Thanks to our friends at the Cambridge Hyatt Chesapeake Bay, Marilyn and a guest will be making good on their resolution for “self-pamperization,” enjoying a fabulous day of treatments at the best spa around. Enjoy your day, Marilyn… and when you’re relaxing there with those cucumber slices over your eyes, please remember to tell anyone who will listen that Let’s Dish! sent you.

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At Let’s Dish!, we will continue to provide a solution that fits with many of the goals busy folks like you set for yourself - resolution or no resolution: eat healthy, lower stress, save money, spend more time with your family, to name a few. And, will hold steadfast to our own resolution to provide you with high-quality, healthy and delicious meals and a top-notch experience in our stores. Since we opened in the mid-Atlantic three years ago, we set the bar high for the type of meal assembly company we could and would be and will continue to push it higher. As the leading meal assembly company in the region, we don’t just see you as customers, but almost 90,000 families (whew!) counting on us to help get dinner on the table. We’ve got many exciting things planned, great menus coming in 2008, and fantastic team in place at all levels to make it happen; we won’t let you down.

Thank you to all of the professional organizers, life coaches and creative individuals who submitted their resolution solutions to share with you. We tried to fit in as many as we could through the month. And, though we move on before the end of January by the calendar, by my count we shared over 40 tips from others not to mention those added in the commentary by the Let’s Dish! blogging team. And, there are even kernals of advice in the “Comments” for some posts, so all in all, we packed a lot of advice in a few short weeks. I also want to express my appreciation to the newly-formed Let’s Dish! blogging team. These folks jumped right into a new form of communication and have gotten us all off to a great start. You will continue to hear from them regularly as well as hear from a few new voices in the future.

We hope the inspiration from our daily posts will carry you through, BUT if you’d like to come back occasionally for a little motivation, you can find all the tips from this month when you click on the Resolution Solutions category (in the menu to the left). Or, if remembering when is easier for you, you may also go to the January archive to read more.

And, if you are hooked, don’t dismay! You can look for tips or helpful ideas in Food for Thought in the future with the same orange header, checkbox, and that perky “dishbulb” as I call it. We’ll transition to a “Bright Ideas” category where we’ll pass on any tips we think you’ll find useful. And, we will also always be looking to experts or guest blogger for submissions to pass on to the Let’s Dish! community. Email us if you’ve got an idea or simply would love to suggest a particular topic for Food for Thought!

And, though tips of a different sort, you won’t want to miss the ‘Food for Thought’ coming on heart health. If you haven’t yet subscribed to Food for Thought or signed up to receive updates via email, this would be a good time to do it. Tomorrow we’ll give you the overview of all the great info, resources and tips we plan on sharing during heart health month on Food for Thought…stay tuned!

p.s. Oh, and don’t think we haven’t forgotten! We’ll still hop back in during February to share with everyone who won the spa getaway at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina in Cambridge, MD. It may be you!

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Whenever I buy something new, I always imagine it as a replacement for something that I already have and I get rid of the older item. For example, each time a new issue of a magazine arrives, I toss an older issue into the recycling. This system helps keep multiples of the same kind of thing from cluttering your space.
- Rachel Rosenthal, ROSEY’S, www.roseysurbanstyle.com

Now on to some related thoughts. I’ve got a lot to say about this one (and I’ll probably post separately about these topics in the future - look for the “Dish Green” category when I do).

I wouldn’t call myself a huge Greenie, but I am quite mindful of the environment. And I try to do my best to make good choices– for myself and also to model good behavior and decision making for my daughters. I’ve tried to engage my daughters in the effort even though their young ages (4 and 5 1/2) can make that a challenge. I try to use the old Reduce/Reuse/Recycle adage as a framework. It works for recycling and environmental awareness but I think it works for some broader themes, especially for little kids.

“Reduce” is a theme I try to invoke much like Rachel suggests above. They are at the stage where they want a lot of stuff. They see stuff on TV and at school and in the store and they frequently– though pretty innocently– ask if they can have things. Sometimes it makes me very frustrated, and I simply tell them “No.” Other times, I try to take a breath and calmly ask them if they really need it. This is in the hope that I can actually get them to think about it. Surprisingly, they are often pretty reasonable and quickly conclude that they do not. My wife has also been very good at engaging them in the giving of old toys/clothes/etc to Salvation Army or children’s hospitals or the like so they have the general sense that a) giving is good and b) no one needs too much stuff. We try to talk about what you could possibly do with “all that stuff” anyway! We’ve been somewhat successful so far. Still, it gets harder as they get older, get more immersed in consumer culture, and (most importantly) see their friends with stuff.

Related to the theme of Reducing consumption, I believe, is the idea of delayed gratification. And I believe this is one of the most important challenges we parents face today. So much is available so instantly that kids take it for granted. Every parent I know seems to have a story about their kid telling them just to go “get money from that machine” so we can buy something. Cute to a point, sure, but also a bit scary.

