Take Time to Innovate

Last Friday I watched ABC’s “Shark’s Tank”. Every season I enjoy watching entrepreneurs pitch their products and services to a panel of five investors who made their millions as entrepreneurs themselves. This show inspires me to look at my daily life with fresh eyes for ways to innovate and improve my and my family’s lifestyle. Innovation, I believe, is not limited to the business world, and does have direct application and an immediate impact to personal life.

While some people say that being an innovator is innate, the author’s of The Innovator’s DNA:Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators suggest otherwise. Although this book was written about innovative companies, I am of the opinion that their message is applicable to personal lives. “In our research of the world’s most innovative companies,” they say,”we discovered five skills that leaders <wives/ husbands, mothers/ fathers> relied on to innovate their way out of problems and into opportunities–like discovering new businesses, products, and services.”

The five skills are:

1. Question Ask challenging questions that take on common wisdom to create new directions. How can a closet be better organized? Is there a better way to decorate the front foyer? What is the best way remove that cranberry juice stain from the living room carpet?
2. Observe Watch the behavior of the children, your spouse, extended family and guests in your home the way an anthropologist would identify new ways of doing things. How are spaces in the home and yard being used by all? Can the spaces function better for improved enjoyment? How can people be happier?
3. Network Talk to people with different life experiences and perspectives to spark new ideas. Their are great places to meet other people who are either in your current life situation or who have “been there, done that”. Some such places are local church groups, neighborhood playgroups, web communities like Circle of Moms, etc.
4. Experiment Construct interactive experiences and gain new insights. Family Home Evenings, Family Date Nights, Board Game Night/ Murder-Mystery Dinner Party… unplugged/ old school ideas, yes, but lots of cheesy fun that will ensure memories for years to come.
5. Associate Draw unexpected connections between questions, problems or ideas from unrelated fields.

“Whether in our professional or personal life, spending the time to master these five skills of disruptive innovators will pay off when we’re tasked with creating a new solution, for ourselves or for others.”

Enough said.

Is it really 2012? Happy Chinese New Year!

Is it really 2012?!.  The clock is ticking.  January has almost ran out.  2011 was a very good year for me though I certainly could not call it smooth.  There were ups and downs, slow patches and weeks when time has contracted into sunrise-sunset sequence and it was hard to know what day it was already.  The White Rabbit was hopping along and I had no choice but to follow, and catch up, forget trying to outrun it!

New Year’s resolutions?  I have a hard time coming up with any each year, so why should this time be any different?  I have none   Well, maybe just one – to stay in the race and regain my sanity (my children have it clutched tightly in their little fists).  After following the White Rabbit for a year it is time to set eyes on the new leader – the Black Dragon.  And keep up.

HAVE A GREAT CHINESE NEW YEAR and A GREAT TIME IN 2012!

Motherhood: The Truth

Let me begin by apologizing to everyone for the lack of writing. Due to the birth of my third, and fantastically awesome, child, I have seriously less time to do the things I once found to be not-so-time-consuming… things like eating, showering and dressing in clothes that don’t begin with the word ‘sweat’.  Obviously, writing has taken a very, very, back- seat in my life.

 

As I emerge from sleepless nights and awaken to my new life with three children, carpools to school and assisting my never-at-home husband with his life goals, the thought came to me:

 

This is the hardest job I’ve ever done in my life!

 

And yet, this job is also the most rewarding. It comes with incredible highs and gut-wrenching lows. From birth to toddlers to school age children (and I’m sure, later, teenagers!) this devoted mother is learning that she is as much a student as she is a teacher. I no longer know everything… sadly, I am learning that I know nothing (my children keep me humble!).

 

Be patient with me, oh dear readers. I aim to write again, but it will not be at the same pace as before. There is much research that I put into all my posts, and I don’t want to skimp on accuracy just to get “something” out there for you to read. Many of my upcoming posts will be more personal (sorry!) but will combine, as usual, gentle humor and priceless perceptions of this Domestic Diva.

