It's National Noodle Month! Slurp it up!

Every year for my birthday, my mom makes noodles for me.  One year it could be a huge pot of spaghetti; the next year it could be a Filipino style stir-fry called pancit.  Whatever it may be, she keeps that tradition in the family, saying, “If you eat long noodles, you’ll have a long life.”  I believe it too, especially since noodles can be paired up with so many different fruits and vegetables to make something already so tasty even more nutritious for you, hopefully giving you a longer life!  Don’t forget, it is Nutrition Month, ladies, but it’s also National Noodle Month, so make sure your noodles give you oodles of healthy days.

Noodles star in so many different dishes, you can eat noodles every day of the week and not get sick of them!  You can go with Vietnamese noodle soup, phở , or try the Japanese thick noodles, udon.  For something creamy, have some fettucini alfredo, or on the lighter side, go for linguine with clam sauce.  You can’t forget about Thai food, like pad Thai, or even the thick flat noodle dish, pad see ew.  Noodles can even be a dessert, as in the Jewish noodle pudding, kugel.  Generally, Asian cuisine usually uses rice or mung bean starches to make noodles, while European fare, like Italian pasta, usually incorporates egg and wheat.  Any way you eat it, it’s important to mix in fruits and vegetables with the noodles to make them healthier and so much more flavorful.

As wonderful as they are, noodles aren’t always healthy for you.  I know for some folks out there, the noodle of choice is the good old instant noodle pack, or even the noodle in the cup kind.  I know this because I see shopping carts full of noodles coming out of the dollar store!  It’s cheap, it’s quick, it’s easy, but surprise!…it’s not that healthy for you, even if you add onions or eggs to the mix.  The noodles themselves are not the more worrisome ingredient of the dish; it’s usually those tiny flavor packets that contain unnecessary chemicals and loads of sodium.  If you’re a Top Ramen cook, it’s just as easy to make some wholesome noodles.  You can skip the packet and give the pot your own flavor.  It’ll taste better, be healthier for you, and make you feel like a top chef!

Try these tips to have some noodles you’ll want to slurp up:

• Quick and easy stir fry.  Your favorite veggies, like broccoli and carrots, can be chopped up and quickly stir fried in a little bit of sesame oil and low-sodium soy sauce.  Try adding hoisin sauce for a deeper flavor.
• Slurp-worthy soup.  Mix in vegetable broth with onions and your favorite noodle for an alternative to the instant noodle packages.  For more nutrients, add spinach or baby bok choy.
• Pasta power.  Pasta dishes always taste better when they’re made at home, and M.I.S.S. hooks you up with step-by-step recipes.  Try M.I.S.S. GDK’s very own ziti with chicken and broccoli, Ragù alla Bolognese, fresh tomato and mushroom sauce, pesto, or even a tomato sauce with “homemade” spinach and ricotta ravioli.  Skim Kim even has a yummy pesto sauce for you to try!

Wishing you a slurp-worthy month.  Grab your chopsticks, your fork and spoon, or heck, even your little fingers and dig into some noodles today!

Margaret Sanger: Social Activist

Many women cannot fathom a world without the renowned birth control pill or other preventative methods, the familiar friends women use to be in control of their sexuality. I guess we owe Margaret Sanger, born to the city of New York in 1883, a big thank you. Sanger was a leading social activist in advocating birth control and woman’s health.

Sanger worked as a nurse, and grew aware of the ill effects of unplanned/unwanted pregnancies. Therefore in 1912, she decided to leave her practice and fully devote herself to the distribution of birth control information. Unfortunately, she had to deal with the Comstock Law passed in the United States, a public campaign for legislating public morality. This law prevented the distribution of birth control devices and information regarding these “immoral” tools. It’s amazing to imagine with our 21st century lenses that a woman having a say in when or if she gets pregnant was considered to be immoral. But it was.