There are tons of studies about delayed gratification out there. I recall one about very young kids who were able to resist eating a single M&M when promised that they’d get two M&Ms 5 minutes later. Some kids cave in. Others wait. Many of the ones who wait are seen through one way mirrors employing all sorts of techniques to help themselves resist– sitting on their hands, looking away, singing to themselves, talking to the M&M, things like that. The fascinating (and scary) thing is that they study traced the kids through young adulthood and the ones who waited, who had greater self control and ability to delay gratification, were measurably more successful in life along a whole manner of dimensions. I couldn’t seem to find this exact study online, but there are plenty of related ones and here’s one:

Self-Discipline May Beat Smarts as Key to Success
By Jay Matthews, Washington Post (1/17/06, p. A10)
So what to do about it? I wish I had the answers. As I said above, I try to discuss the issue with my daughters in very simple terms and to model good consumer behavior for them. I think every little bit helps. And using simple systems like Rachel’s gives them another model.

I am big fan of Jonathan Clements’s personal finance columns in the Wall Street Journal. He had a great piece recently about teaching your kids about money: “12 Ways to Make Your Kids Financially Savy” (12/17/07, p. R1). (Some Journal content is free and some is subscriber only, so here’s a blog that discusses it in case you have trouble with the original.) My favorite of his ideas is the Soda Game– when at restaurants, give your kids a choice. They can have either a soda/tea/juice/milk OR they can have a perfectly healthy (and free) glass of water AND get a dollar. My girls are still probably a year away from this game being effective, but I love the idea and plan to use it.

“Reuse” turns out to be somewhat easier in my house because of my kids’ fondness for art. Almost any piece of trash can be conjured into beautiful artwork by the creative mind of a 4-5 year old. (And my wife posted recently on some great strategies for organizing all their masterworks.) When we turn an old can into art or keep popsicle sticks for future projects, I try to casually mention to them how great it is that we are reusing something. I’m not sure how much it sinks in, but it has to be better than nothing. And they at least talk about it a bit, which is a start.

There is a lot you can reuse these days. In our family, we make sure to do the simple things. For example, we never just throw out old bread bags or old ziploc bags (of which we have a lot because we eat so much Let’s Dish! food!). All of those bags get saved and we use them to organize small items like beads (in the case of the clean ziplocs), for “pick up” when we walk our Cairn Terrier (in the case of the bread bags) or to simply hold wet swimsuits on the way back from the pool in the summer. All of this is good behavior and the girls now notice if I throw away a bag and they’ll ask me why I am not keeping it (answer is usually that we only throw away bags that have had raw meat in them or are torn). Other things we try to reuse: old butter containers, larger tin cans with plastic lids, boxes. And then, if you can’t reduce it or reuse it, more and more you can recycle it.

“Recycle” is something the girls already understand to some extent. Again, we try to talk about it in simple terms. “People can make this into new things instead of just throwing it into a big trash pile.” And we have a recycle bin prominent in the kitchen so the girls see it and can participate in throwing things into it. I try to tell them when I’m taking out the recycling every other week on Wednesdays.

Speaking of, kudos to Baltimore City for going to single stream recycling in which you can put all your recyclables together in one container. And also for simultaneously increasing the types of plastics that can be recycled. It used to be just #1 and #2 but now is #1 through #7. (Read more if you live in Baltimore like I do.) I read a cool study in business school about the public policy problem of littering. It turns out that most folks don’t really “want” to litter. But at the same time, they will only carry a piece of trash so far on average. So the trick to reducing litter is often just making more trash cans available. Sounds simple, right? And we can all debate what it says about folks’ discipline that they can’t/won’t carry the trash a bit longer (perhaps most of us aren’t good at resisting that first M&M!?). But the fact remains: if reducing litter is deemed to be a valuable outcome, you can do so by putting out more trash cans. This costs money, of course, as does Baltimore’s new recycling program. (Sadly, in many cases, it is still cheaper– at least in the short term and in a simple analysis– to throw things out than recycle them). In this case though, I believe the new program will make compliance easier and will therefore result in more recycling. I am, of course, paying for this in my taxes, but this is one place I’m happy to see my money go.

Back to recycling in the Corcoran household. I try to focus the girls on the easy things:
- recycling all paper, all cans,
- turning off lights when they leave a room (this one is tough and we’re still working on it!)
- turning off the water when they brush their teeth (they are getting better at this)
- encouraging them to look on the bottom of containers for the recycling symbol

They are pretty good at paying attention to the little things that can be recycled like empty toilet paper rolls, small boxes (like from bandaids or cold medicine), magazine inserts that fall on the floor. It’s tempting to just chuck those in the trash, but I’ve engaged the girls to help notice those things and remember that they can be recycled, too. Every little bit helps.

I recently came across a nice little summary of things you can do to live a more sustainable life. It was put together by Stanford University and is in the form of a card you can download - I think it’s worth passing on:

Sustainable Choices Card
Use it to make decisions at home, at work, and on the road.
Wow, that was longer than I intended it to be! I’m going to post in the future on some related topics including our ongoing efforts at Let’s Dish! to be as environmentally conscious as possible.

