New Year's Resolution not working out like you had planned? Well that makes two of us. I promised myself that this year not only was I going to exercise but I was also going to eat better. I decided not to follow a specific diet plan but to watch my portion sizing and to try and eat as balanced meal as possible. I found that portion sizing can actually be trickier than what I had originally anticipated. I love sitting down to a huge meal but my eyes are ALWAYS bigger than my stomach and I end up on uncomfortably stuffed every single time.

So, much to my dismay I decided that I needed to start weighing my portions. This seemed to be the only unbiased way to accurately portion my food versus my previous method of - "Yeah, that looks about right." Sigh. I decided to go with this Kitchen Scale 2-Pound Digital w/ Add Weigh in Stainless by MIU France because I liked the bowl size of the scale... I also like that it weighs up to 2 lbs for the days when I am really hungry ;). Hopefully my new found method will work better than the last.

Another method that helps me control my portion size is cutting my food into smaller pieces. Eating more pieces of food always makes me feel like I am actually consuming more food - especially when it comes to meat. To save myself the trouble of endlessly sawing through some of my favorite meats and vegetables I decided that I needed a quality knife set. Enter: Cutlery Knife Forged 17 Piece Set w/ Beechwood Block also by MIU France. Knowing that it is not going to take me hours to cut through my fillet makes my new method possible because let's face it, by the time dinner is ready I am starving (this may or may not have something to do with my last meal's portion size - oh the irony).

Let me know if, like me, you are also trying to monitor your portion size. Maybe we can form some kind of support group for one another because this stuff is hard!

Oh what a beautiful morning... Oh what a beautiful day...! I don't know how you could not be excited about this wonderful weather that Mother Nature has shined down on us for the past couple of days. Going from windchill temperatures below zero to mid 40's and low 50's within a matter of days has dramatically improved my mood. With the introduction of the "warm" weather it seems as if we all can't keep my mind off of spring. Visions of outdoor get togethers and sipping drinks by the pool have clouded our minds - How do we shake it?

May I suggest satiating your premature spring daydreams by purchasing year round goodies that are especially fun to use outside in the spring. Plastic yet chic Tervis Tumblers, for example, make a nice accessory to your everyday dishes but are also wonderful when used outdoors. I constantly found myself telling my kids til I was blue in the face "No glass cups are bottles near the pool!" My kids finally listened when I introduced the beauty that is the Tervis Tumbler to their vocabulary. My kids have found that these cups not only are funky and fashionable but they keep their cold drinks cold in the hot sun. I can't tell you what a relief it was to finally convince them that glass and pool liners do not mix. Oh and if the butterflies are too foofy for you - don't worry Tervis offers hundreds of possibilities and you can even custom-design your own.

Another way to keep your plastic bottles cold? A cooler.. I know, I know - you were expecting something far cooler (no pun intended). Our coolers are pretty nifty, however, because they aren't your everyday clunky box cooler that weighs 50 lbs. No sir, our Coolers by Picnic Time are lightweight and easy to carry. This Cooler Zuma Insulate Backpack Beach Bag is as easy to carry as a backpack (because it is one) and keeps your drinks and snacks cool as a cucumber. This cooler backpack, like the tervis tumblers, are perfect for pool and beach excursions. The is divided into two sections: the top mesh section (with drawstring closure) is designed to hold clothing, towels, etc. The bottom section is an insulated cooler (featuring Thermo-Guard) that keeps food hot or cold for hours.

I hope I helped satiate your springtime daydreams because according to Puxatawny Phil you will be dreaming for a while. Stupid Groundhog.

The US economy's downward spiral has proven to significantly affect not only our nation's citizens but many worldwide. In response we must learn to live within our means and unfortunately cut back on things that we didn't used to consider luxuries.

Let's start with one of the most obvious cut backs; going out to eat. As much as I love a Mad Mex burrito I have learned that eating out is one of those things that I simply can no longer afford to do on a regular basis. My solution? I now cook the majority of my meals at home making sure to leave a little bit left over for my lunch the next day. Since grocery prices have skyrocketed just like everything else I would like to suggest growing your own fruits and vegetables. Whether you have a nice plot of land outside or room in your apartment for a nice potted plant - growing your own vegetables can prove to save you hundreds on your grocery bill (not to mention avoid all of those pesky pesticides). Before I started growing my own vegetables I had no clue how to garden (refer to the November 20th post if you don't believe me). However this Garden Tool Set Apron w/ Pockets proved to be a simple and effective solution to my gardening woes. I now can enjoy vegetables with my home cooked meals without paying the grocery store's absurd prices. Unfortunately I can not offer and advice on farming livestock.

Another way to save mega bucks is unplugging that dryer and allowing your clothes to hang dry. Electric and Gas dryers consume a lot of energy in order to do something that can be naturally done over time. With this Retractable Outdoor Indoor Clothes Dryer Clothesline one can choose between indoor and outdoor drying. I personally prefer indoor drying due to my inexplicable fear of insects and wild animals.

The good news is by changing our lifestyle we are doing more than saving money. We are also saving the environment. Growing your own pesticide free food helps save those furry (and not so furry) friends that I am terrified of. When you hang dry your clothes you are also doing the earth a great favor by saving on energy... Seems like a pretty simple choice to me.