In 1913, Margaret Sanger founded a paper called “Woman Rebel”, but she was indicted for “mailing obscenities.”  Upon her flee to Europe, the indictment was lifted. Three years later, she set up the first birth control clinic, where she distributed diaphragms.

In 1921, she founded the National Birth Control League, an organization which provided information on preventative methods through lectures and other workshops. Although she was arrested several times for delivering such messages of choice to women and protesting the infamous Comstock Law, she continued to be a voice for American women.  She saw all these rather  as minor set-backs; in 1942, she contributed to the formation of the Planned Parenthood Federation.

If you want to check this woman out further you can read The Autobiography of Margaret Sanger online for free!

Sources:

About.com:Women History

The Web Chronology Project

The first glass water bottle on the market!

My prayers have been answered!  I’ve been searching for a reusable water bottle that fits my busy lifestyle, and when I received a bottle from Lifefactory, I knew that this was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.  In the past, I’ve toted around different containers to keep my water by my side, from old plastic water bottles, to stainless steel vessels, to even old peanut butter jars.  If I didn’t lug around some liquid, then I probably wouldn’t drink enough!  Each day, you should at least chug down 8 glasses of water, and I’ve found that when you B.Y.O.W. (bring your own water), you’re more likely to finish it.  And now that I have my Lifefactory glass water bottle, I don’t want to forget it at home.  In fact, ever since I received it last week, it’s been on the go with me.  Check out my life with Lifefactory!

Day One:
I was literally waiting by the mailbox everyday for this bottle to come.  I mean, it’s the first glass reusable water bottle to hit the market, and it’s about time.  The peanut butter jar just ain’t cutting it anymore!  I opened the lightly-padded envelope package, and alas, the bottle was all in one piece!  To go through the U.S. Postal Service and not break was already a tell tale of its durability.  But of course, that was not enough proof for me.  I just had to take a few tests of my own.

I’m a pretty clumsy gal.  Once, after forking over $25 for a fancy plastic water container with a built-in straw, I managed to drop it out of my car the very next day.  Fail.  I anticipated that I would drop this new Lifefactory bottle somewhere down the road, so I “accidentally” tipped the bottle off of the dining table.  Surprisingly, the non-toxic silicone sleeve was able to absorb the impact of the drop and it kept the glass in one piece.  And, this glass is not some cheap quality glass; it’s some pretty heavy duty stuff.  Lifefactory actually started off by making glass baby bottles with a silicone sleeve, so you know that safety is a top concern.  After a few more knocks and drops, I was convinced that this bottle would be able to handle my butter fingers.

Day Two: It's easy to make juice!

Day Two:
With any new water container, you’ve got to give it a cleaning.  This has been one of my least favorite chores with previous containers; I’ve been using bottles with a narrow mouth, which means I couldn’t even fit a sponge inside!  The widemouth opening of the Lifefactory bottle made it really easy to give the bottle a good cleaning for my first use.  And, even though the bottle got super soapy, I was able to keep a firm grip on it, thanks to the silicone sleeve, once again!

I filled the bottle up with some H2O, 22 oz. to be exact, and hit the road. It was off to work I go.  I work with some pretty eco-conscious peoples, and I could already envision the water bottle envy.  By the time I settled in, I had already finished my whole bottle, and I was ready to do more experimenting.  I wanted to try something different and healthy, so I filled it up again and cut up a handful of calamansi, a small sour citrus, squeezed it directly into the bottle and even tossed in the rinds.  A few drops of honey sweetened up my concoction, and I topped it off and shook it up.  The bottle is more on the heavy side, compared to the typical plastic or stainless steel bottle, but it was actually feeling like an exercise weight as I shook.  So I did my reps, 12 on each side, and then I had some fresh calamansi juice.  Once again, the wide mouth made it easy to add citrus to my water, giving me an extra boost of Vitamin C and some delicious, nutritious flavor!

And….a few people did comment on my water bottle.  The bold blue silicone sleeve with playful circular cutouts definitely call attention to itself.  If it were up to me, I would match my water bottle to my outfit, and with Lifefactory’s 6 choices of color, it could be easy to do so.

