Allow Me to Introduce....

Front Door Organics.

I love them.

I must admit that I was skeptical about whether I would notice a difference in taste and freshness. I was worried that the cost would be high and the produce wouldn't be plentiful.

Silly me.

Every week for $35 they provide a huge Rubbermaid bin of local, fresh, seasonal food. And the taste? Oh my. There's a palpable difference, guys. Fruit and veg that is ripened properly tastes much more intense than the stuff we are used to in the supermarkets. I should add that I have an almost non-functional nose. Practically, what that means is that my palate isn't sensitive at all and so I generally require really strong flavours. I don't notice subtleties. Thing is, I really noticed a difference in flavour. Carrots taste like they've just been been picked out of the ground, the celery is green ( really green... like a golf club lawn) and has real flavour... it's not white and bland. Cooking has become simpler, less preparation necessary, since you can rely on the natural flavour of the food.

Thanks to FDO we are also trying lots of new stuff. Since it's based on what is available locally and seasonally you get new wonderful things all the time. I made Edamame for the first time this past week. Turns out, it's fabulous and easy to prepare and chock full of nutritional goodness. And those lovely folks at FDO provide you with recipes every week, if you're in doubt as to how to prepare something new.

Just in case you're thinking 'I hate Edamame... that would be a waste for me....' I should add that they have a Preferences List that lets you tell the company what foods you love and what you hate... they'll never send the dreaded items and they'll replace them with ones you love. Even my mother wasn't that thoughtful at dinnertime.

And as if that weren't enough, the people who actually deliver to your door make an effort to connect with you... Our delivery person, Neal, has a fabulous smile and always says hello.

I know I sound like an informercial, sorry, but I'm excited. Companies that live up to their promises and go beyond my expectations are very, very rare. So when I find one, I wanna share the love.

I love these people. Check'em out:

www.frontdoororganics.com

So I'm out to dinner with one of my dearest friends. We finish off the evening with a lovely tea and then it happens.

Her Mom, who has been kind enough to babysit, not just her Grandchildren but also my Wee Monster, outs her daughter.

No. She's not gay.

She's hoarding school notes from her past.

Now, in all fairness, she is a teacher and she is using those notes to teach. (Frankly, I think that that is inspired... no more stories of walking 15 miles to school in snow this high, barefoot. She's showing her students what life was like... ahem, uhm... some years ago).

Having said that, though, the majority of us do not use our school notes once we've graduated and YET I have encountered countless people who keep them all!

Please remember that these are just papers. They do not define you or your history. You define you everyday by your actions now. While proofs of achievement can be memory items, the trick is to look at the situation as you would delicious chocolate truffles: If you eat them all the time, they become mundane but if you savor them having only one during those special moments, they have more meaning and become such a treat!

Keep the odd paper that demonstrates an 'A' that was hard earned from a tough teacher or Prof. Keep the odd test whose score blew your mind BUT don't keep the whole freakin' history. You've learnt it, you know it and now you're using it: good enough.

Now go save a tree and put most of those notes in the recycling bin because there WILL be a pop quiz on this later and it represents 2/3 of your final grade, OK?

I hate Hallmark.

Well, no, I don't really hate them. I just hate the wake of paper that they leave behind them.

Remember, once upon a time, when people used to write letters and cards with actual heart-felt thoughts that they took time to compose?

Well, now the good folks at Hallmark and all those other 'card for any occasion' people make life easier for everyone. You simply purchase and sign your name.

Now, I like that convenience as much as anyone else, BUT it does NOT make it worth keeping the card forever. A name on the bottom of a generic thought-of-the-day card does not signify anything other than the fact that someone remembered your special day. Keep that marvelous thought and for pete's sake GET RID OF THE PAPER!

If someone takes the time to write a nice, long, personal message, by all means, put that card in your Memory Box for future reference.

For most of us, though, the greater number of cards we receive consist of a quick name on the bottom of a Hallmark at the usual holidays. Those pieces of paper are not worth keeping as a memory. Keep'em where you can marvel at the beauty of the art and the kindness of the giver for a week... at most.

Then, keep the thought and pitch the card (into a recycling bin... save a tree, please) so that you keep your space empty and your heart full!

Ya know, Hallmark offers free e-cards... all the thoughts, but no paper!

Tax Time!

It's that time of year again, everyone!

Get those papers out and your calculators too! (or send out the works to someone you trust.)

Remember that the earlier you get going, the sooner you can breathe easy!

Tips to remember:

1. It helps to have a file that you keep going all year round for current receipts that will apply to your taxes. That way all your paper work is ready to go and in one place by the time the season rolls around.

2. In Canada, you only need to keep 7 years worth of taxes. Don't keep them forever! If you ever are audited and you have information pertaining to taxes that goes beyond those seven years, the Canadian government is entitled to audit you farther back, if they desire!

3. Check out the link to Paper Retention on the left for further information!

Happy Tax Season and I wish you many LARGE and Happy Tax Returns!

Something we should all be aware of....

Recently, there has been a lot of concern about plastics in the microwave and in the freezer. The concern that the plastic will leak cancer causing dioxins if used in either freezer or microwave.

While it's true that you should probably avoid heating plastics of anykind (things tend to break down more readily when heated) in the microwave, there doesn't seem to be the same concern for the freezer.

Remember to check your sources. Always.

For the truth about microwaving and freezing plastics, please check out this site at Johns Hopkins.

Now, where are my cheesy nachos and my Chocolate Haagen Dasz.

Important Spring Cleaning Issue

Now that we are coming out of cold and flu season and shelving those old medications, it's important to remember that old or unused meds do not get thrown out in the garbage, folks.

Medicines fall under the catagory of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW).

Don't flush'em down the toilet or wash them down the sink drain. We don't need medicated fish and we certainly don't want everyone else inadvertantly sharing your old meds. When you flush or drain them, your old meds end up in the public water supply.

Think about that.

Ugh.

Old medications can be taken to your pharmacy for proper disposal or contact your city or town waste disposal to find out where the Household Hazardous Waste drop off is located. In Toronto, there are specific days and times when HHW can be dropped off and it's good to be familiar with those times and locations 'cause there's a lot of HHW out there (batteries are another little peeve of mine... old batteries are also HHW.)

Paints, spray cans, toxic cleaning mats and containers... they are all HHW. In Toronto, if you can't make a drop off yourself during one of the appointed times, then wait until you collect a bunch of HHW as it gets used up in your household and call The Toxics Taxi Guys at 416.392.4330.

For further information, click here.

Medicated fish.

Ugh.

Now's the time to really start purging your belongings if you didn't have a chance to do it before the holidays.

All those new things that you acquired at Christmas now need a home. So. Let's start with a couple decision helpers.

1. If you received a lovely new item to replace an old one. Replace the old one. THROW THE OLD ONE OUT. ( Or donate it... but get it out of your space!.) Eg. New jeans with no holes replacing old with holes. New socks? Get rid of the mangier ones that currently reside in your drawer.

2. If you now have multiples of an item. Pick one ( maybe two... but no more than that!). Have three new pairs of mittens? Which ones really tickle your fancy? Which ones will you USE ?

3. Really look at the space that a functional item takes up. Let the space allowable for that item determine how many things you can keep. For example, new kitchen utensils like spatulas etc. Where are they being stored right now? Is that drawer or basket full? If yes, what things can go to make room for the new utensils. DO NOT BUY ANOTHER STORAGE UNIT!!! PURGE FROM THE OLD ONE!

For more information, or for individual help... leave me a question on the blog!

Happy Uncluttered Closets Everyone!