How Long Should I Keep THAT in My Fridge?

Posted on: February 12th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

foodland-ontario-logo-primaryDuring the cold days of winter, a warm cup of soup is always nice. Check out this Foodland Ontario recipe for Mighty Minestrone.

Winter is a good time to clean out your freezer and refrigerator. Check out:
How Long You Can Keep (Almost) Anything In The Fridge, Freezer, & Pantry.”

                                      It’s never too late to make healthier choices!

Planning Ahead for Healthier Meals

Posted on: February 11th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Cathy Mendler  It’s February!

  Although it’s still winter, the daylight is lasting a bit longer
//every day. On Groundhog Day in southern Ontario,  
..Wiarton Willie told us we would have an early spring.
 ..Only time will tell if his prediction comes true!

Did you make a New Year’s resolution to eat less and exercise more? Have you given up on that resolution already? Would it be better if you resolve to eat healthier instead? It’s easier to do if your kitchen is stocked with healthy food choices. Planning your meals in advance can help.

So let’s get started and turn over another leaf!

MEAL PLANNING

An important aspect of running a household is planning meals.

Two friends of mine cook for one or two days every month and freeze meals to enjoy during the month. It’s a big undertaking to make a whole month’s worth of meals. Perhaps you’re not ready for a massive cooking session. Start small; double a recipe and freeze one batch to use later. Having a healthy meal ready can make a busy night less hectic.

Meal planning may initially seem like a lot of work, but it will become easier once you’ve done it a few times.

  • Make a list of meals for the next week.
  • What ingredients are required in order to make these meals?
  • Check your cupboards/pantry, refrigerator and freezer to see what ingredients you already have on hand.
  • Create a grocery list.
  • Check grocery store flyers for the week’s sale items.

Plan a variety of meals, so you don’t get bored. An added benefit is that you’ll be able to reuse your meal plan again in the future.

Scheduling

Once you’ve stocked up on groceries, get ready to cook.

If you undertake cooking a large quantity of food at one time, you will need to:

  • estimate how much time you need for cooking.
  • schedule cooking time as well as clean-up time.
  • decide how you will freeze the food–in single, double or larger serving sizes?

Rewards

Some of the rewards of meal planning are:

  • healthier meals
  • making fewer trips to the grocery store–saving you time and money.
  • wasting less food because you’ll use the ingredients that week.
  • less time worrying about what you’re having for dinner and not trying to figure it out at the last minute.


Don’t forget to take advantage of the cold weather and clean out your freezer!

Get the News: Tax Deadlines and More!

Posted on: February 10th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

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How to Organize Your Apartment ONCE in 2015 and Never Again!

Posted on: February 5th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Checking...

 For a different perspective on organizing, check out the “KonMari” method. Marie Kondo is “a highly-sought-after organization consultant/celebrity” from Japan. She “encourages you to shift your mindset to the feelings your items evoke by adopting a minimalist, category-by-category technique where you only keep the items that make you happy.”


Check out How To Organize Your Apartment Once in 2015 (And Never Again).

Yearly Self-Evaluation from Neworld

Posted on: February 3rd, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

compass_slantedOur associates at Neworld Coaching recommend a

YEARLY SELF-EVALUATION

STEP #1

Reflect on the past 12 months. It is NOT always enjoyable to look back and evaluate… But it is a necessary step towards growth and accountability.

Taking into account the five areas in the “Wheel of Life”… answer all of the following questions on a piece of paper.

  • Business
  • Financial
  • Personal Relationships
  • Health/Fitness
  • Self Mastery

What were your 3 biggest successes of the past year?

Did you  measure your successes in some manner (celebrations or other rewards)? If so… how?

What was your biggest failure?

What lessons did you learn from it?

What goals did you meet? (List up to the 5 biggest.)

What goals did you NOT work on?

Why did you choose not to work towards these goals?

Did you receive feedback from others (clients, associates, family) 
throughout the year? If so… what did you learn from it?

Did you save money toward Passive Income this year? If so… how did you invest it?

What progress have you made towards your Personal Relationships this year?

