Maria Finds

I was reading one of my old Redbook Magazine (from February) when something caught my eye: Garbage stats.

Drum roll. The United States may hold only 6% of the world’s population but it certainly knows how to waste things. The US produces 50% of the world’s garbage.

More stats: In a day, a person living in the US produces an average of 4.4 lbs of waste. Gee, if my love handles would drop off so fast …

And you’d think having the Payatas dump site and Smoky Mountain [the garbage accounts for the mountain. Decaying garbage accounts for the smoky methane emitted] are awful.

But what’s really deplorable is the fact that a lot of Americans want a lot [specially at Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales] and end up throwing away at least half of the things they’ve bought together with the next day’s trash. Kinda reminds me of a bulimic shoving a whole tray of fudge down her throat only to stick her hand down there and throw it all back up.

I don’t even need to go further than the town dump. Found a countertop in perfect condition dunped together with 2-drawer cherry cabinets. Rob rescued the counter top and voila, office space.

Our first couch came out of the dumpster. Oh and those laser multi-function printers [yes, with an "s"], still running, ink cartridges half-full, the guys were “upgrading” or they simply didn’t know how to operate it. How about the brand new iPod, with the stuck screen. Natch, just buy a new one. It cost $40 to restore that and presto, as good as new. Can’t find the cable to charge that digital camera? dump it and buy a newer model [good thing we happen to have the same model older version, switched batteries and use our charging station. Voila, upgraded equipment. I'm saving the old one for the baby to use when he's a little older].

What do they say, somebody’s trash is another man’s treasure? It’s well and good if you can find matches for the things thrown and the things people look for. I didn’t have a use for that carpet and didn’t have the knowledge [or money] to properly clean it and sell it on eBay so it’s left to either be picked up by another scavenger or rot.

Being poor has it’s advantages, you are forced to recycle and be creative. Blame it on those credit card companies and mortgage guys. Too much money, or means floating around. Then again, the US economy is built on people wanting things and buying things.

So I’m happy to find this one grass roots campaign to recycle taking off and how! At least this mom who has a six-pack [six kids to you] was creative enough to sell those slightly used pokkemon cards on eBay and in the process brought a gazillion readers to her blog. Brilliant.

As Oscar the Grouch uttered his first line during Sesame Street’s debut episode on November 10, 1969, “Don’t bang on my can. Go away.” we should also find ways to keep our “trash” away from the dump.

What have you recycled today?

Why do people often box themselves by the days of the week?

Monday – can’t get out of bed (don’t want to anyway!)

Tuesday – finally catching up when Monday’s reluctance subsided;

Wednesday – halfway there and still working. By far the most productive day of the week;

Thursday – drags on so looong, all you can think of is Friday;

Friday – is finally here! And yet off to work you must still go. You keep looking at your watch and it seems stuck at 2:00. Finally it’s five o’ clock and you can escape to –>

Saturday – ain’t that bad, but for many, spent in bed (nursing Friday night’s hung over) or up with the sun trying to cram all the weekday’s domestic chores left undone;

Sunday – you just don’t want to get out of bed;

Sunday afternoon – you wonder where the weekend went;

Sunday night – you dread going to sleep. Because all of a sudden it’s Monday once again!

Everyday is a Wednesday for me, halfway through but not quite yet. Plodding through all the things that needs to be done just like the little engine that could! Others would call it multitasking, I call it being a mom!

If you’re a working woman, more so a working mom, chances are you dread Sunday night because it signals that a hectic Monday is just beyond one alarm snooze the next day. If your typical Monday mean constantly hitting the alarm snooze, or drinking gallons of Starbucks and unable to shake that dreary and dreadful weariness, it’s about time to reinvent your weekend routine to put back a little bounce and shake off those Monday blues.

FRIDAY. Leave work issues at the office. At least one hour before you wrap up on Friday, create a list of things you need to get done next week. Planning ahead means you don’t have to run around on Monday trying to think of your deadlines.

SATURDAY. Weekends are supposed to be your rest days, so please don’t think that weekends are the two days everything HAS to get done. Constant go-go sends your body into crisis mode, pumping up those stress hormones. After two days on hyperspeed, Mondays will see you crashing down. Aim to do HALF of what you WANT to accomplish and spread the rest over the entire week. And remember to put REST & RELAXATION on TOP of your list.

Exercise Smart. Often, weekends are the time we schedule our gym appointments and workout routines, however, overexercising to make up for being sedentary the whole week just ups your chances of getting an injury and/or muscle fatigue. fast-forward Monday … you guessed it right, you’re a bag of aches and pain. Instead choose low to moderately intense workouts limited to an hour routine. If you take the stairs several times a week, stretch, and walk to where you have to go as much as you can, that should supplement your workout.

Eat Dinner Earlier. According to The Center for Sleep & Wake Disorders, MD, “The stomach is less efficient when you’re asleep. You’re less likely to get stomach cramps, acid reflux, and heartburn — all of which can interrupt your z’s — if you eat at least three hours before bedtime.

Stick to a Two-Drink Maximum. Having more than two alcoholic beverages or drinking within two hours of bedtime can disrupt slumber. Alcohol interferes with slow-wave sleep, which restores your physical energy, as well as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep which refreshes mental energy. Most people can’t wipe out the damage of a bad night’s sleep so chances are you’ll still be feeling groggy on Monday.

SUNDAY. Prepare for Tomorrow. Create a staging area near the front door where everything you’ll need for Monday — from diaper bag to your cellphone — is ready and waiting to go.

Relax Before Bedtime. Turn off the computer and TV (bright light and motion can rev you up) and listen to soft music, write your journal or read. Unwinding 30 minutes before bedtime gets you a good night’s sleep.

MONDAY. Lay off the Snooze Button.”A few extra minutes of sleep won’t benefit you — it’s too short a time to fall back into restorative sleep”, from “The 10-Minute energy Solution” book by Jon Gordon. Instead, do simple breathing and stretching exercises, which increases oxygen and energy, as a way to wake up.

Eat a G0-Get ‘Em Breakfast. The best food picks for a long-lasting, all-day energy contain protein, carbs and a little fat, such as cereal with milk and fruit or an an egg with whole wheat toast. Wash it down with a cup of coffee. Studies show that caffeine increases mental alertness and improves mood.

Take a 10-Minute walk. “Even in short bursts, walking boosts the body’s feel-good endorphins” says Gordon … set the tone of your day by telling yourself, “I trust that great things are in store for me this week”. If you visualize and verbalize it, chances are, it may just work!