s not much I can do about that forward momentum, towards something else and away from me. There are theories that our lives are lived in cycles, with major emotional and mental changes happening every seven years. I can see this in Meghan, where in the last year she transitioned to a different stage in her life, one in which she started noticing herself in the world outside of her family more.

Sometime in the last year, she started looking less like a little girl and more just like a girl.  She doesn’t want my help as much anymore, especially with things like choosing what to wear. Her style is 100% Meghan and I love that about her.

It makes my heart ache, a little, to see my first born growing up and needing me less. She’s taking a different dance class this year, a ballet class that is part of her dance school’s “pre-professional program.” It’s a mixed age class and she’s the youngest one. I sat with her in the changing room a few days ago, waiting for the class to start. She was the only one with a mom waiting with her and the only one who needed a mom to put her hair in a bun. She is acutely aware of these kind of details and the whole class in general stresses her out. She doesn’t know any of the girls well and feels embarrassed and uncomfortable about it. I noticed her looking sad as we waited for the class to start, so I instinctively put my arm around her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. She immediately wiggled away, her eyes darting around the room to see if anyone noticed what I’d done. At that moment, I mourned for the little girl who would crawl up in my lap and let me rock her when she was sad, regardless of who was watching. I felt the protection I’m able to offer her slipping as she navigates these situations without the comfort of my arms. 

As much as moving onto to new stages can be sad, watching the passing stage slip away and having to rely on memory to ever experience it, there’s also joy in watching her grow. Life offers so much as she matures and we get to experience it together. One of the great treasures of parenting is being able to see life through your child’s eyes. She’s examining life through a different lens these days, and it’s fun to watch her form new perspectives. Even if Meghan doesn’t want the comfort of my arms in public, when we’re home, without the scrutiny of others, I still get hugs and my loving gestures returned. She knows Tim and I are her safe place.  I want to teach her to not care what all kids with watchful eyes are thinking, but I’m not sure that’s totally realistic. Instead, I will teach her that her worth is not attached to what anyone else thinks. It’s okay to care, because let’s be honest, we all cared during our formative years. Most of us still do to some extent.

Here she is, my eight year old. Another birthday has come and gone, and Meghan continues to learn, and grow, and make me proud. You don’t think you can ever love a child more than you do on any given day, and then it happens. I just keep loving her more every day. I will savor our private hugs and remember to live in the present with her, enjoying this stage of her life, even when her actions confound me. This is her first time being eight and this is my first time being the mom of an eight year old. We’re in this together.

Would you like to read my reflections on Meghan’s past birthdays? Whew! I’ve been blogging a long time. See the posts below that date way back to her 2nd birthday!

Happy 7th Birthday, Meghan

Meghan’s Paris-themed 6th Birthday Party

To Meghan on her 5th Birthday

Meghan’s Minnie Mouse 4th Birthday Party

My Three Year Old

Meghan’s Pink and Yellow Princess Party 

A Birthday Picnic for My Baby Girl

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The Natural Pain Relief Method You Are Probably Forgetting About

Sometimes I don’t realize my 38 year-old body can’t do the same things it could when I was 18 or even 28. When it does try to do the same things, there are consequences. I’m talking about PAIN. Sometimes, I try to do more than my body can handle and need some natural pain relief. 

This weekend I completed my second obstacle course race. It was a 10K called Mud, Guts, and Glory and it was fun, exciting, challenging, and totally brutal all wrapped into one. I absolutely LOVE obstacle course racing. I’ve been an athlete my whole life, including at the collegiate level, but obstacle course racing is the most challenging athletic endeavor I’ve experienced. 

Here’s a little snippet from the end of the race. At this point, I was beyond exhausted. You can see me completing (barely) just one of the 30 obstacles that are sprinkled throughout the six miles of the race. As I’m sure you can tell, I was pretty beat up at this point.

Muscles I didn’t even know I had are sore. I’m not a total stranger to pain. Tough workouts leave me sore, I have occasional neck pain from sitting and looking at a computer too much, and my feet have bunions that hurt all the time. But nothing hurts like the day after an obstacle course race. Except maybe the second day after the race.

If you’ve been reading Happy Healthy Mama for a while, you know I always look for natural remedies first. Pain is no exception. There’s a natural pain relief method that is one of the earliest, most reliable methods that you may be overlooking. It’s heat. Ahhhh yes! Heat.

This picture is after my race and I’m using my Sunbeam® heating pad. It wraps around my shoulders and neck and extends down my back. There are magnets that keep it enclosed and in place. 

The heating pad has a control for two levels of heat and a massage feature. This was exactly what I needed after my race. I love that I can get pain relief that is drug-free, non-invasive, and there are no weird side effects. Just all-natural heat that delivers such relief to those hurting muscles and joints.

