Splashing $2.35 Worth of Cold Water on My Face

I just spent $2.35 on a bottle of water! I have just gotten any overdue slap in the face.

I am embarrassed and ashamed. I know all the reasons against buying bottled water: it’s no better than tap water; the plastic bottles are bad for the environment; it’s expensive.

I think I’ve been living in denial though, somewhere in the imaginary void between $1.25 and $2.35. I am a creature of habit, you see. Nearly everyday at lunch, I buy a bottle of water to drink with my soup or sandwich. I tell myself that it’s a very healthy choice. It’s better than soda or coffee, and this routine probably keeps me from being chronically dehydrated.  Until today, I haven’t given too much thought to what this little bottle of water has cost me. Shame on me. I’ve gotten used to the cost of lunch as a “package deal.” My tomato soup and spinach croissant neatly camouflaged the price of my little purified, fresh-from-the-mountain-spring indulgence.

That changed today. Today I brought lunch from home (pat on the back for me, thank you!). I did not bring a drink, though, so I went to my usual lunch spot and grabbed a single bottle of water. I went to the cashier and held out two $1 bills. It wasn’t enough.

That was the slap. As I walked to my table with my bag lunch and bottle of H2O, it began to really sting. Ouch! $2.35 for bottle of water? I paid less than $2 for a large coffee this morning. That was a cup of water with coffee included, and caffeine, and some cream too!

Now I just paid about 20% more than that for water with nothing in it. I have been had.

I buy lunch at work 5 days a week, for 48 weeks a year. My annual budget for bottled water: $564.

No thank you.

I will not be had again. My next self-indulgent purchase will not be a bottle of water. It will be a lovely, personalized reusable water bottle. I hope to find a nice colorful bottle that matches my office décor. My water will come from the tap; my nod to luxury will be using a tap with a filter.

In fact, I think I will buy two bottles, one for home and one for the office. After all, I just found an extra $564 in my pocket.

Reviving New Year’s Resolutions

Times Square on New Years Eve – Photo Credit: Countdown Entertainment, LLC

I admit it. I’ve blown it.

My New Year’s Resolution was to gradually chip away at the 20 lbs or so, that have gravitated to my waist, hips and thighs over the past couple of years. It quickly went the way of many of resolutions: a fast descent to oblivion. According to a 2007 Franklin Covey survey, whether it be to save money, quit smoking or lose weight, over a third of us break our resolutions before the end of January.  Well, I guess I am in good company.

Why did I blow it? Lack of commitment? Too many distractions? The discouragement driven by an unrelenting New England winter? Maybe.

This winter is for the dogs!

I thought my resolution was simple enough: to keep a journal of my daily eating habits, including my abundance of coffee and the occasional Hershey’s Nugget, as well as the tasty veggie soups and salads I proudly munch at lunch. My journal would force me to PAY ATTENTION to what I eat. Further, by publicly acknowledging this effort here, on this blog, I would use my pride as a weapon in this battle. Failing in public, for everyone to see, stings much more than does slipping up in private.

I started the year off with a BANG. It was great! I lost 2 pounds during the first two weeks. I diligently recorded my diet and calorie intake using my handy little “LoseIt!” iPhone app.

And then, I stopped. I stopped tracking my meals, keeping a journal, weighing myself. I haven’t gone on any binges or anything, no big Italian Subs, or chocolate cream pie. I just stopped paying attention.

However, the beauty of New Years Resolutions is that you don’t have to be waiting for the ball to drop on Times Square to re-invoke it. No time like the present!  So here I go. Again.

I hereby resolve to put myself on the path to healthy living by doing a few simple things. I will keep track of what I eat. I will start to step outside of the office for a walk at lunch. I will pay attention. By doing this, I will begin to make progress on this very Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound (SMART) goal: to lose 1 pound per week. That’s it. One pound, not two, not five. Just one pound each week.

New Years Resolution: Round 2. Here I come!

5 Ways to Shake the Winter Blues

1) Go for a walk. OK, so most of us probably think that navigating un-plowed sidewalks with scarves wrapped around our runny noses is a sorry excuse for a spring stroll. However, a nice jaunt around the neighborhood on a crisp day can do wonders for your psyche. Cold fresh air wakes you up from that sluggish mid-afternoon daze if nothing else.

2) Get a massage. There’s nothing like a good deep tissue massage to melt away the stresses of the season, and soothe those muscles that just dug out your car for the fifth time this month.

Read A Book

3) Read a book. Who needs the beach for paperback novels? Pick your favorite genre; I tend to favor something light and humorous. Something too introspective might drag you right back from whence you came.

4) Rearrange the furniture. Sounds like a chore, I know, and it kind of is. If you’re like me, it forces you to finally attack all those dust bunnies under the couch. Moving that sofa and coffee table will give you that novel “new room” feeling. It’s a nice afternoon project that doesn’t cost a dime, and rewards you with feeling of renewal.

Naps Work Wonders - Courtesy of Graur Codrin

5) Take a nap. When all else fails, give in to your droopy eyelids. After all, hasn’t this winter exhausted all of us? If you’re just too tired, you won’t have the energy for any of the above. Go for it! It’ll just be a quick nap, you won’t miss anything, except another snowstorm.

These are the suggestions I have. How do you shake the Winter Blues?