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I also give myself permission NOT to answer my phone. I light my candle on my desk, put on music (with no words so as not to distract me), close the door, and stay on task until i get it done. Then I move to the next task.
- Sharon Rainey, Neighbors International, www.myneighborsnetwork.com

Sharon’s tip reminds me of an article my sister wrote two years ago on a similar theme. In her piece in the Charlotte Observer, Carolyn goes a step further to encourage you to not be so hard on yourself if you do stumble or even fail to reach your lofty goals for the new year. My sister is a yoga instructor (yes, we couldn’t be more different) and finds inspiration in yoga’s focus on body and mind. Yoga teaches self acceptance - which is often scarce when you think of all the things we set out to achieve even before you pile on New Year’s Resolutions.

Though it’s been a few years, I think the advice is timeless, so I thought I’d share it with y’all as Food for Thought:

*****
Resolve to Forgive Yourself
If you promise yourself to lose weight, don’t let one misstep turn into a tumble.

By Carolyn Klimas, Special to the Charlotte Observer

The challenge in keeping resolutions is not only in keeping them but also in the paralyzing guilt that comes with breaking them. How often do dieters stray from their planned meal and then embrace the logic that says, “Oh, I ruined my diet.” As if one bowl of ice cream has brought down a nation. The disappointment from this lapse can and often does snowball into a continuation of old habits.

My suggestion is to combine one’s resolution with forgiveness. In yoga, we approach the poses with abhyasa and vairagya, which means “best efforts, surrender the results.” Why not keep your resolutions, but also incorporate some kindness in the plan?

First, take pride in your effort. By trying to make changes in your life, you are honoring yourself. That in itself is pretty groovy.

Second, have realistic expectations. Choose goals that you have a possibility of fulfilling. Most of us won’t drop pounds that quickly unless we’re assigned to a tribe on “Survivor.” Apply softness and knowledge of yourself when you make your resolutions.

Lastly, forgive. Chastising yourself will only perpetuate whatever low self-esteem that inspired the resolution in the first place. If you slip up on your diet, forgive yourself and try again at the next meal or snack. If you skipped your spin class, check the schedule to see if there’s another tomorrow. Or take a walk instead.

In yoga, we say each inhale provides a new opportunity, a new moment. This year, why not offer yourself a new kindness with your resolutions?

(Originally published 12/29/05; Charlotte Observer, p 1E)

*****

Alas, my sister’s yoga studio is in NC so I don’t have a personal ticket to a toned body, but I do try to follow her suggestions. Carolyn has an aura of peacefulness and self-acceptance that I aspire to in my day-to-day life. In turbulent times (she’s now testing her limits as she plans her wedding), she can draw on an inner strength that comes when you take pride in who you are instead of starring in the role of your own worst critic. You probably know a person with that sense of calm and confidence in your life. I wonder what his or her New Year’s Resolutions were?

I especially apply this philosophy to how and why Let’s Dish! is a core aspect of my life. It’s not just because I’m a co-owner (though admittedly, that comes with some obvious perks!). Let’s Dish! helps me fulfill my role as a wife, mother, and working woman to the best of my ability. I’m proud that I’ve found a solution that works for me and my family - and have not even an ounce of guilt that somehow I should manage this all on my own.

Well, forgive me for going a little deeper here today that a clutter buster or time-management tip. I hope you will be kind to yourself as you maintain your resolve. And, go ahead, unplug that phone - it is Saturday after all.

p.s. As it turns out, January 26th (yes, today) is also Yoga Day USA, a day where all across the nation folks come together to celebrate the benefits of yoga - I’ll bet (wink! wink!) you had no idea such a day existed! So, if you’re not heading to one of our stores to dish up some meals today, I’m sure Carolyn would like me to mention that it’s a great day to find a yoga studio, especially if you’ve resolved to get fit, lower stress or just find more peace in your life.

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But I am always hesitant to throw away perfectly good things. The tip below is a great one for deciding what to keep and what not to keep when going through all your “stuff”:

Sort through home and office clutter with “SOS” in mind–does it have the potential to hold Sentiment Or a Sale? If it is a keepsake, group similar items together in a storage bin to be put away for long-term storage. If the item has monetary value and is still in good condition, snap a photo of it and post it on web-pages such as Ebay, Half.com, Craig’s List, and Amazon.
-Emily Jansen of Organize4Hire, www.organize4hire.com

And I have to admit that I am a bit of an Ebay and Craig’s List addict. I can’t get enough! Honestly, so many of the clothes in my closet are from Ebay and almost all of the furniture in my house came from Craig’s List.

I bet that if I spent half as much time selling my things online as I do buying things online, I would probably have less clutter and some extra cash (a win-win if you ask me).

Now, if you are bound and determined to purge - an admirable goal - here’s one last tip from Kathryn. It sure sounds like the way to get it done.

Throw out 10 things every day. Medicine cabinets, kitchen junk drawers, and nightstand tables are the best place to start. If you can clear out a small drawer, you will feel more confident about starting a bigger project like the garage or attic.
- Kathryn Warden, The Art of Order, LLC

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