Reclaiming My Health - Part One

If you've been following The Nest Effect for awhile, then perhaps you know of my health issues.

Here's a recap and some other info I perhaps haven't shared.

• I have hypothyroidism and bile that just won't quit.
• The last time I went to the doctor I was told that I need to cut down on my sodium intake. {GASP! But salt is my favorite. I'd choose it any day over sugar!}
• The Dr. also said I better lose some weight due to health issues that run in my family.
• I lost weight last year for our wedding, but then due to lack of finding a job, I ended up depressed and eating my sorrows away. I gained back what I lost, plus 5 pounds.
• I'm a junky eater. I love pizza way more than anyone should. I love chips, popcorn {especially movie theater popcorn}, and any other super-salty treat. And then there's hamburgers, macaroni salad, wimpies, hamburg gravy, Chinese food, pasta, etc. - ya know, all of the really delicious foods.
• I love soda. I've switched to diet soda, which I know is no better, but at least the calories are not there.

Now, I'm not writing this post for any sort of sympathy or what-ev-er. I'm writing this post to hold myself accountable. When it's out in the open, I feel like it's more than just me tracking my progress, even if y'all don't care about this health-journey I'm on. At least if it's out there, it somehow feels more...real?

So I said last week, this is all about being healthy. That is my main concern, but if I lose some weight in the process, that's just an added bonus. I wanted to share with you the resources I've been using because I like them so much.

Okay, I'm not being paid or commissioned or anything to mention WW. I've always wanted to try it out because I love the idea of counting points rather than calories. After all, calories are so difficult to count, especially when you eat more than the portion, but not another whole portion.

I'm subscribed online only. I'm not into going to meetings and what-not, so this is a solo deal for me. I Googled "WeightWatchers deal" and found one for $50 for 3 months. Perfect.

And even cooler than anything else, they have smartphone apps. Seriously. It can't get any easier. 3 apps are available for my Motorola Droid Razr smartphone: WW Points Tracker, WW Barcode Scanner, and WW Points Calculator. The Barcode Scanner is SO amazing. I just scan the barcode of what I'm eating and then select how much of the serving size I'm eating, and it calculates it all for me.

Fruits and vegetables are 0 points. So if I've used all of my points for the day and I'm truly hungry, I don't feel guilty and starve myself like I have with other calorie-counting programs I've tried. I feel like WW focuses more on eating healthy than full-blown "I hate my life because I'm dieting" programs. I'm learning to love fruits and vegetables, which is healthy long-term.

For eating out, I've found two websites who have national chain restaurant PointsPlus values already calculated out for you. {Exercise 4 Weight Loss // Just Diet Now} This has been SO helpful when we've made a quick stop when we're out at Wendy's or equivalent.

Here's an example from just the other night.

• We stop at Wendy's. I am just craving a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger...for two weeks now. I think about having one, but decided to check my points that I have left first, and how many points it will cost me. We've already had dinner for the night, but I'm legitimately hungry.
• A Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger is 9 points. I had 6 points left. Not happening. So I opted for a 6 point value size french fry. Just as satisfying.
• Chris got a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger {9 points}, 5 piece chicken nugget {6 points}, medium Coke {7 points}, and small frosty {8 points}. He's not trying to lose weight, or be healthy, obviously. All of that adds up to more points than I'm allowed in one day. So grossly ridiculous. haha

Do you follow The House of Smiths? If not, you should. Not only is Shelley an amazing home/DIY blogger, but she's on an incredible weight loss journey and sharing her story along the way. She is truly such an inspiration. She has lost over 60 pounds this year and is still going. I love following her journey and enjoy her spunky personality that comes out in the way she writes her posts. She's absolutely amazing.

Last week I found a recipe blog called Skinnytaste. Not only does she share low fat recipes, but they're all foods that real people actually eat. It's not just vegetarian, or things you've never heard of {not that there's anything wrong with either of those, it's just not my thing}. The best part for me, at this time, is she gives the WW PointsPlus values for each meal. {Thank you!}

This week I made Gina's Swedish Meatballs recipe. Have you ever eaten IKEA's swedish meatballs? Okay, I felt like I was at IKEA eating them. They were so incredibly delicious. And Chris, who hates anything low fat since he only wants to gain weight, loved the meal as well.