 

Please feel free to share your comments and thoughts. Regardless if you have been-there-done-that or are just-getting-your-feet-wet, we all would like to share in your words of wisdom. And let us remember William Ross Wallace’s quote: “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”

Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Root Vegetables

I recently received an email from a blog follower requesting information about slow cooker cooking that went like this:

Q: “I am very interested in recipes that take at least 9 hours so I can put ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and dinner will be ready at 6:00pm after work.”

A: In our house we eat red meat once a week, and when we do, we’ve found that the all-star slow cooker awards goes to the mighty beef. Tougher cuts, and typically the less expensive cuts, such as the neck and shoulders (chuck), foreleg area (brisket), hind section (round steak) and undersides (flank) turn into fall-apart-tender meals. Long, moist cooking produces more intensely flavored dishes too because these marbled meaty areas dissolve over many hours of cooking.

Pot Roast w/ Root Vegetables

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: on LOW for 10 hours

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
4 lbs. boneless chuck roast, trimmed
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
4 large carrots, peeled & cut into 3-inch lengths
4 parsnips, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 3-inch pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 can low-sodium beef broth

Directions

Place the roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle with Mrs Dash and black pepper. Dry-rub seasonings into the roast. Add the carrots, parsnips, celery, onion and bay leaves around the roast and pour the broth over the meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours.

Tip/ Variation: Prior to serving roast and vegetables, a sauce can be made with the juices from the slow cooker. Transfer the roast and vegetables to a serving platter and keep warm by covering dish with a sheet of aluminum foil. Pour juices from slow cooker into a medium-sized sauce pan, and add 3 tablesspoons of flour and 3 tables spoons of butter or vegan butter (like Soy Garden™ Soy Margarine). Whisk ingredients together over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes or until liquid thickens. Remove Bay leaves and serve sauce with roast and vegetables.

Creeping Weight Gain: The 100 Cal Difference

Eating just 100 fewer calories and burning 100 more calories everyday may be enough to stop the average one- to two-pound weight gain most adults experience every year.

Simple ways to cut 100 calories that you’ll never miss:

• Replace a cup of pasta or rice with a cup of vegetables.
• Order a 6-inch turkey or chicken sub instead of one made with tuna salad or cold cuts.
• Have a whole-grain English muffin instead of a large bagel or croissant.
• Choose vegetable soup instead of cream-based tomato or mushroom soup.
• Snack on vegetables and low-fat yogurt dip instead of chips and salsa.

To burn 100 extra calories: Add a 15- to 20-minute power walk to your daily activity; do intense yard or house work for 30 minutes; or take a 30-minute bicycle ride.

How to Find Reliable Health Information

To use a popular word amongst children, the amount of health information on the Internet is ginormous (a combination of gigantic and enormous). But some site are more helpful and healthful than others, says the Medical Library Association,  a nonprofit, educational organization with more than 4,000 health sciences information professional members and partners worldwide.

Here are some of the sites they recommend:

• National Cancer Institute: http://www.cancer.gov/
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/
• American Academy of Family Physicians: http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home.html
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov/
• Medem: an information partnership of medical societies: http://medfusion.net/ihealth/
• U.S. National Library of Medicine: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
• Medical Library Association: http://www.mlanet.org/
• NOAH: New York Online Access to Health: http://noah-health.org/

Spring Cleaning, Domestic Diva-Style

In the KristenSherlock’s Blog post Don’t Let Winter’s Bad Weather Spoil Your Exercise Time from January 14th 2011 we talked about ways to burn calories this past oh-so-cold winter when we didn’t feel like going outside. One of the suggestions most commented about was in regards to being a Domestic Diva while cleaning around the house. We forget that all the dusting, wiping, scrubbing, and vacuuming is making our body move (a lot!) and the more we move, the more we burn. So, with the sun shinning a little bit more here in North America, let’s talk about how we can be a Domestic Divas with these simple Spring Cleaning Tips.

