Sep 25, 2008

Weight Watchers Week Nine: Learning to live with lifestyle changes

I haven't written about the last couple weeks on Weight Watchers because I've been in an interesting adjustment period. I worked really hard the first six to seven weeks and lost 12 pounds right off the bat. I just couldn't keep up that intensity, though, so I haven't been very dedicated for the last two to three weeks. I haven't been tracking points, and I haven't been exercising nearly as much. But guess what's happened? Despite eating my favorite foods, I've actually maintained the weight loss within a half pound or so over the course of several weeks. I'm extremely pleased about this, because it's proof that I've made changes that I can live with. Obviously, I can maintain my weight at this level, but I'd still like to lose another 15 pounds or so. So I've started counting points again. On my last Weight Watchers update, I mentioned that I wasn't eating all of my points, and I got a slew of comments about how important it is to eat all of the points available. I think I needed to read that over and over again, because it seems to be true for me. So a big thank you to everyone who commented on that post! The challenge for me now is to learn how to incorporate my favorite foods into a lifelong eating pattern. I've already gotten quite good about not over-indulging, but I do still like to eat sweets every day. At Get Fit Slowly, Mac and J.D. are struggling with the same problem. According to Mac, their wives "automatically budget their food intake" and "view sweets and desserts as a reward, not a necessity," whereas he and J.D. don't. I don't either. I've tried, but I just don't think I'll ever be someone who only eats sweets once in a while. So instead of making myself miserable trying to do something that's virtually impossible, I'm trying to find reasonable compromises that allow me to eat healthfully, reach and maintain a healthy weight, and still enjoy my favorite foods (and I'm talking about the real stuff, not diet cookies and what not). I believe it's possible, and it'll just take some time to figure it out. How long? I have no idea, but I hope not too long. 

Sep 23, 2008

Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

I told you last week about my friend's all-slow-cooker birthday dinner - here's the main course. Steph at A Year of CrockPotting had linked to this Mongolian Beef recipe, which I adapted as follows.

Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Serves 8-10

nonstick cooking spray
1 large sweet onion, cut in half and sliced thinly (if you like onions, add another 1-2 onions)
1 cup soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3 1/2 pounds flank steak, sliced thinly (about 1/8 inch) across the grain (Note: This is the most time-consuming part of the preparation, but fortunately it can be done ahead of time. Freezing the meat for about an hour will make it easier to get thin slices.)
1/2 cup cornstarch

1. Spray the inside of the crock with nonstick cooking spray. In the crock, combine the onion, soy sauce, broth, garlic, hoisin, sugar and ginger.

2. Combine the flank steak and cornstarch in a large zip top bag. Shake until the meat is evenly coated.

3. Add the beef to the crock and stir.

4. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Serve with hot rice.

Note #1: Since I was serving this to the kids, I left out the pepper flakes and alcohol. You could easily replace one cup of chicken broth with 1/2 cup of sherry and 1/2 cup of white wine. Add the sherry in step 1. Add the white wine in step 3 - pour the wine over the meat and don't stir. If you want heat, add 1 teaspoon of pepper flakes in step 1. I also left out the scallions because I don't like them, but per the original recipe, you could stir in two cups of chopped scallions one hour before you are going to serve the dish.

Note #2: I did most of the work the night before. I sliced the beef and put it in a zip top bag, then parked the bag in the fridge. I also did step 1, and parked the crock (covered with the lid) in the fridge overnight. The next day, around noon, I put the crock into the cooker, and added the meat. I have to admit that I was in a rush and added the meat without coating it in cornstarch. To compensate, I combined about 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold chicken broth, stirred until it was smooth, then stirred the mixture into the crock. My sauce probably would have been thicker if I'd followed the original recipe, but it was fine the way it was too.

Sep 22, 2008

Reduce junk mail and spending with Catalog Choice

A while back, I read several articles on eliminating the delivery of catalogs with CatalogChoice.org. The system is simple - you register and fill out a form, then Catalog Choice forwards your request to discontinue delivery of the catalog to the merchant. It takes a few weeks for the request to kick in - you can't even re-submit your request for 10 weeks.

But the fabulous thing is, it works! For most catalogs, anyway. A few of the catalogs I submitted are listed as "not participating," apparently meaning they won't accept an opt-out request from Catalog Choice. Catalog Choice does provide a number I can use to call each merchant, but I haven't bothered yet.