I grabbed some Afgan food from the Emerybay Public Market, and although they gave me a free soda (thanks, but no thanks), I wanted to drink some of my own stuff.  I had just picked up a bottle of wine from BevMo! and thought this glass bottle would be fine to drink from.  Yes, it may not sound too classy, but it’s glass nonetheless.  I’ll be that no one would have guessed what I was sippin’ on!

After, I gave it a quick rinse, filled up with more water, and my next sip had no wine residue.  Thank goodness, because a few glasses is enough!

Toilet water?/Is that water?

Don't be fooled with illusions...Lifefactory water bottles are the perfect size.

While I experimented with sight, sound, and science, I was also experimenting with this water bottle.  It didn’t fit inside my purse, but it held up just fine with the carabiner clip.  I did drop it once (or twice) in the commotion of all the crowd, and my home tests worked in the field.  I had a blast and I was well hydrated the whole time, even refilling my bottle from a toilet fountain!

The Future:

This is only the beginning of my life with Lifefactory.  I have yet to try it with hot tea, infused ice cubes, and take it on a long road trip.   And you know I’m definitely bringing it to hydrate me during my next Zumba class!  I can already see that this is going to be as essential to my daily kit as my iPhone and Burt’s Bees lip balm. The summer days have yet to come, and I know that this will keep me feeling cool.  I’m not too happy when I find my stainless steel bottles warmed from the sun.

The Lifefactory glass water bottle retails for $21.99, which is about the same price for a stainless steel vessel.  Now, since this company has gone from babies to adults, I’m hoping that they’ll also start a kid-friendly line.  My little girl wants some Lifefactory in her life as well.  Then…my prayers will truly be fulfilled!

Happy Birthday M.I.S.S. Healthy Bites!

Raise up your glasses and make a toast because March is here!  While I’m all giddy for Women’s History Month and all of the ladies that M.I.S.S. will be featuring, I’m equally excited because it’s Nutrition Month as well!

And….(drum roll please), it’s the column’s 1st birthday!

One year ago, M.I.S.S. understood that a woman’s lifestyle should also include healthy living so this column was launched.  What started out as “Nutrition Facts” has turned into “Healthy Bites”, little morsels of ways to get on the healthy path.  From nutrition to fitness and even lifestyle modifications, I’ve been delighted to give a little taste to you about how to keep your body looking good and feeling great.  Every week, I get inspired by seasonal foods, current events, and the random national fill-in-the-blank days, and try to cook up something that will hopefully inspire you to do the same.

So, to celebrate, I’m going to say that it’s ok to have your cake and eat it too!  During special times, you deserve something special, so there’s no need to hold yourself back.  As long as overindulging in something as sweet and tantalizing as cake isn’t an everyday occurrence, then why not give yourself a little something good?

Actually, as I write this, I’m thinking of all that I have indulged in the past year.  Red velvet cake on my birthday, cookies and cream ice cream cake for my daughter’s birthday, lava cake for that night on the town, and I’m sure I’m purposely forgetting about the other times I turned to sweets to celebrate.  But don’t worry, if you’re not trying to give in to the temptation, even it if is for a special occasion, you can have cake that won’t make you feel as guilty.

Try these tips to bake a healthier cake:

• Add fruits or veggies.  Smash up some bananas and add it to the mixture for some good flavor and more potassium to help those muscles out.  Carrot cakes are usually a popular flavor, but they also can be loaded with too much sugar.  Try using applesauce to sweeten the cake instead of loads of sugar, and you’ll also find it makes it moist.  Fruits can make a delicious filling, so use something fresh and in season to fill in the gap between cakes.
• Pass on the frosting.  For some, the frosting is what makes the cake, but if you don’t need it, don’t eat it.  Try lightly dusting with powdered sugar if you need a little sweetness on the outside.
• Cut the serving in half.  Sometimes, if another person serves you some cake, they can be quite generous in the serving size.  Eat less than what you originally had your eye one, and you won’t be regretting it as much.
• Make it moist.  Use yogurt in your mix to give it some protein and a moist texture.
• Make half your grains whole.  Substitute some of the flour with whole wheat flour for more fiber for your digestive system.

