How To Organize In A Quarantine – Part 2

Check out this short video  on How To Organize In A Quarantine. Part 2 then read my talented Toastmasters friends Poem.

Staying at home, being quiet can bring out some of your talents and creativity. It sure did for this person, don’t you think?

Corona virus poem

As I sits here in self isolation away from my friends

I think of what I can do until the quarantine ends.

I look all around me there’s plenty to clean

I could scrub and disinfect until all is a gleam

Or I could go out to shop buy things that we need

But the shelves are all empty so unlikely to succeed.

Its funny how toilet paper is so popular these days

There must be some people using it in unimaginable ways.

People are staying at home and learning to cook

Using an internet recipe or an old recipe book

I look out of the window thinking what should I do

And that’s when I see sky in a beautiful blue hue

 

Outside is so sunny , so warm and so bright

I decide to go out and enjoy all the light.

I sit on the front porch in my adorondack chair

Looking out on the street I see something quite rare.

The neighbor is out with his kids all in tow

Other families are biking all in a row

There are joggers and skaters and kids towed in a cart

Of course they are all keeping 6 feet apart

Another neighbor I haven’t seen for some time

Walks by, gives a wave and hopes all is just fine.

There’s gardeners outside pulling up weeds

Others are mowing , pruning and planting some seeds.

One kid is up climbing so high up a tree

Reminds me of childhood. Oh I was so free.

The sidewalk and roadway has pictures of chalk

A man and his wife take their dog for a walk,

 

IMG_6803

Its refreshing to see the neighborhood so alive

I guess Covid 19 brought everyone outside.

 

And that’s when I realize that in this odd Spring

Its teaching us to appreciate some simpler thing

Like being a good neighbor, family member and friend

We’re in this together until this pandemic’s end.

 

Written by AM of Coquitlam BC Canada

Permission to use was granted.

 

PS: We are 4-6 weeks in quarantine. Have you checked off several of your “To Dos”?

If not, why not take advantage of a FREE over the phone coaching call with Rowena.

Check out www.gettingittogether.ca to book your time.

 

In the mean time subscribe to her Facebook and YouTube

https://www.facebook.com/rowenalist?ref=profile

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMcjOCWSWaIBtw9CR3cLxfg?view_as=subscriber

 

By |2020-06-07T20:52:31+00:00April 27th, 2020|Home Organization|0 Comments

How To Slow Down And Savour Your Food

How often do you stand in the kitchen and eat your meals?

How often do you miss a meal? “I’m too busy to eat.”

How often do you get indigestion?

This is all crazy making. The fact that we are too busy, too rushed or maybe to disorganized to eat properly is crazy. Eating is one of the most important things we can do for our bodies next to proper sleep and shelter. Yes it takes time, planning and preparation in order to be prepared for meal time. These ideas take just a little time and a little organization. Your body is worth it. Isn’t it?

Check out this short video on how to slow down and savor your food.

Next time you are getting ready for a meal please try these top Getting it Together’s 5 tips.

Tip#1 Stop. For just a moment and really appreciate what is on your plate. Be grateful for what you are about to eat. (Hopefully it is something really healthy and yummy.)

Tip#2 Breathe. Take a moment and really examine your breath. Are you breathing short shallow breaths or are they long deep ones. If they are short, take a minute and do 3-5 really deep breaths. This will help you to slow down and enjoy your meal.

Tip#3 Chew. Chewing slowly encourages proper digestion. Chewing slowly allows you to really savour the flavours of the food you are eating. If you are a dinner guest chewing slowly shows your host or hostess that you are appreciating the tastes and effort it took them to make the meal.

Tip#4 Sit. Even if you are dinning alone sitting at the table is so very important.

You are important so set a place for yourself. No more eating in the car, eating on the run, eating standing up or worse yet eating in front of the TV. The experts say that sitting down to meals increases your chances of losing weight. (If indeed you need/want to lose weight.)

Tip#5 Set the stage. Get yourself a nice placemat, light the candles, turn on some nice music. Turn OFF the TV. And above all please do not answer the phone unless you are expecting an emergency call.

So often I will call a home and the person claims on the other end of the phone that they are right in the middle of dinner. I have never understood why people answer their phones when they cannot talk. (That is a whole different article). I was in a home the other day and they have a big sign on the fridge: “No phones one hour prior to dinner or during.” What I love about this message is that it was written by the young daughter. Do you think she might have been frustrated by the lack of communication at her family dinner table?

Whether you are dinning with yourself or your whole family these tips are a great way to slow down, connect, savour and enjoy your food and meals.

Give these TIPS a try and let me know some of your most favourite dinning experiences.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00September 1st, 2014|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Best Bran Muffin Recipe

How would you like to have 6 weeks’ worth of bran muffin mixture in your fridge?

How would your family like hot, fresh muffins in the morning?

We all know that one of the best organizing tips is to cook or bake in bulk. It takes no more time to make a huge pot of soup as it does a small one. You still have to cut up the veggies, etc. Each time I make this best bran muffin recipe ever I think of you, my readers. You might have seen this recipe in the past or maybe you are seeing it for the first time. Either way, I have updated it, made it healthier and added a twist. My mom says “she thinks she could sing after eating one because of all the nuts and seeds.”

Try this simple recipe and be ready to make it again and again. It is LOW fat and no added sugar.

Best Bran Muffin recipe ever

2 cups All bran cereal

2 cups Boiling water

1 tsp Salt

Bran muffin recipeCombine in a large bowl or plastic tub (remember it needs to fit in the fridge for up to 6 weeks)

Next

In a mixing bowl cream together:

1 cup Cooking oil

4 Eggs

4 1/3 cups Buttermilk (equals the 1 liter container) I use the low fat kind.

