As we approach the end of January it’s time to reevaluate how we are working towards our New Year’s resolutions. People have been making resolutions for ages, New Year’s resolutions have been around since ancient Roman times. At the start of each New Year the Romans would make promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named. Did you know that only 8 percent of people who set goals actually achieve them? Research shows that people who make New Year’s resolutions are 10 times more likely to change their behavior than those who never commit to begin with. We have compiled some of our favorite tips to get started with in your kitchen to make your resolutions more attainable.

Staying Hydrated Spa Water Kitchens by Lombco Tewksbury MA

Resolution #1: DRINK MORE WATER. This may seem like a smaller goal, but this alone can make a big difference in your overall health. You should be drinking half of your body weight (pounds) in ounces of water per day. Example: If you weigh 170/2= 85, you should be drinking 85 ounces of water per day. If you are exercising and sweating excessively you should add on a liter of water on top of your daily ounces. Often times when you think you’re hungry and reaching for food, you are actually just thirsty. If you are also trying to be more environmentally friendly in the New Year, practice keeping a reusable water bottle on hand at all times. This will make keeping yourself hydrated easier and reduce the amount of plastic you will be disposing of while keeping your goal of drinking more water! If you don’t want to drink water straight from the tap you can invest in a Brita system! Brita offers several different forms of water filtration whether it be a faucet attachment, a pitcher that goes in the fridge, or water bottles with filtration built in!  If you are going to be doing a kitchen remodel at some point consider the option of installing a water filtration system to keep filtered water ready at any moment! It may cost more money upfront for a filtration system, but you’ll be saving on plastic water bottles and frequently changing Brita filters. If you want to keep things interesting with getting in your daily water intake you can add in fresh cut fruit and herbs, or follow the recipe below!

Spa Water:

  • 16 ounces of filtered water
  • ½ of a lemon
  • ½ of a lime
  • 4 cucumber slices
  • Handful of fresh mint
  • Optional: A dash of cayenne pepper for a metabolism boosting bonus!
  • Refrigerate

*You can make a jug of spa water that will last a few days, or you can make a small jar before bed each night.

Coffee Bar New Years Resolutions Kitchens by Lombco Tewksbury MA

Resolution #2: SPENDING LESS MONEY ON COFFEE. Not many people realize the amount of money they spend on their daily caffeine fix. Depending on your frequency and drink it can be anywhere from $5.00 to $30.00 a week. That calculation doesn’t even account for a breakfast or snack item you may buy in addition to a drink (healthy options we hope!) Set yourself up a coffee bar in your home, it can be a designated area on your kitchen countertop, or on a piece of furniture in your dining room. Create a spot that is free of clutter and dedicated solely to making the caffeinated beverage of your choice each day! The tidier and more user friendly this area is, the more appealing it will be to use regularly. In our December blog we mentioned the various uses of large jars for both storage and display purposes. We used these same jars again to put together a coffee bar, using them as K-Cup storage this time around! Purchasing jars like these don’t have to break the bank, you can find some great prices on Amazon, you get the Pottery Barn look for significantly less! As you can see investing in these pieces that have SO many purposes make these a great investment. Store various sweeteners you may need on hand in different mason jars to keep the aesthetic of your coffee bar both neat and visually inviting. Here we displayed brown sugar cubes, Belgian rock sugar, and raw turbinado sugar on a marble serving tray (again re-purposing!) Make it your own and keep out things like cinnamon and honey, or some unique measuring spoons for measuring and stirring! Some coffee makers have pre-set timers to get things brewing before you even wake up, making getting up and out of the house with coffee in hand that much easier! Create a space that you will wake up looking forward to using, putting in that extra effort will end up saving you BOTH time and money.

Junk Drawer Organization Kitchens By Lombco Tewksbury Ma

Resolution #3: BE MORE ORGANIZED. The best place to begin getting organized isn’t the closet, it’s the kitchen! Doing a purge on your kitchen clutter isn’t only beneficial to your health, it’s better for the life of your cabinetry. Cleaning and organizing doesn’t have to be limited to Spring Cleaning, if you do it every few months it won’t be as daunting and you’ll constantly be refreshing your home. Having cabinets and drawers overstuffed is bad for the integrity of your cabinetry and its hardware (think jam packed drawers you can hardly open and close or cabinet doors that can’t fully close) Start by going through your kitchen one cabinet at a time and end with the refrigerator. Throw away any food that is expired or donate any unopened food that is hindering your 2018 health goals. We accumulate all sorts of small appliances, free bottles, holiday mugs. If you aren’t using it or won’t use it, it is time to donate (sorry fondue pot and hand popped popcorn maker) If you have a collection of takeout menus and free refrigerator magnets from companies you don’t use narrow those down as well. One thing I frequently aim to do is staying on top of keeping my junk drawer “junk-less”. First off, junk drawers have a terrible name and a bad reputation, which sets them up for becoming the catch all that they end up being. If you have a junk drawer that causes you stress and is damaging your cabinetry by being overstuffed consider getting some dividers or containers to keep inside your drawer to keep things separated and organized.

Smoothie Grapefruit New Years ResolutionKitchens By Lombco Tewksbury MA

Resolution #4: CREATE HEALTHIER HABITS. Looking to bring some healthier habits into your life in 2018? Start incorporating smoothies into your daily routine, they can make a great snack alternative or a quick breakfast on the go! Just like we mentioned before with creating an in-home coffee bar, set yourself up a designated area with all the supplies you’ll need for smoothies to make this goal more attainable! You can designate a cabinet shelf or create a basket for items you would like to add to your smoothies. Be sure to locate this in the area where you will be using your blender. You can make smoothie making even more convenient by creating small snack sized zip lock baggies of frozen ingredients. The smoothie recipe below includes coffee so you can combine two resolutions in one!

Perk Up Smoothie:

  • ½ of a peeled and frozen banana
  • 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 cup of brewed coffee that has been refrigerated (or you can pour cold coffee into an ice cube tray for coffee ice cubes)
  • 1 scoop plant based chocolate or vanilla protein
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil

 

 

     Whether you have been sticking to your New Year’s resolutions, got off track, or need to start, these ideas can get you moving in the right direction! Setting up your kitchen and dining room to prepare you for success can help you achieve your goals in the New Year. Setting aside some time to clean and organize your space will have you making healthier (and more Eco-conscious choices) for 2018! Don’t forget the smallest steps can lead to the biggest changes and make the biggest impact! All of us at Kitchens by Lombco LLC wish you a happy and healthy 2018!