I've started pinning recipes that I want to try on Pinterest. {Don't worry, I'm not pinning a recipe, then copying and pasting the WHOLE recipe in the description box. That bugs me...so I won't do it. Just the recipe name will do.} Check out my To Eat & Drink board to see what I'm pinning.

Okay, okay...this post is long enough and I've been typing for an hour. I have more to share about this topic at hand, so I'll post again next week.

Do you have any websites or online resources for me, regarding my healthy journey? I'd love to discover more websites!

Quick Reminder: Thirty-One Giveaway Ends Tonight!

Just a quick reminder!

My Thirty-One giveaway over at The Learning Effect for a Large Utility Tote ends tonight at 12:01 a.m. (ET). The winner will be announced on the giveaway post on the Rafflecopter widget.

Thirty-One Large Utility Tote {$35 value}

If you'd like to purchase from my online Thirty-One party, you'll need to do so before Wednesday. My party ends tomorrow night! And remember, for every $35 you spend, you can purchase a Large Utility Tote for $10.

A Problem, A Solution, & A Decision for Change

This is a multi-story post. Bear with me. {Yes, this is the correct "bear" in that phrase. I Googled it.}

A Problem

We decided to eat healthier. We, as in Chris and I, together. We bought fresh fruit, quite a bit, to make a fruit salad. Usually we buy bananas or apples and that's the extent of our fruit buying. Our fruit bowl has been mostly used to hold grain products - buns, tortillas, rolls, bagels, etc. Well, the left over fruit doesn't fit nicely with the grains. That is a problem for me. It makes us both stay away from the whole situation in fear of dumping the whole bowl.

I decided I wanted to put the grains in the cupboard. Good luck finding room with the cupboard's current condition...

A Solution

I spent time rearranging, organizing, cleaning, searching for expired food, etc. I am pleased with the solution. The fruit gets its own bowl.

The grains go into a basket in the cupboard. Perfect.

Everything is now organized and easily accessible. Let's hope I can keep it this way all summer. =]

I'd love to buy this OXO Good Grips 10-Piece POP Container Set. It's $98 on Amazon. Amazon always has the best prices on everything, from what I've found over the last 5 years. It's just so expensive for 10 containers. I want something to store pasta, rice, snacks, chocolate chips, etc. Any suggestions for something similar to these, but cheaper?

A Decision for Change

I have recently decided - partially with Chris, but mostly on my own - to make a change. Well, not just a change, but several.

#1 - I want need to be healthy - and fit. I'm not looking to specifically lose a certain number of pounds. I want need to feel better about myself mentally and emotionally, and feel physically better. I sit for far too long every day, especially now that it's summer and I'm not teaching. I'm still working this summer - on my blogs, on my TPT files, on my Etsy files, etc. - but I'm not active. My hypothyroid just plain sucks and I'm not going to let that be an excuse anymore for why I am physically unfit. So with being more active, I'm also changing the way I eat. I know both of these changes will make me feel better each day and I'll have more energy. It's a good change. I'll post about what I'm going for this change next week.

#2 - I want need to stop biting my nails. Such a gross habit, I know. It's a boredom thing, I think. I often catch myself doing it without knowing. It makes it even more gross when I do it at school while working with kids. The germs that have to be under those nails. *blah* Plus, I have a mani/pedi combo gift certificate from a student that I'd love to use to it's full potential - not on nasty gnawed down nails. I've tried the nasty tasting nail polish - that doesn't work for me. Any other ideas for me would be greatly appreciated. =]

#3 - I We want need to create a budget, stick to it, and pay off debt. This means meal plans (once again), a realistic money map (hate the word budget), cutting costs, less going out (of course), and more saving and paying more than the minimum on student loans. I don't think we've ever been able to stick to a budget for a whole month. It's time to become adults and just do it already. We're still stuck in our adolescent mindset here.

#4 - I want need to simplify in all areas of my life. I feel like I have too much "stuff". Too many clothes, too many purses, too many gadgets, etc. It's just overwhelming, really. I can't make a decision on what to use when I have more than one. And then when I'm using more of something else and rarely using the other, I just feel like "what's the point of keeping both/all of them"? For example - I have two Kindles. One e-ink and the Fire. Two different Kindles, same concept. I should get rid of the e-ink one, I guess, but what am I supposed to do with it? I'm not going to donate it or just give it away. I could sell it, but for what? It's almost not worth it to sell it. I even have the first generation Kindle that just sits in my closet. I'll never use that one again. I have some decisions to make regarding my clutter over the next month.