I hope you have been taking a healthy bite every week, and even if you can’t commit so some of the tips, as long as you’re soaking up the information, then that’s all you need.  Sometimes, with modifying something as simple yet important as your diet, it can take awhile to make it a lifestyle change.

Have you made any changes in your diet or ways of living?  Please share with us so we can applaud each other on our efforts. Or, on the flip side, is there that special something that you eat to celebrate?  It’s ok to divulge in what you indulge in!

For more healthy bites, follow M.I.S.S. on Twitter.

March is officially Women’s History Month and we’re excited to announce that for the third year in a row, throughout the month, we will be featuring yet another group of outstanding ladies who are “making history” in their respective fields including fashion, design, music, art, media and much more.

We will also be remembering the notable forces that came before us with our “Women Who Made History” series. Last year’s features included, Judy Blume and Peggy Guggenheim, just to name a few.

At M.I.S.S., we try to focus on women’s history all year long. We encourage you all to explore our site but more importantly our interviews section, where you’ll find the Women Making History series archived. Each unique feature is filled with insight and inspiration just waiting to be taken in! Consider this a place to gather strength, courage and wisdom to help you move forward gracefully into whatever the future may hold.

You can also view the line-up of ladies we featured in 2009 by visiting Women Making History: The Year in Review ‘09.

We hope you’ll join us all month long and beyond! Happy March!

Feed your soul!

Celebrate Black History Month by feeding your soul with faith, family, friends, and food, of course!  Soul food, a delectable cuisine that mixes roots from Africa, the Caribbean, and the South, has a deep history that can only make each morsel taste even better.  With nutritious staple ingredients like collard greens, yams, and beans, it’s one cuisine that can truly nourish your body, mind, and soul, and taste so good you’ll want seconds.  These recipes have been simmering for hundreds of years, passed down in an oral tradition, which leaves much room for adaptations over time.

As the melting pot of the country has added processed and fatty foods in place of wholesome healthy ingredients, many of the cultural dishes have also used these substitutions, including soul food.  What’s sad is that the more conveniences we have, the less time we have for slow, home-cooked, nutritious comfort food.  Fortunately, you can probably still find some healthy soul food spots that will fill up your stomach and not your waistline, whether they are a family-owned joint or a family friend’s kitchen.  But if you’re trying to keep the tradition alive by spending some time in the kitchen, try these healthy tips to keep this food at a comfort level, without having to grab your sweat pants!

• Gotta get the greens.  Collards, chard, spinach, kale….yum!  Slow-cooked greens can give your body a good dose of Vitamin A and calcium.  Sure, hickory-smoked bacon can make the greens taste even better, but try substituting the meat with something more on the lean side, like smoked turkey.
• Let the sweets shine.  Sweet potatoes and yams have such a good flavor, you only need a little bit of seasoning to make it taste even better.  Skip the sugar, and even the marshmallows, and try using just cinnamon and apple juice. Remember, the deep orange colors also can be a good dose of Vitamin A for healthy vision.
• Substitute the sugars.  Use a ‘lil bit of honey, 100% maple syrup, or even molasses anytime you need to sweeten anything up, whether it be your greens, beans, or sweet potato pie.
• Baked, not fried.  This tip might be the most difficult to appreciate, but after you learn to love it, your body will love you even more!  Try using a cereal-based breading, like cornflakes, and place the chicken or the catfish in the oven, not in a pot of hot oil.  It will feel less heavy and still have that crunchy texture that makes fried foods so comforting.
• Keep the fats healthy.  No grease.  No trans fat.  No partially hydrogenated oils.  Use olive oil when you can, and if you need to use some real butter, use it sparingly.  The bad fats can lead to clogged arteries, which is not good for a healthy heart.
• Load up the mac.  I have a weakness for mac ‘n cheese and while it’s not the healthiest dish to enjoy, you can load it up with vegetables like spinach, broccoli, or even carrots to make it more nutritious for you.  You won’t feel as guilty when you go for seconds.