Add this mixture to the above cereal mixture

Lastly

Add these remaining ingredients to your above big bowl of mixture

5 cups flour (I use spelt or whole wheat)

4 cups Natural Bran

3 tbsp Baking soda

Let this mixture stand overnight in the fridge.

When you are ready to bake some muffins, simply put a small amount of the mixture in a bowl (the large batch might separate while in the fridge. Not to worry just give it a good stir).  Add whatever you like. For example: cinnamon, dried fruit, hemp hearts, flax seeds, nuts, applesauce. Get creative. No two batches need to be the same. Make sure it is muffin recipe consistency. Not too moist and runny. Bake filled greased muffin cups ¾ full at 400 F (200 C) for about 20-30 minutes or until your toothpick comes out clean.

Bran muffin recipeI love the new silicone muffin cups. You do not need the grease or the paper liners. They are the best invention.

I would love to hear what you put in your muffins. Please leave me a comment below.

For quicker, great bulk cooking ideas please contact me for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. I will give you ideas and suggestions on how to move forward in a more organized bulk-cooking way.

 

By |2020-06-07T20:52:45+00:00September 10th, 2012|Uncategorized|0 Comments

The Best Way to Wash and Store Berries by Rowena List Professional Organizer of Getting it Together

the best way to wash and store berries Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Just a few of the fabulous berries we can get fresh in the summer time. Which ones are your favorite? Creative Commons License photo via Sharon Mollerus

I love blueberries.I’ll go to our local farm and buy pounds of them. You never want your berries to go bad.Why not watch this short video on-

The best way to wash and store Berries

I love to freeze berries. It is so handy to have them for my protien shakes in the winter. It makes the work of discovering the best way to wash and store berries worth it! How about you? What things do you do with your berries? Are you a jam maker? A pie maker? Do you like to can?

A great berry bush can produce a prolific harvest, it’s a good thing the list of uses is so long! I knew a woman whose raspberry bushes but out so many raspberries they stored them in gallon ice cream containers and handed them out to everyone who visited. She was in need of advice on the best way to wash and store berries for certain.

What is the best way to wash and store berries that you have found?

Please leave your comments below.

If you like this video, click the “like” button and then share it with your friends. And if you’re not in the “Getting it Together” community, head on over to gettingittogether.ca and get on the list. You’ll get instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your home in 15 minutes or less.

 

By |2020-06-07T20:52:46+00:00July 24th, 2012|Home Organization, Organizer|2 Comments

Weight Loss and Organization by Rowena List Professional organizer and Speaker

weight lossWeight loss tips and suggestions are everywhere we turn. Eat ten fruits and vegetables a day, drink ten glasses of water, exercise. We have heard it all. One thing we never seem to read about or hear about is how being organized fits into this picture. The more organized we are the more time we have to prepare all these salads,get to the gym and have a clear mind so we remember to drink water.

 

Check out this short video to learn more about organization and    weight loss.

What is one idea you will put in place right away to help with weight loss?

Please leave your comments below but not before you have a BIG glass of water!

If you like this video on organization and weight loss, click the “like” button and then share it with your friends.  And if you’re not in the “Getting it Together” community, head on over to gettingittogether.ca and get on the list.  You’ll get instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your home in 15 minutes or less.

One bowl eating habit to weight loss By Rowena List Professional Organizer and Speaker

weight loss

Many years ago I attended a fund raiser in Burnaby BC. It was to raise money for the people in our community that go to bed hungry,wake up hungry and/or go to school hungry. In this day and age I have yet to understand how this can still happen. We live in a country of abundance. So much that weight loss can happen just by eating with portion control. picture via Creative Commons License Ben Seidelman

At the fund raiser we were all given a hand made pottery bowl. The idea was to go around the room and fill it with different food items to enjoy for our dinner. It was the perfect size bowl. Around the size of a soup bowl.

At the same time I heard about a fellow that ate every meal out of one bowl for a whole month. Weight loss was a side effect. His goal was to teach himself about portion size. In the mean time he lost some weight.

Check out the video for all the tips.

What do you think of this idea?  Are you going to give it a try?

Do you think it will aid your weight loss?

Love to hear your opinion below. What is your best weight loss strategy?

If you like this video on weight loss, click the “like” button and then share it with your friends.  And if you’re not in the “Getting it Together” community, head on over to gettingittogether.ca and get on the list.  You’ll get instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your home in 15 minutes or less.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:49+00:00February 1st, 2012|Organizer, Self Care Organization|2 Comments

Healthy snacks for weight loss By Rowena List Professional Organizer and Speaker

weight lossA personal trainer once told me that I ate like a garbage can. Can you imagine ever saying that to anyone? My goal was weight loss. image Creative Commons License Kevin Dooleyt

 

He asked me to keep a food journal for 2 weeks. At the end of the 2 weeks he came to this conclusion.

My weight loss wouldn’t happen with these eating habits!

 

What he meant was that I snack on small amounts of food during the day. He wanted me to have 3 meals and 2 snacks to aid my weight loss.

This way of eating has actually helped me to maintain a better blood sugar level. I find I only need an afternoon snack as my protein shake holds me till lunch.

What one idea will you try right away on weight loss?

Please leave your comment below.

If you like this video, click the “like” button and then share it with your friends.  And if you’re not in the “Getting it Together” community, head on over to gettingittogether.ca and get on the list.  You’ll get instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your home in 15 minutes or less.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:49+00:00January 25th, 2012|Organizer, Self Care Organization|0 Comments

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