a break up with clutter

(source)

My Dearest Clutter-

I need to be frank with you- things just aren't working out. I know this may have caught you off guard, especially considering how much I have loved & adored you over the years, invited you into my life & even let you move into my home, head & heart. I want to be honest with you because after all we have been through the least you deserve is honesty. Here goes....

I need my own space & less stuff. I have created an outbox thanks to the encouragement of Apartment Therapy's January Cure & I want you to know  that through the outbox process I have given "us" an honest consideration. I have been putting pieces of our relationship into the outbox & have realized that the emotional attachment I once had to you is now gone, I'm sorry. I've even been doing this alongside a dear friend. She's been very supportive with my decision, we check in with each other & talk about our coping process frequently. Maybe you can find support from her clutter since she's letting it go too?

I'm feeling smothered by your words. Every day with you is information overload. I've slowly but surely unsubscribed from all of the emails you send me. Please stop contacting me with your tempting sales to buy more stuff & your unnecessary updates on matters that I am not interested in. It's been somewhat grueling to go through this process, but with every email you send that does not add value to my life I'm actively disconnecting.

I have to admit, I'm feeling sluggish from your grub. I've lost touch with the nourishing foods & cuisine that bring me energy & make me feel healthy. I've stuffed every space I can find in my home with processed, sugar & fat loaded snacks that have ingredients I can't even pronounce. I carry the weight of this with me everyday, I feel less productive because of it's presence & I am unable to think as critically & creatively as I know I can. I'm choosing to rise above.

I can't let you keep taking over my "to do" list either. As a result I never feel like I get anything done & at the end of the day it just feels that there is always more & more to do. I'm going to get concrete, be more purposeful with my time, more thoughtful about my actions & develop the art of prioritizing. There just isn't any room in my day for you anymore. 

Finally, & perhaps the worst of it all, I want you to know that I am stifled by your gossip & negativity. You hold my growth back & make me think less about myself by exposing the flaws of others through gossip columns, tabloids, broadcasts & other sources of unnecessary communication. I'm choosing to liberate myself from the negativity this has induced in my life. I want to set my own definitions & lift up others around me in an effort to lift myself & grow collectively. Your senseless words do not promote my ambitions & therefore I must cut myself off. 

While all of this may feel somewhat harsh I want you to know that I don't resent you (that would only occupy more space in my heart). I'm simply choosing to peacefully detach from you. I hope you understand. 

It's not you, it's me.

B

Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

Good morning sunshine! My favorite meal of the day is breakfast and one of my go to breakfast options for a busy week is the apple cinnamon protein pancake. One serving has only 22g carbs, 135 calories plus 9g of protein and 4g of fiber. It's a SUPER easy recipe and makes 4-5 servings so you can store it in a mason jar in your fridge for 3-4 days.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Protein Pancake

ingredients:

1 cup of quick oats

4 egg whites

1/4 cup unflavored whey protein powder (I use the GNC brand)

1/4 cup low fat milk

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into medium size pieces

directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in blender (I use the Ninja, which gets the job done!) until the mixture is the consistency of batter. You may need to add more milk depending on your oats, add a few splashes if it is too dry. 
2. Heat up a small frying pan on med-low, add coconut oil or cooking oil spray so that the pancake doesn't stick. Pour batter into a ~4 in round pancake and heat for roughly 2 minutes, keep an eye on the edges, once they start to brown you'll know it's time to flip. Flip pancake until the other side is cooked as well. You can also heat up a few slices of apple on the pan with cinnamon sprinkled on them as toppings for the pancake. 
3. Top with honey, sugar-free syrup, fruit, or ground cinnamon to taste. Enjoy!

You can save the remaining batter in your fridge for 3-4 days, you may need to add more milk if the consistency becomes too thick. 

Sweet Green Drink

I also love to start my morning with fresh juice, and one of my favorites is a mixture of sweet green fruits and green veggies. 

If you have a juicer my favorite *blend is...

1 green apple

1 pear

1 Fuji apple

2 celery stalks

1 large handful parsley

4 large romaine lettuce leaves

2 handfuls spinach

slice of ginger root

1/2 or 1/4 peeled lemon

*makes two glasses

breakfast, blue-grass & bedroom-slippers,

Blog Spotlight: Arantha's Gourmet Beauty

I am always humbled by the invitation from other bloggers to share my voice with their readers. In this case, the lovely beauty guru Arantha from http://aranthasgourmetbeauty.com/ invited me to share all things BRITTANY, from my apartment, to my healthy eating tips to my favorite beauty products. She does a wonderful job understanding her guests and asking meaningful questions that her readers would be interested in. Check out my interview here. 

In addition to this, Arantha has a whole stock of delicious beauty reads, happy thoughts, and healthy tips. I love her Happy Thoughts posts and I wouldn't be the girl I am if I wasn't completely obsessed with all things "beauty" like her lip balm reviews. Check her out folks, you surely will not be disappointed. :)

I have lots on my mind, lots to share, and lots to learn. See you soon....