Just remember to eat in moderation.  Seconds can be a good way to show a chef that you love what you’re eating, but thirds?  Too much of a good thing can be enough!

Oatmeal: good for the heart and for the skin!

It’s the morning after that crazy heart-filled holiday, and if you spent it with your special someone, whether it’s someone else or yourself, continue on with a healthy heart diet by eating some good old oatmeal.  Oatmeal can help reduce cholesterol and since it is a whole grain, you can except to have a good dose of digestive-cleaning fiber as well.  But, check this: oatmeal is good for so much more!  Not only does it taste deliciously comforting morning ritual for your diet, it is a great element to add to your morning skincare routine.

M.I.S.S. Michelle’s clay mask uses oatmeal to help rejuvenate the skin, and now, First Aid Beauty uses oatmeal as a key ingredient in their Intense Therapy Ultra Repair Cream.  Just how eating oatmeal can help to repair the body internally, using oatmeal externally can have ultra effects on the skin.

I received a jar of the cream and from just reading the label, I could tell that this was the right stuff for me.  It claims to relieve minor irritation and itching from eczema, harsh weather, cosmetic treatments, and other conditions and although I don’t have eczema, I do have the dreaded keratosis pilaris, a hereditary skin condition that causes dry bumps on the upper arms.  My skin feels like it has goosebumps all the time!  Not so cute for the sleeveless looks that I love to rock.  I’ve tried so many products and I can say that from trying this one it does help.  It is  cool cream that goes on smoothly and doesn’t have a sticky residue.  After putting it on my upper arm, I noticed that it feels soft to the touch, and although it doesn’t have any exfoliating properties to it, if I were to use actual oatmeal to exfoliate prior to application, I’m sure my skin would have felt as soft as a baby’s!

I also have used this cream for more than just my affected areas.  I like to use it in place of my typical lotion for my legs and feet because I know that it has more beneficial properties than regular lotion.  Aside from oatmeal, the Ultra Repair Cream also contains Allantoin and eucalyptus oil to help heal and soothe skin, and even shea butter to moisturize and protect the skin’s barrier.  This product also contains the company’s Antioxidant Booster to combat free radicals, something that we need not only in our diet but also in our skincare.

What’s great about the company is that they believe in the healthy stuff.  It’s allergy-tested, fragrance free, and contains no harsh chemicals.  You want to eat healthy, so make sure you treat your skin healthy too!

A 6oz. jar of cream retails for $28 and can be purchased exclusively at the Sephora website.  Definitely worth checking out!

Being healthy is not only about what you eat, but also how you take care of your body.  Take care of yourself and you’ll be looking and feeling good for years to come!

*Sample jar of product was sent and used to write this review

MISS HEALTHY BITES: Feb 8, 2010

So the saying goes, “The way to a person’s heart is through the stomach,” and for this Valentine’s Day, hook up your special someone with some good food for the stomach and for the heart.  If you really care about someone, show them that you want a piece of their heart by feeding them more than just a piece of red velvet cake.  Sure, chocolates and candies are nice and sweet, but those are not always the best thing to eat.  Open your mind to other ways of showing love and hopefully your sweetie will open their heart to you.  And since it’s American Heart Month, it’s just as important to take care of the hearts of those you love.

Don’t think that heart-healthy foods have to be bland and boring, causing your love interest to run to the door- or worse- the bathroom.  Foods that are good for your heart can be hearty and tasty, all it takes is a little bit of that special ingredient: LOVE.  Skip the fancy dinner and instead, turn your kitchen into a hot spot for a hot date.  It’s great to have a night out for some wine and dine alone time, but that can also be done at home, on a nice budget, that will leave plenty of time for dessert- in bed.  You’ll share the experience of a home-cooked meal with your honey, and you’ll know exactly what goes in your food.  Hopefully, this special dinner won’t be only for special occasions, because it’s important to give some lovin’ through your oven as often as you can.