Even with the handful of catalogs that won't honor my request, I've noticed a marked difference in our mailbox. There's a lot less mail, which translates into a lot less shredding. I don't waste nearly as much time tearing out labels and flipping through the pages out of curiosity.

And I'm less tempted to spend money, too. There's a good article about the impact of advertising on spending at Get Rich Slowly, and it applies perfectly to this situation. Perusing catalogs would make me think about all the things I could or might find handy, especially at a sale price. But if I never see the items at all, I'll never think to buy them. So eliminating catalogs eliminates a lot of temptation.

If you haven't sign up with Catalog Choice yet, I encourage you to do so. It'll eliminate stress and clutter from your life.

Sep 5, 2008

Money Saving Tip: Get your hair cut at a beauty school

See the end of this post for an update.

I've never seen a study on the average price for a hair cut, but I'd wager that prices here in Los Angeles are higher than almost anywhere else. I could easily find a salon in Beverly Hills that charges over $400, and even a relatively inexpensive salon charges over $60. My last hair cut was supposed to be a bargain, but after tip it came to $85. And I wasn't even that happy with it.

Between the cost and the time, I've been getting my hair cut every 9 to 12 months since Alex was born. The last time I cut my hair was last November, when I lopped off a 10-inch ponytail and donated it to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program.

I thought about donating my hair again, but I just couldn't wait for my hair to grow any longer this time. Like I said, I wasn't thrilled with my last cut, and I hated the way it was growing out. And I definitely wasn't going back to the same salon.

Because I get my hair cut so infrequently, I haven't had a regular stylist in years. So this time, I decided to act on a frugal tip I've come across multiple times: go to a beauty school. It just so happens that there's a conveniently located Paul Mitchell School, where cuts by a "Phase 2" stylist are a mere $17. I learned that Phase 2 stylists are in the top 5% of their class and have at least 1000 hours of experience on the floor. Phase 1 stylists are everyone else at the school, and they charge $12.

I decided to pay the extra $5 for a Phase 2 stylist, and my hair was cut by a woman who graduates this month. She was a little bit slow on the cutting, and didn't have the deftness that I'm used to seeing. But she made up the time blow-drying my hair, which took a lot less time than it usually does, probably because she didn't try to do anything fancy. I appreciate that she really listened to what I asked for (no short layers that irritate my cheeks) and I'm as satisfied with my $22 cut (I tipped her $5) as I was with the $85 cut I got in November. And, I'm a lot happier than I was when I tried Super Cuts for the first and last time, where the stylist decided that I needed bangs even though I hadn't asked for them and lopped off inches in front before I could stop her.

I do think I would be a little bit more cautious if I wanted a perm or color treatment, but even then, I think a Phase 2 stylist would probably be okay. I could see the "Color Bar" where they mix colors from where I was sitting, but everyone around me was getting a cut or just a blow out. I couldn't see the back of the salon where they must have been doing perms and color, so I don't really know how that went for the customers who wanted it. But during the hour that I was there, I didn't hear anyone complaining about their hair or see anyone whose hair looked, well, wrong.

I don't know when I'll cut my hair again, but since it's a little longer than usual after a cut, my next hair cut will be sooner rather than later. And I'm definitely going back to the Paul Mitchell School for it.

Update Feb. 2009: I got a hair cut this month and didn't go back to the Paul Mitchell School. As it grew out, the cut didn't maintain the shape I would have expected, and I decided that a truly good hair cut is worth spending money on.

Sep 2, 2008

Parenting an only child

There is a lovely guest post at Rocks in my Dryer about parenting an only child. I'm an only child myself, and I can't help but wonder if my mom had these feelings. (Mom?)

From my own perspective, as an only child who always wanted a sibling, I am very happy to have two kids of my own. (Although I must admit that I had a very privileged childhood because I was the only child.) But I am glad that my children will have someone who understands how horrible Mom and Dad are (I am so not looking forward to the teen years). And I'm especially grateful that they'll always have each other - my greatest fear during my teens until I got married was that if something happened to my parents, I would be alone in the world.

Still, as an only child, and as a woman who suffered two miscarriages before Alex was born, I've never had a negative feeling toward parents with only one child. My first inclination is to think that perhaps they couldn't have a second child. And I have friends who've decided that one child completes their family, and it's the right decision for them.

What are your thoughts on "onlys"?