Excavation: Freezer

By Winnie Yu for Completely You



The other day, I opened my freezer door. Out toppled a bag of frozen meat, dated two years ago. The package landed near my toes, which would have hurt had it hit my foot. It was a clear sign that I needed to explore the tundra regions of my home. In other words, it was time for a freezer excavation.

Once I began digging, I found all sorts of goodies. Plastic bags full of mystery meats. Small containers of ice cream from a long-ago birthday party. A stray Popsicle here and there. There was even an open box of ice-encrusted pierogies, and a small package of breakfast sausages coated in crystals. By the time I was done, I had a bag of garbage filled with frozen foods -- and a lot more space in my freezer.

The one thing I kept -- and actually used -- were the tiny bags of bread crusts. Somehow, it just seemed wasteful to toss them out without a second glance, especially since we invest in some pretty pricey bread for daily peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. So I dug up a recipe and made cinnamon sugar bread crusts. They were delicious, especially when fresh out of the oven.

A freezer excavation is a rare event at my house. I simply don’t clean my freezer the way I clean other parts of my house. I assume that the chilly temperatures will kill any unhealthy microorganisms, and I figure the space is finite, so I’ll eventually find what I need.

But really, freezers need some attention too. They need a good purging now and again, just like every other place in my house -- be it my office, the basement or the garage (check out this helpful guide to doing it right). While the freezer may not get the same cleaning that my bathroom or kitchen gets, it certainly deserves some of my time and attention.

And now I know I can enjoy some more cinnamon sugar bread crusts when I’m done.


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Photo: @iStockphoto.com/Shershel

Winnie Yu is Completely You’s mom blogger. She has two daughters (Samantha, 14, and Annie, 12) and is the author of seven books, including New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding and What to Eat for What Ails You. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Woman’s Day, AARP Bulletin, Prevention and WebMD.com.

Keep Your Workout Habit Alive

By Winnie Yu for Completely You



I’ve been a committed exerciser for years. I walk. I go to the gym. I lift weights. I ride my bike. I do yoga. In fact, exercise is a daily priority, one that almost never falls by the wayside. It helps me sleep better, improves my mood and keeps me at a healthy weight.

But even the most committed exercise queen is going to have the occasional busy day when she just can’t do as much as she’d like. On those days, it just doesn’t seem worth the effort to get dressed, slog my way to the gym and work out for a mere 15 minutes.

In the past, I used to write those days off, and then spend evenings enjoying a bowl of ice cream topped with guilt. Before I knew it, a few more busy days had gone by. Soon, it was an entire week.
Not good.

Eventually, I realized that doing only a few minutes of exercise was better than doing none at all. Now, on my busy days, I simply do whatever I can, even it’s just a five-minute walk up the street or a 20-minute visit to the gym. These tiny spurts of exercise -- if you can even call them that -- don’t exactly help me sleep better or fend off any weight gain. But they do keep me in the habit of exercise.

When life gets busy, it’s all about maintaining the habit. It isn’t about working at my target heart rate for a sustained period of time, or doing three sets of 10 reps on every machine. And it’s certainly not about finding my edge in a yoga pose, or tackling a new ride on long, windy roads. (Read how another mom manages to fit in fitness here.)

On those busiest of days, I’m working out for one reason: to stay in my exercise groove. So the next time my schedule opens up, I’ll be ready to do a heart-thumping workout.

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For more great health and lifestyle content, visit the parent site of my blog, Completely You


Winnie Yu is Completely You’s mom blogger. She has two daughters (Samantha, 14, and Annie, 12) and is the author of seven books, including New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding and What to Eat for What Ails You. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Woman’s Day, AARP Bulletin, Prevention and WebMD.com.