Have you recently decided to make any big changes in your life / home?

Cleaning Purses & Accessories

Today I took the time to clean out all of my purses and accessories and throw them in the wash. I didn't realize how many I have. So ridiculous.

The great thing about having purses and accessories made from cotton with removable bases (such as those from Vera Bradley & Thirty-One), is you can wash them - in the washing machine. It's SO nice. I've ruined so many purses in the past from getting stuff on them and not being able to clean them in an easy way.

So once a year I gather all of my purses and accessories and throw them in the wash. I do not dry them in the dryer. I set everything out and let it air dry. Think of all of the nasty bottom-of-the-purse germs I wash away.

How do you clean your purses & accessories? I'd love to know how to clean those that can't go in the wash.

Announcement!

Yesterday I spent the day creating a new blog! The Learning Effect will now be the place where I post about education and teaching related topics. The Nest Effect will still be updated regularly - so don't worry, I'm not closing down!

I'm hosting a Thirty-One party & giveaway at The Learning Effect. Come check it out!

Conquering Couponing

A year ago I would have considered myself a big couponer. I'm not crazy with the stockpiling, but I haven't had to buy toothpaste, hair products, etc. in over a year. After all, it's only Chris and I that I'm buying for. Couponing has taken a backseat since January, and the coupons that I receive in the two newspapers I subscribe to have been stacking up. So I had to decide: give it up or get back in the game. Because I was so into couponing for so long, it bugs me when I'm shopping and I know that there had to be a coupon in the inserts for certain things. There's always coupons for condiments, cereal, etc., and we buy these things still since I don't stockpile them. I decided to get back in the game, but only clip the coupons I'll seriously use. I don't have the time to look up the deals and match them with coupons anymore. I just want to simply coupon.

Here's the pile I had to sort through. It was fairly simple with the inserts that had the old dates printed on the side. I didn't even bother with those.

This is my couponing purse. Now that my coupon files aren't as big, I don't think I'll be needing this purse specifically for couponing anymore.

What is nice though, is that it fits both coupon files, a small clipboard, pens, scissors, and my wallet and grocery ad, when needed.

I used my label maker to label each coupon section. This makes it so much easier for me when I'm shopping, rather than looking through all of the food coupons at once.

For the multiple duplicate coupons I clip, I staple them together. It makes it easier to handle, file, clip, etc.

After clipping, I sort. These coupon sorting mats have the same categories that I have in my files. To download these sorting pages for free, click here.

It's such a relief to have that taken care of. Now I can save a bit of money while I shop, too!

Cleaning Dingy White Shirts: The Results

On my summer to-do list, one of the first things I wanted to do was clean my dingy white t-shirts and tanks. I wear white camis under almost everything, so of course they're going to eventually get gross. Since they're worn under clothes, I don't really feel it's necessary to purchase brand new ones just because the old are dingy. I found a solution on a blog called One Good Thing by Jillee.

Source: onegoodthingbyjillee.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

The solution is 2 parts hydrogen peroxide, 1 part Dawn dish soap (just the regular kind), and some baking soda. I also used a small scrub brush to scrub them really well. I did the cleaning in the bathtub since I don't have a laundry room. I scrubbed each dingy section for 1-2 minutes with the brush, then let the shirts sit for an hour before washing them in a regular wash cycle.

My before and after pictures aren't very telling. The lighting in my apartment isn't the best, but they were really truly dingy - like the picture above from the other blog. Once I started scrubbing I even noticed that some of the camis had blue on the bottom from where they had been tucked into my new jeans.

And a tip if you're going to try it - wear rubber gloves! My fingers are white. haha.

Worth it? Yes! The camis were a lot harder to clean because of the built in shelf bra layer and the tiny straps. The shirts aren't brand new white, but they're clean now rather than dingy in one area. I cleaned 15 shirts with this method and each one looks great.

4th Grade, Here I Come!