As a work-from-home mama, I love to also use my Sunbeam® heating pad when I’m at the computer working. It helps keep me relaxed and melts the tension from my shoulders, neck, and back. 

Sunbeam® offers a wide variety of heat therapy products specific to your needs. Check out their products here. If you need some natural pain relief, the fine folks at Sunbeam® are offering Happy Healthy Mama readers 20% off their purchases using the code HHMAMA. Shop here!

Sunbeam® heating pads have helped me Find My Ahh and they can help you #FindYourAhh,too.

Wouldn’t WINNING your own Sunbeam® heating pad be amazing?! Read below to find out how you can enter to win!
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Official Rules

Post sponsored by Sunbeam Products, Inc. Opinions are 100% my own.

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Declutter Challenge: Strategies for your Pantry and Refrigerator

One of the best feelings in the world is when your pantry and refrigerator are neat, clean, and organized. It’s not a task I particularly love taking on, but once it’s done, oh yes it feels good!

If you feel lost, I have a plan for you. Here are the strategies you can use to declutter and organize the places where you keep your food. You can use the same strategies to clean your panty and refrigerator.

Action Steps for Organizing Your Pantry and Refrigerator. 

1. Remove everything from the pantry or refrigerator.

   You’ve got to see what you’re working with. Get it all out. Yep, every last box pushed in the back, can shoved behind something, leftovers forgotten about in the back, and whatever else is hiding in there.

2. Purge!

   Unfortunately, we all buy food items from time to time that we don’t end up using. Or we let things expire before we use them up. If it’s unopened, you can donate it. Otherwise, get rid of it. I know. I feel guilty doing this, too. But it’s better than holding on to food just for the sake of holding onto it. If you’re never going to eat it, let it go.

3. Categorize

   Now sort all of your food into categories that make sense. Think of  a grocery store and how you use the items. Cans together, baking items together, etc.

4. Clean

   Yes, this challenge is about decluttering, but it just makes sense to clean the shelves at this point, don’t you think?

5. Organize

   Now it’s time to put the food and items back into the pantry and/or refrigerator. Do so in a way that serves your family well and will make it easier to keep the space organized. Use household items, such as bins or magazine racks, to store things if that helps keep items easy to access.

You did it! Now the biggest challenge comes. Can you keep it that way? I believe it can be done with some effort. Let’s pledge together to keep it neat and organized! I can’t wait to share my update for this one next week.

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Declutter Challenge Week 2 Update

I hate cleaning, but boy do I like decluttering and organizing! What a great feeling getting rid of things that we no longer need and are only taking up space. This week’s tasks were to declutter our living spaces and one “junk” area (junk drawer or cupboard). Find the strategies here if you missed them.
I thought this was going to be an easier week for me because I generally keep our living space tidy. Of course, when the kids are here it’s more work to keep it neat, but when they are at school it usually looks like this:
I think the best way to keep your main living space tidy is to consistently require your kids to pick up their things before going to bed. If I didn’t do that, it would look like a tornado hit it a lot of days.

I took this week to change out some decorations in favor of a more fall look. My decorating is pretty simple; I love the idea of taking more time to decorate, but I rarely actually take the time to do it. Here’s the table by our front entrance decorated for summer:I changed out just a few things to give it a more fall look.

Pretty subtle, right? Ha! Meghan commented that she wants better decorations for Halloween, so next month I may try to put more effort into my decorating. Maybe.

Now, even though I keep my living space tidy most of the time, I do have this one cupboard that needed some serious attention.

This became a dumping ground for anything I wanted out of sight quickly.  My task became bigger than I expected when I realized I really needed to get our DVDs organized. They were all over the place and I needed to create a better system.

After I put everything else in its correct place and threw away what needed to be tossed, I was able to get down to business with the DVDs. I finally got all of them together and could get them all into their matching cases. There were a ton that the kids have outgrown, so those went into the donate pile. The rest were separated into home movies and the kids’ DVDs. The home movies are now stored in one storage case (which doubles as a decorating piece on the shelf above) and the kids’ are all together in a basket under the table. This is a task that needed to be done a long time ago and it feels so good to get it done!With all of the clutter now out of cupboard, I was able to straighten out the photo albums so we can actually get them out without creating an avalanche. The white box is now home to all the extra remote controls and wires we don’t use everyday. 

The second task, cleaning out a “junk drawer”, was supposed to be the smaller task. We don’t necessarily have a junk drawer, but our mud room does have two junk cabinets. This ended up being just as big of a task as decluttering our main living space.

