Stoked- Love People More Than Things

Monday was the first time, I think ever, that I actually enjoyed going to the grocery store.  Normally, I spend the entire time in agony because what I want to get and what I talk myself into getting because it's healthier is always in conflict.  I'll even go back and forth several times over the same thing hoping that my reasoning might come to a different conclusion, so by the end I'm stessed out and feeling really unfulfilled with what I've gotten.

However, this week was different due to all of the things I've been putting into play with this challenge.  I've made Mondays my grocery days every week and I've added a reminder to my calendar at work that reminds me 15 minutes before I leave that it's grocery day.  This has helped me keep healthier options around to snack on and I even feel like I'm spending less over all.

Food has become a thing that I can explore instead of something dull I have to pick up.  For instance, this week I brought home:

• Kiwi- they were 5 for a $1 and I've never bought them because I've been terrified of how to prepare them.
• A complete pineapple- I've never bought one of these either because I've also been terrified about how to prepare it...which, was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be.
• Beans!  I went to the bean aisle and picked up lentils, which I've never made, but I'm excited to try (recipes welcome).
• Buckwheat
• Non-dairy yogurts, which I never knew existed until this challenge and I find that to be incredibly sad.
• Gluten-free Granola from Trader Joe's that is kind of rocking my world right now with sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pecans and cranberries.
• Cilantro and Jalopeno hummus-normally I'm a more traditional hummus eater or I just got with spinach, but this one is soo spicey and wonderful
• Banana Buddies-frozen banannas covered in dark chocolate so that I get the ice creamy feel without the upset tummy later.

Doing good, right?

Today we got the e-mail for what's next on the challenge and my first thought was "oh no, what next" but I'm surprisingly pleased with what's to come!  De-junking!  My absolute favorite.  I have a very strict opinion about stuff I don't use: if I haven't used it in a few months then I don't need it.  While our house has an attic, I'm of the opinion that I don't need to store things for a long period of time nor do I ever want to move anything I don't need. So I have designated good-will boxes around the house, which currently need to be taken.

Clutter stresses me out to no end!  My vendetta against this goes back to my childhood: My mother gets overly sentimental about posessions.  She never gets rid of anything because so and so owned it or she has a fond memory of something a long time ago.  A perfect example of this are the two lava lamps currently in my foyer.  Why are they there, you ask?  Because my mother came up to see me for my birthday and for some reason she decided to bring two lava lamps that were in my bedroom when I was 12.  And now I'm stuck with giving them away.  Want one?  She also keeps furniture she admits to hating and thinks is horribly uncomfortable just because it was my Dad's mother's. She keeps every paper: ever.  However, she is organized about it, but I don't need to keep things to remember or feel them.  I'll always have the memories of that time without keeping the t-shirt.

Random junk particularly runs rampant during holidays/birthdays.  People don't know what to get you so they just grab some nice random thing.  I personally am not offended by gift cards or cash or making a donation in my name to a charity.  Just get me anything other then something useless/random/cluttering that I feel burdened with.  I still know you love me without it. <3