Last Thursday I was offered a job at a brand new charter school for a 4th grade position. The school has a business emphasis. Technology galore at this school - right up my alley! I am excited for many reasons, but now at least I don't have to spend the summer stressing about whether or not I'll have a job next year.

On another positive note, today is our one year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's been one year already.

So, fellow teachers - do you have any tips for me for teaching 4th grade? I just taught 2nd and completed my student teaching in 3rd. Any tips, websites, etc. that you could share would be greatly appreciated!

Review & Giveaway: Rubbermaid Clean & Dry Plunger

When I was contacted by Rubbermaid about reviewing and giving away their latest and greatest product, it made me laugh. A plunger. I just couldn't imagine how a plunger would fit in with The Nest Effect's whole...post topic themes. But then I saw the words "clean and dry" in the product title. Umm...excuse me, what? Clean and dry? How?!

Seriously, I never thought I'd be saying this, especially on my blog for the world to read, but this plunger is awesome. Despite my recent laziness that has taken over and created a mess in my home, I still feel I'm a bit of a clean freak in some ways. One is with water. I don't like it left all over the sink, floor, etc. anywhere in the apartment. So to think of why we use a plunger and how after using it, water can end up all over the floor, it just really rubs me the wrong way.

Enter Rubbermaid Clean and Dry Plunger. This product is seriously amazing. I didn't believe it when I received mine to test out for the review so I kept dunking it in the water. The water beads and rolls right off. No more water on the floor after use!

Check out this video!




My overall impression of the Rubbermaid Clean and Dry Plunger is perfectly positive. It does exactly what it advertises and is mess free. It works great like a standard plunger.

Prize: Rubbermaid Clean & Dry Plunger

Number of Winners: one

To Enter: You must use the Rafflecopter widget below. It's really easy to use and makes giveaways a lot easier for me to manage. The widget will tell you what your commenting topic is! (mandatory)

Giveaway Ends: Sunday, June 17 @ 12:01 a.m. (Eastern Time). One winner will be chosen using the Rafflecopter widget. The winner will be announced on this post and will be emailed to claim their prize. The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email to claim their prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway Rules & Disclosure:

• You must be a follower (through Twitter, FB, GFC, or RSS/email) of The Nest Effect to win.
• The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter.com.
• This giveaway is open to readers living in the U.S. and Canada.
• Please make sure your email is either linked in your profile or on your blog OR that you include it in your comment. If I can't find your email address, I can't contact you as the winner.
• You must comment as your first, mandatory entry. All entries will be verified when the winner is chosen.
• One entry per method per person (3 total).
• This giveaway is sponsored. The prize, information, and giveaway have been provided by Rubbermaid. I was sent a product for free to review and give my honest opinion on. Any opinions about products stated in this post are completely honest and purely my own.

Etsy Store Special - This Weekend Only!

This weekend only {ending Sunday, June 10, at 10 p.m. Mountain Time} all SINGLE DOCUMENTS are buy one get one free in my etsy store.


Here's how to take advantage of this special:

• Purchase any single document {priced $3.50}.
• When viewing your cart at checkout, there is a box at the bottom of your order that says "note to thenesteffect". In that box, type in the other single document title you'd like for free.
• Your single documents can be chosen from any set if there's something that you want that doesn't have it's own listing. To purchase one of these documents, click here to be taken to the "choose one document from any set" listing.
• Please note: If you do not add the free document in your "notes" section when purchasing, then I will not be able to send you your freebie. Once I have emailed you your purchase, the window closes to receive your BOGO freebie. If you have any questions, please ask before purchasing. I'm pretty good about getting back to you quickly.

Also, everyone who enters the code below when they purchase "the whole nest" {all 7 sets at a discounted price} this weekend will receive my 2013 planner pack for free when I finish it up this summer {it may be a month or two, but I'll keep track of purchases}.


Here's how to take advantage of this special:

• Purchase the whole nest set.
• When viewing your cart at checkout, there is a box at the bottom of your order that says "note to thenesteffect". In that box, type in this code: PLANNER2013.
• Please note: If you do not add this code in your "notes" section when purchasing, then I will not be able to give you the 2013 planner pack for free at a later date. Once I have emailed you your purchase, the window closes to receive your planner pack freebie. If you have any questions, please ask before purchasing. I'm pretty good about getting back to you quickly.