These two cabinets were crazy out of control! Sorry about the not great pictures. We don’t have a ton of natural light in the mudroom and my camera just doesn’t like low light conditions. I had some big piles of “stuff” as I was cleaning these out. I am embarrassed to admit some of the things I found in here. Diapers when it’s been over two years that Luke’s been out of diapers. The tray of a portable high chair whose base has already been donated. Random home decorating things I decided I didn’t want to use so I shoved them in there. Again, any time I wanted something out of sight, into the mudroom cabinet it went. Like it would disappear when I shut the door. Ahhhh isn’t that better?! So much better. Here’s the bottom cabinet up close:And the top cabinet is home to only a flashlight! You know you’ve gotten rid of a good amount of things when you have a whole empty cabinet. 

I’m going to announce next week’s challenge today, but instead of giving you strategies I’m going to break that into a different post. Make sure to check back tomorrow for strategies to help you with declutter challenge this week!

Declutter Challenge Week 3 Big Task: Pantry and Refrigerator

Declutter Challenge Week 3 Small Task: Nightstands (if you don’t have a nightstand, pick a drawer or small area that needs some attention)

See you here tomorrow for the strategies to tackle week 3! Please share how it’s going for you if you’re joining in on the declutter challenge by commenting on the Facebook post or in the comment section here!

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Anti-inflammatory Diet: List of Foods to Eat and Avoid

Chronic inflammation is linked to nearly every disease that plagues our society today. When our bodies are overloaded with dietary and environmental toxins, we switch on our immune systems and they don’t turn off. An overactive immune system sends your body into a constant state of distress, and inflammation takes over.

The list of diseases and conditions linked to chronic inflammation is long, and unfortunately familiar to most of us. Chronic inflammation is thought to play a role in the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, arthritis, and IBS, to name a few.

In a recent Happy Healthy Mama newsletter, I let you know that my husband Tim was having issues with the mobility of one of his fingers. Speaking of my newsletter, if you aren’t getting it yet, pop your email address in the little box below and you’ll be on my list. To thank you, you’ll get a mini ebook of my Top 10 Favorite No Bake Snacks.

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Okay, back to the husband’s finger. He’s experiencing what’s known as “trigger finger.” This is when one or more of your fingers catches or locks up. Tim’s case is rather severe as some mornings his finger is locked into his palm and it’s hard for him to get it moving again. When I started researching trigger finger I found out “it is caused by local swelling from inflammation…” (source) Surprise, surprise.

His finger problem triggered me (pun intended) to encourage Tim to eat a more anti-inflammation diet. He was mostly on board until he heard that meant he has to cut back on sugar. I think his finger is bothering him enough, though, that he’s willing to get serious about eating in a way that can help him avoid surgery.

I put together this list for him and thought I should share it with all of you, also. First I am sharing the list of foods that are anti-inflammatory foods; these are the ones that will fight inflammation. The second list are inflammatory foods that you should try to limit or avoid if you want to decrease chronic inflammation in your body.

The foods to eat list is much easier for me than the foods to avoid and I’m sure that’s the case with everyone. A few years ago I had some serious finger pain (ironic now it’s Tim’s finger…) that spurred me to research the anti-inflammatory diet and I was very strict with it for 8 weeks. It worked amazingly well! An anti-inflammatory diet is great for anyone with a goal of longevity and disease prevention, but from personal experience, I highly recommend a strict anti-inflammatory diet to anyone dealing with chronic joint pain. As always, talk with your doctor, but it’s 100% worth the effort of letting food be your medicine.

Anti-inflammatory Diet Food Lists

Foods to Eat in Abundance

These foods and spices fight inflammation!

• Broccoli
• Leafy greens like spinach, swiss chard, kale, etc.
• Bok choy
• Celery
• Berries (all varieties, especially blueberries)
• Pineapple
• Beets
• Salmon
• Bone broth
• Walnuts
• Coconut oil
• Chia seeds
• Flax seeds
• Turmeric
• Ginger
• Cloves
• Rosemary
• Cinnamon
• Oregano
• Marjoram
• Thyme
• Sage
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Garlic

 Foods to Limit or Avoid

These foods or ingredients may trigger inflammation.

• Foods with casein (cow’s milk and dairy products from cow’s milk)
• Sugar
• Trans fats and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats
• Fried foods
• Refined carbohydrates
• Foods with gluten (wheat, rye, barley, etc.)
• Vegetable oils such safflower, corn, sunflower, or mixed vegetable oils
• MSG
• Artificial sweeteners
• Alcohol (in excess)
• Processed meats

With many of the foods and ingredients on the foods to avoid or limit list, you will have to be a label reader. If that’s new to you, it will make grocery shopping take longer at first. Eventually, though, it will become second nature and you’ll recognize food products that will have those ingredients you want to avoid before you even look.

I will definitely keep you updated on Tim’s finger as he tries to be strict with his anti-inflammatory diet. You don’t have to have a specific health problem to eat this way, though. An anti-inflammatory diet is one that will help you feel energized, healthy for the long term, and is recommended by top nutrition experts. I hope you find this list helpful as you inspire to eat your way to your optimal health!

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