Dust Lightbulbs

You will be amazed at how much more bright your light bulbs will glow with removing a layer of dust! Unscrew lightbulbs and polish the bulbs with a microfiber cloth dampened with water (avoid wetting the metal screw base). Clean the bulbs in recessed ceiling fixtures with a telescoping lamb’s wool duster.

Wash Your Blinds

This will certainly burn your calories AND make your home instantly cleaner. Once or twice a year, wipe wooden blinds with a few drops of gentle wood cleaner on a nearly dry sponge. Aluminum blinds can be washed outdoors: Place them on an old sheet on a slanted surface, and scrub with water and a noncorrosive cleaner. Use a hose to rinse well, and then dry the blinds thoroughly with a towel to prevent rust.

Clean Windows

While we’re on the topic of window blinds, we certainly can not forget the window itself. Good news: Dirty panes are no problem when you use rubber-edged squeegees, which are quicker and more effective than cloth or newspaper. They come in a variety of sizes — and a screw-on extension will let you reach high spots.

To start, dip a sponge into a bucket of warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap. Wet window; rub dirt away. Dampen squeegee; starting at an upper corner, draw it down pane from top to bottom. Repeat, overlapping strokes and wiping rubber edge with sponge after each stroke. (For large windows, ”snake” squeegee back and forth; then touch up edges.) Dry windowsills with a cloth. And don’t forget: Clean the window inside and out. What is the sense of cleaning the inside of the window if it means you will see the dirt splatter more clearly on the outside of the window?

Don’t Forget Your Curtains

Vacuum and steam-clean curtains or have them dry-cleaned. If you’ll be replacing heavy curtains with lighter ones as the weather gets warmer, it is especially important to remove dust and dirt before putting the curtains away for storage.

Ceiling Fan Switch Up

After dusting your ceiling fan with a wet cloth, while you are already up there, take a short moment to change the direction of your ceiling fans. While the standard clockwise direction in cold weather months creates an upward draft, redistributing the warm air hovering near the ceiling throughout the room, switch to the counterclockwise direction for a pleasant breeze during warm months. This creates a downward draft, redistributing the cool air lying near the floor throughout the room, thus cooling your home more efficiently. Most fans have a switch on the base to adjust the rotation.

Clean Out the Refrigerator

Before that spoiled spinach smell takes over your house, this task is a must do! Cleaning the refrigerator can be a daunting undertaking; make it more manageable by breaking it down into simple, small steps.

• The first step is to wipe up spills immediately so surfaces won’t become stained.
• Make it a habit to throw out old food once a week.
• Every few months, wash the interior with a solution of two tablespoons of baking soda for every quart of warm water. Wash removable shelves and drawers in the solution (let glass shelves come to room temperature first so warm water won’t crack them).
• Loosen hardened spills on fixed parts by wetting the area with the solution, allowing the residue to soften.
• Use a toothbrush to scrub crannies.
• Twice a year, vacuum or brush dust from the condenser coils to keep the system from overheating.

Deep-Clean Carpets and Rugs

Only do this task after all the dusting and cleaning of windows, fans, moldings and light fixtures has been completed. No sense in cleaning your carpets first if you will only dirty them again with fallen dust particles.

For synthetic carpeting, rent or buy a shampooer/extractor — a machine that cleans the fibers and removes traces of soap using hot water. Open windows and let air flow to help carpets dry. If you have wool carpets or rugs, or any that are valuable or delicate, contact a professional for cleaning.

Lastly: Replace Batteries

Although this activity isn’t a calorie burner, this Spring Cleaning Tip is a MUST DO in protecting the ones we love. We should replace the batteries in our smoke detectors every six months. Use the day we set our clocks ahead as a reminder, and you’ll be unlikely to forget. Change the batteries again in fall, when you set your clocks back. Since Daylight Savings Time came early this year, changing your batteries in conjunction with a major holiday (IE: Easter and Halloween) is another great way to help remember this important task.