Home & Family Newsletter August 2020

Expanded Master Suite

If you plan on staying in your house for the long haul, consider knocking down walls to make a master suite. Whether you want to add or enlarge a bathroom, increase your closet size or create a lounge area, the extra space you’ll gain can make your bedroom design dreams a reality.

Wellness Space

Turn your empty room into a home gym specific to your workout preferences. Add weights and cardio equipment or even turn your room into a yoga studio. If you prefer a quiet space for meditation, outfit your room with comfortable furniture, soothing colors, and plants to set the mood.

Craft Room

Organization is key for crafting and having all of your materials in one space can make getting started on a project easier. Include a dedicated workspace (whether that be a table, easel or pottery wheel), drawers or cabinets to store your supplies and a display area for your finished products.

Man Cave

If you (or your husband) are looking for a place to get away, converting an empty room into a man cave is a good option. Decorate your man cave with collectibles, invest in a top-of-the-line television or an old-school arcade game, and add a small fridge to make the man cave even more appealing.

Guest Room or Nursery

Give your child’s room a makeover so that it is appealing when they come back to stay as an adult. Upgrade to a queen size bed, add neutral linens and clear out space in the dresser and closets. If grandkids will be spending a lot of time at your house, consider converting your free room into a nursery or playroom. 

However, recent research tells us that this conventional wisdom does not hold true. The brain does perform certain functions that can be attributed to the left or right side; however, both sides of the brain work together and complement each other. For example, when talking with a friend, the left side of the brain will recognize the words, but the right side of the brain will process the tone and context of the conversation.

What does each side of the brain do exactly? The left and right sides of the brain are responsible for the following:

Left Side

• Language Skills: The left side of the brain is more involved with speech production and language comprehension.
• Math: Analytic thinking, specifically in regards to math and sequencing are usually driven by the left side of the brain.
• Planning and Logistics: By paying attention to details, the left side of the brain provides rational thoughts for planning and logistics.

Right Side

• Coordination: A person’s depth perception and directional awareness are processed in the right side of the brain. This helps with coordination of both big and little tasks.
• Pattern Recognition: The right side of the brain looks at the bigger picture, recognizing patterns and rhythms, for example, in creative endeavors like music and art.
• Nonverbal Communication: The right side of the brain picks up on body language to assess how people are feeling in various situations. The right side of the brain is also considered to play a role in a person’s intuition.

Remember, the theory that a person’s personality is based on whether they are left brain-dominant or right-brain dominant just is a myth. The brain is an amazing organ that utilizes both sides to make us who we are!

1. Begin early. As soon as you know you’ll be making a move to a smaller home, develop a plan of attack for downsizing and begin your clean-out.
2. Start small. As you begin, try organizing one drawer or closet, rather than an entire room. Work up to cleaning out spaces that hold special memories.
3. Track how often you use items. Place less frequently used items, like kitchen gadgets or cookbooks, in a box for one month. Donate or sell any items you have not reached for when the month is up.
4. Get rid of multiples. Whether it’s slotted spoons, pillowcases or rakes, get rid of multiples that take up space.
5. Consider options for selling. You can make money while downsizing! Hold a yard sale or use an online site, like Craigslist, ThreadUp or LetGo. 
6. Organize and purge your paperwork. Do a deep dive into old paperwork. Shred anything that is not important and file the rest. To save more space, scan paperwork to create electronic files. 
7. Keep items that make your house a home. Hold on to the things that make you smile, like a favorite blanket or a one-of-a-kind painting. Let go of other items, like gifts you received, but never really loved.
8. Save only a few items of a favorite collection. Try to pare down your collection to a handful of your favorites and find a new home for the rest with someone who will appreciate them.
9. Stop spending. The goal of downsizing is to get rid of household items, not buy more! For every new purchase, let go of one old item. 
10. Know the specifics of where you are moving. Take precise measurements of your new home to help determine whether your current furniture will fit in your new space.

Ingredients:

• 3 clove garlic
• 1/2 c. packed cilantro stems and leaves
• salt
• Pepper
• 1 tbsp. lower-sodium soy sauce
• 4 boneless pork chops
• c. fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 6 peaches
• 1 bunch green onions

Directions

In food processor, combine garlic, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; pulse until very finely chopped. Add soy sauce and pulse to incorporate. Transfer to large resealable plastic bag and add pork chops. Rub garlic mixture all over chops, seal bag tightly, and refrigerate until ready to grill, up to overnight.

In same processor (do not clean bowl), combine lime juice, sugar, red pepper, and 2 peaches, cut into quarters: puree until smooth. Can be refrigerated, covered, overnight.

Prepare grill for direct grilling on medium-high.

Cut remaining peaches into halves; grill 5 to 7 minutes or until grill marks appear, turning occasionally. Grill chops, covered, 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked through (145 degrees F), turning over once. Grill green onions 3 minutes or until softened, turning occasionally. Serve with sauce.