Are you more or less Healthy than you were a year ago? Explain why.

List 5 ways in which you improved your Self Mastery this year. (Self awareness… Self responsibility… )

What did you do to make YOU a better YOU?

List the 5 things that you are the most grateful for at this moment.

STEP #2

“Dream” about what life could BE like 3 years from today… After dreams are actually written down, they can be considered goals!

Using 5 pieces of paper… Title each with 1 of the areas of life.

Here are some guidelines:

  • Visualize and write your intentions in the present tense — as if you already have achieved what you want. “I earn x dollars” rather than “I will earn x dollars.”
  • Write down the first thing that comes into your mind without judging it. Follow your heart.
  • Use short, bullet points rather than narrative.
  • Start with blank pages and write all over them rather than using a linear format.
  • Use a variety of colors.
  • Write BIG and small.
  • Write on an angle, in an arc or even upside down.
  • Use plenty of drawings and graphics.
  • Do everything possible to engage your creative right brain in this process.
  • Be as clear and specific as possible.
  • The more specific your intentions, the easier it is for your unconscious mind to work towards creating them.
  • Rather than setting an intention to be “fit and trim”, set specific and measurable weight, cardio and fitness targets.
  • Intentions are like magnets… the bigger they are, the more they pull you forward.
  • Don’t worry if you are not clear… capture the thoughts you have even if they are vague.
  • These are intentions, not commitments.
  • You can go back and make changes anytime.

STEP # 3

Set a course for the New Year! Using your notes in the previous pages, begin to formulate a plan for the coming year.

We break it down into Quarters and plan 13 weeks of Goals for each.

Begin by choosing goals that you will accomplish in the first Quarter of the New Year.

~Michael

P.S. If you need help formulating YOUR plan for the next year… actually DO the above exercise… I KNOW it will help you!

5 Things You MUST Automate!

Posted on: January 29th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

anl_clock2 (150 x 100)     Business owners are always looking for ways to be more
productive.


     Check out systems rock’s How to be More Productive: 5
.Things You Must Automate
. 

Is there one idea you like? Try it! You just might improve your productivity!

Website Improvements

Does your business have a website? Is updating your website on your to-do list in 2015? Would a website assessment be helpful? BDC offers a free and easy website assessment tool.

What Is FAITH?

Posted on: January 27th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

    martin_luther_king “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see
……..   the whole staircase.”

                 –    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

                  Get motivated, and take that first step!

 

What Do YOU Want to Accomplish in 2015?

Posted on: January 22nd, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Cathy_Mendler_new-150-x-115                  It’s the beginning of another year!

    Another year is now behind us, and a clean slate is in front of us.


What do you want to accomplish in 2015? Set aside some time to think about what you’d like to do. An important part of accomplishing your goals is planning. Grab a cup of your favourite beverage, find a quiet spot, a pen and some paper. Did you know that if you write down your goals, you are more likely to achieve them?

Brainstorm! Create a master list. Write down all of the big and small projects you’d like to complete this year. Remember, if you break a big project down into small projects, it’s not so overwhelming. Don’t let procrastination stop you before you even start.

  • Step 1Estimate – With your master list in front of you, estimate how long you think each project will take. Be realistic.
  • Step 2 Prioritize your list. Determine what you will work on first.
  • Step 3Schedule – When you schedule time in your planner or calendar, you’re making a commitment to do the required work.

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu told us that “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

So let’s get started and turn over another leaf!

Healthy Tips for Eating on the Run

Posted on: January 8th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

egg muffins esme

 

 

 

 


The holidays usually mean busy days. When eating on the run, we often choose options that are not the best.

Start your day with these Egg Muffins.

How much food do you waste?

Did you know More than $31 billion worth of food is wasted every year in Canada and when energy, water and other resource costs are factored in the true cost could be up to three times that much”? Click here to read more.

Fifty per cent of food waste in Canada is happening at the household level … with Canadian households spending $1,500 annually on wasted food, about a bag of groceries a week.”  Tommara Soma shares her tips in Five ways to reduce your food waste.

Important Tax Deadlines for 2014

Posted on: January 6th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

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