What are some good eats for your honey?  Try these tips to give your babe a healthy meal for a healthy heart.

• Watch the fat.  Fats are essential for a healthy diet, but some fats can clog arteries, so make sure that what you’re cooking won’t break any hearts.  Limit the amount of saturated fats and trans fats, ie. butter and margerine, from your meal, and instead, cook with olive oil or safflower oil.  Here’s a hint: if it says “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredients list, it’s a bad fat!
• Some fat is good.  Fats found in nuts and even avocados are great for your body.  Top a salad with almonds or crumble cashews over a stir fry to get some of that good fat in.  Although avocados are not in season right now, it could be a nice time to plan for a sexy summertime picnic rendezvous.
• Get low, get low.  Get low-fat, that is.  Every meal should consist of protein, so make sure to choose the low-fat version so you two will still have the energy to play around after dinner.  Great choices would be lean meats, chicken, and even fish.  Salmon, for instance, contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and can reduce the risk of heart attack and lower blood fat levels.  If you’re doing a vegetarian meal, go for beans and soy products can fill that protein need.
• Be fresh.  Let fresh fruits and vegetables be the shining star for your dinner.  Fruits and vegetables all contain fiber that help to clean out the system, thus helping to prevent cardiovascular disease.  On top of that, fruits and veggies of different colors can benefit the body in different ways.  For instance, foods that are naturally red naturally help the heart.  Whatever you do, don’t fatten up your foods by adding cream or butter, or frying them, and instead, find different seasonings or marinades that can really let the flavors out.
• Don’t salt the game.  Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, and if you’re really wanting to show your chef skills, skip oversalting everything you serve.  After all, the only salt that you should be tasting is off of a hot and sweaty body!  Try low-sodium versions of your store-bought condiments, and if possible, cook everything from scratch.  Many processed foods contain high sodium levels, so remember that fresh is best!
• Don’t complain about whole grains.  You give your love your whole heart, so why not give them whole grains?  Whole grains can help the heart, and they’ll fill you up faster so you won’t be as stuffed.  You can get whole grain varieties of pasta, breads, rice, and more.
• Too much is enough.  You don’t want to spend all day cooking up enough food to feed your whole family, because you might just end up eating it all!  And a stomachache at the end of the night could get in the way of any romantic plans you may have.  Cook just enough for you and your partner to be satisfied, so you can leave the rest of the night for more satisfaction.
• Work it out.  After a good, sexy meal, get your sexy on with some physical activity with your partner.  Maybe a little chair dancing?  Strip tease?  A good frolic in the bed will also burn some calories and get your cardio on.  Just make sure you’re giving enough lovin’ to get your heart pumpin’.

As for dishes…save them for the A.M.!  Hopefully your sweetheart will have a heart and do the dishes for you.

Miss Healthy Bites: Grape Fruit

When I think of grapefruit, I think of it as a fruit for a goddess.  Its citrus-y sour sophisticated flavor is not one that just anyone can handle, showing that only the special ones can bless themselves with the fruit. The size of a grapefruit, along with the super nutrient content, is the perfect offering to give to your shrine of a body.  And, since grapefruit is in season during the colder winter months, every goddess should flock to the shop to pick up one, or two, or three.  It’s not just anytime when a grapefruit tastes as great as it does now, so please treat yourself like the queen that you are and don’t deny yourself the greatness of grapefruit.  You wouldn’t want to miss out during National Grapefruit Month!

Grapefruits, like many citrus fruits, are a great source of Vitamin C, which is an excellent antioxidant to stock up on during the cold and flu season.  But what makes grapefruits stand out from any other citrus is the pretty pink color.  Pink and red hues in natural foods usually indicate that its high in yet another antioxidant, lycopene.  It’s always smart to stock up on antioxidants to help prevent certain cancers and other diseases.  And to top it all of, it has a flavor that just can’t compare to anything else.