P.S. My giveaway for Perfectly Posh Footsie Sets (3 winners!) ends this Sunday! Enter now if you haven't yet!

Let's Get Organized... Here Are Some Free Printables To Help

School's out. My classroom is packed and waiting to be moved. I'm motivated to get this place in shape (and perhaps myself, too). The best way to start? A to-do list, of course! How about a free printable to help you with that? {Click the picture below to download!}

summer to-do list

And then, I'd also like to plan out my weeks easily. Not really long term, but more for what projects I'm going to complete each day so I'm ready to go. What better way to plan then with a weekly at a glance calendar? {Click the picture below to download.}

my week at a glance

Today I am tackling the mess I call my workspace. I'll update you on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

What a Mess

Okay, don't judge. The pictures in this post are of my current...umm...situation. This is months worth of build up. I need my energy back. This is ridiculously not me, and I can no longer tell myself it's because I'm too tired when I come home from work. Yesterday was my last day. Now it's time to job hunt for next school year. (Keep your fingers crossed for me!)

This is my first project for the summer. Organize, purge, file.

All of the stuff on the floor is from school. Half of it is printed centers that I need to cut, laminate, and store. It's all exhausting to look at. haha

I'll for sure document and share my organizing and paper clutter busting journey through this mess. Stay tuned!

P.S. My giveaway for Perfectly Posh Footsie Sets (3 winners!) ends this Sunday! Enter now if you haven't yet!

My Summer Home & School To-Do List

It's bittersweet. I have 3 half days left until the school year is over. Then Thursday and Friday I will finish packing up my classroom and moving out. I'm ready for the break, but I don't want to leave my school. Boo.

I have a to-do list for this summer. Lots I want to accomplish and share with y'all.

First, I want to start monthly challenges again. I miss the accountability I felt they provided for me. I want to make more printables to share - both free and in my etsy store. I want to make files to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers.

I need to clean and organize my apartment. It has totally fallen apart since ... oh, I don't know ... February? I'm not just exaggerating and saying that I need to clean because one thing is out of place or dirty -- it's the whole package this time.

I have plans to revamp my recipe binders a bit. Nothing drastic, but I can't wait to share - if it all works out.

BusyBodyBook is going out of business. I'm sad because I was planning on switching back from my current Erin Condren Life Planner. I absolutely love the look of the Life Planner, but I don't like the size - I find it not so nicely portable. I also don't feel like there's enough room to plan the way I like to. I love how the BBB has columns that can be labeled across the top and filled in for each day of the week. I'll be on the search this summer for an easy and not-too-expensive way to create my own BBB for 2013. If you have any ideas, please share. =]
I want to organize my school files for centers and worksheets. I have no idea where to even start there. I'm have a bunch of books on my Kindle Fire to read this summer. 90% are teaching books. (I'll share after I read them if they're any good.)

I'd like to make some of these supply caddies for my classroom. I found the caddies at Target for $9.99 each. Kind of pricey, so we'll see if I can find something cheaper, but I love how cute these are!

Source: dandelionsdragonflies.blogspot.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

I've been wondering how to totally clean out candle jars for the longest time. They seem like they'd be great to reuse for storage. Yesterday I found this tutorial on how to clean out the residue from the jars. Definitely will be trying this out.

Source: snapguide.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

This could quite possibly be the first thing I try out ... I may even do it Wednesday night. I wear white camis under every shirt, and naturally, they have become dingy. Such a gross thought, but it's true.

Source: onegoodthingbyjillee.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

We have a microfiber sofa. I will never buy one again as long as we have a dog. Such a bad idea. I hope this will help me clean it once and for all.

Source: onegoodthingbyjillee.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

I will no longer be purchasing the plastic magnetic clothespins for closing food bags. They keep breaking. Alternative: DIY clothespin magnets painted & scrapbook papered.

Source: octoberafternoon.typepad.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

Both of our cars need some cleaning & reorganization. Love this car document organizer!

Source: elementaryorganization.blogspot.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

It's time to find a solution for electronics and get rid of unneeded cords, discs, manuals, and junk that came along with them. I like the idea of a cord organizing box.

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

What are your plans for the summer? Any home projects that are driving you crazy and can't wait to get started on?