Doll Downsizing and Lasagna for Everyone!

Dolls of many nations convene in my home!

These photos were not easy to take.  Have you tried getting strong willed dolls to say “cheese” in  twenty different languages?

My great-aunt brought me dolls from her trips to Europe when I was a  girl.  My mom found dolls for me at the New York World’s Fair (1964-65).   I’ve picked up dolls on my own travels, and friends who know I love dolls have given me some too.

The photos represent about half of my collection.

The D word pops up again!  Downsizing of my doll population.

Who gets to stay?

When I started downsizing, I read some advice in Sue Patton Thoele’s The Mindful Woman: “Really see the stuff you’ve accumulated.  Keep only what you need and love.”

“Keep only what you need and love” has been my guiding  mantra.

The couple below is staying for sure. My aunt brought them to me from Italy, around 1960.  I can look into their faces and be six years old again. I remember holding them. Admiring their clothes. Setting them up on my painted bookcase.

When Healthy Choice invited me to try their baked entrees, I let my Italian doll friends have a taste of the lasagna.

Delizioso! they proclaimed.

I thought the lasagna was quite good too. And with so many dolls to take care of, I love having  foods that are quick to make. The dish is low in calorie. My dolls don’t seem concerned with calories, but I am.

Read more about all the Healthy Choice Baked Entrees here.

 

As for the rest of my international doll collection…

Dolls are not easy to say goodbye to.  They have personalities. They gaze up at you. They seem to know what you’re thinking, even if you don’t speak the same language.

I read an article on de-cluttering that said if you have to stop to question keeping an item, that means it needs to go.

Nope.

My downsizing rules state the opposite.

If I’m in doubt, I mull.  A few days later, if I’m still feeling sad about giving up an item, I keep it. Maybe not forever but for now.

So along with my beloved Italian couple, the rest of the dolls are staying.

Lots of mouths to feed.

Lasagne per tutti!

Disclosure: I’m participating in a Vibrant Influencer Network Healthy Choice campaign. They sent me coupons for Healthy Choice Baked Entrees and payment in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. All opinions are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by Healthy Choice prior to posting.

 

Downsizing: Ice Cream Cups and Greek Frozen Yogurt!

There’s something about menopause that sends women into a cleaning/organizing/purging frenzy.

We’re on a roll, deciding what to treasure and what to toss.

It’s the unfeathering of the empty nest.

I’m finding it both fun and bittersweet.

My great-grandmother’s  silver ice cream cups get to stay. They came with Grandma’s first  electric refrigerator, a Kelvinator, circa 1930.The women in my family have been serving ice cream and sherbet in them ever since.

Note how small they are. They don’t hold triple scoops!

Which brings me to another downsizing.

I’ve been successful, in recent months, in downsizing myself a bit.  Laura’s wedding spurred me on.

For about two years, during the worst of menopausal madness, I thought I was destined to gain weight.

I’m here to report that portion control works, and that we can downsize our bodies in menopause. Yes, it’s harder and slower, but it works! One of my go-to foods has been Greek yogurt.

Healthy Choice now sells  Greek frozen yogurt in 100 calorie size cups. How freezing cool is that?

I put mine into an ice cream cup, and yep, it just fits.  A modest yet satisfying potion like Grandma would serve.

The frozen yogurt makes a refreshing snack or dessert, and because it’s frozen, you can’t just gobble it down. I tried the vanilla and the blueberry. Yum!

Read more about Healthy Choice’s  new Greek Frozen Yogurt here.

Flavors!

• Dark Fudge Swirl: Creamy Greek Frozen Yogurt made with dark, decadent fudge swirl for an irresistible 100-calorie treat perfect for a nighttime chocolate fix.
•  Strawberry: Blended real strawberries made with refreshingly tart Greek Frozen Yogurt for a delicious low calorie treat.
• Vanilla: Premium, aromatic vanilla beans blended perfectly with creamy Greek Frozen Yogurt to create a 100-calorie treat.
• Raspberry: Juicy raspberries paired with the fresh tartness of Greek Frozen Yogurt for a healthy treat worth savoring.
• Blueberry: Lush blueberries folded into velvety Greek Frozen Yogurt for a treat that’s so rich you’d never guess it was 100 calories.
• Honey: Tart Greek frozen yogurt with a sweet, delicious honey swirl makes this refreshing 100-calorie treat a modern Greek masterpiece.

Thanks to Healthy Choice for offering us a coupon!

What about you?

Any downsizing going on in your life?

P.S.: We still have the owner’s manual  that came with the Kelvinator!  Here’s a drawing of the refrigerator from the manual.

And here’s an ice cream cup. I stand though, partially corrected about the potion control of old. Yes, the serving of ice cream is dainty, but look at that big slice of coconut cake!

Disclosure: I’m participating in a Vibrant Influencer Network Healthy Choice campaign. They sent me coupons for free yogurt and payment in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. All opinions are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by Healthy Choice prior to posting.