But….if the thought of grapefruit already puts a sour taste in your mouth, try some of these tips to start feeling great with grapefruit:

• Chug it up.  Some of the healthiest people I know drink grapefruit juice everyday.  If you can’t handle the flavor, mix it up with another juice…just make sure it’s all 100% juice.
• You know the half.  A half of a grapefruit would  be a great breakfast treat.  For a sweet and sour flavor, drizzle some honey or sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top.  To make it extra special, use brown sugar and broil it for a few minutes.
• Be prepared.  Cut segments of grapefruit ahead of time and leave it in your fridge.  When you’re in need of some, add it to salad, to yogurt, or even cottage cheese.  But you might just find yourself grabbing a plain and simple bite each time you pass by.
• Go gourmet.  Grapefruit can bless so many dishes with its unique flavor.  From a seasonal salsa to citrus-glazed chicken and fish, grapefruits are a great way to go gourmet- on the healthy tip!

Can you get more grapefruit in your life during National Grapefruit Month?

Grati-text to happiness, then inspiration

Today I was frustrated with the ongoing situation known as officially getting internet installed in my apartment.  The 4^th technician I’ve had here this week called at 8:20 am to say he couldn’t find parking. After suggesting streets and listening to him school me on the local parking signs, I asked what I could do for him. “Well, if I can’t find parking, you’re going to have to reschedule the appointment.” “No, this is the 3^rd reschedule!” He said he would do what he could and call me back.

A few minutes later the technician was at my door after double-parking a block away. I gave him the lay of the cable land, its roots in a hole to the basement, and the mysterious locked door the cable disappears behind. Luck was with me as my superintendent answered his phone (he ignored my calls earlier in this situation) and sent someone to meet the technician in the basement. After a lot of blah blah blah, the technician returned to my apartment with, “I have some good news, and bad news.” Bad news: after unlocking the mysterious door, he couldn’t find my cable. Good news: he would string another cable. More bad news: this is going to take a while and he doesn’t have all the proper equipment. But he’d try.

“This must be very frustrating for you,” the internet technician mentioned. “Yeah.” I didn’t vent to him, but after scheduling and rescheduling, not having cooperation from my super, and no results from the previous 3 technicians, yes, it’s been a real pain in my rear.

The internet technician left to do what he can and I sat down to write my “grati-text” for the day. What’s that? From Aimee Raupp’s book Chill Out & Get Healthy, it is:

GRATI-TEXT. Find a friend to do “gratitude” work with. Each morning e-mail or text each other with one thing in your life you are grateful for.

The book expands on the idea in the context of creating happiness and managing stress (I highly recommend the book, by the way). Now my long time bff  and I e-mail each other 1 thing each day, or sometimes a list of things, we are grateful for. As you can imagine, it reminds us to count our blessings. Grati-texting forces me to stop and focus on at least one thing I am thankful for, even if it feels all else is stacked against me.

Read more on "grati-text" in Chill Out & Get Healthy

While typing, “I am grateful for,” my mind jumped to my lovely internet situation. I thought of writing something snippy (I am grateful for my internet technician’s nervous laughter at everything), but instead paused to think more. This technician, as annoying as he may be, was trying to help me out. He double-parked, made trips to the basement, to the van, back again, in 20 degree weather, and was never rude to or frustrated with me. Sure, he didn’t bring all of his equipment, but his assurance was he would “somehow work it out.” As I worded that in my grati-text, suddenly inspiration came. That’s when I sat down to write this.

The internet technician just came back and we’re waiting to test the signal. He reports, “It wasn’t rocket science, just took some time.” Come what may, doing my grati-text opened up inspiration, cleared out some frustration, and allowed me to be nicer to this technician. Even if this internet debacle continues, hey, at least I got this article out of it.