All in Everything Else

Headlines From the Day I Was Born

Headlines From the Day I Was Born

Jody Yarborough
Everything Else

I love history. It was my favorite subject in school. It’s my favorite category on Jeopardy. I usually do pretty well when anything history-related is a Trivial Pursuit question.

I also love journalism. It was my major in college, and if it weren’t for the soul-crushing pace of a reporter’s life, I think I would have excelled in the profession. Even though I didn’t make journalism my career, does not mean I wasted my time in college. I learned how to ask questions, think critically, and never bury the lead. I believe good skills to have in general, really.

The beautiful nexus of where history and journalism converge is that reporting (when at its best and most objective) becomes a record of history. There is a quote I love by the late Philip Graham, former publisher of the Washington Post, who said, “Journalism is the first rough draft of history.”

My Journey of Writing in a 5-Year Journal

My Journey of Writing in a 5-Year Journal

Jody Yarborough
Everything Else

Fun fact about me: I’m not too fond of journaling. I wouldn’t think this is weird if it weren’t for the fact that I like writing. What writer doesn’t like journaling? I feel like I’m breaking some cardinal writng rule or living some fake writer’s life.

It’s not for lack of trying, either. I have attempted to journal in the past. I’ve invested money in pretty notebooks, cute journals, and plain diaries. I’ve attempted to do Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages and various other guided journals. But I’ve never stuck with any of them for a long period of time. I think in part, it is because I am so much in my head. I think and analyze my thoughts and feelings so many times internally, that I don’t feel the need to regurgitate them on paper. But I know that process is crucial for some people and that it can provide some excellent insights, especially for creative folks.

It's About Mindset, Not Positive Thinking

It's About Mindset, Not Positive Thinking

Jody Yarborough
Everything Else

So I wrote a few weeks ago about joining a Success Team. One of the things that Barbara Sher, founder of the Success Team model, would say when leading her groups was: "You aren't going to "positive attitude" your way through anything." O-Particularly a big goal or project, because they span too much time to expect that you will feel the same way for that long, positive or not. It is just not how human behavior works.

How liberating this is to hear! That I don't have to "be positive" as a precondition to achieving my goals, no matter what they are. Like right now, I am not particularly having the best day. I woke up with my eye being unhappy with me, the house is a mess, and I don't particularly feel like writing right now. But I committed myself to finish this blog post today. I think all too often, people get hung up on the idea that they have to have a certain mood, especially a good mood, to do the damn thing. When really, you just simply have to do the damn thing!

This is just one example of reframing-- confronting a problem or a challenge from a different perspective. There can be a.lot of power in strategically reframing how you think about something. Sometimes we humans are our own worst enemy. We over-analyze, second-guess, struggle with imposter syndrome, and self-esteem issues. These are just a few roadblocks that we put on our paths of progress.

How My Instant Pot Saves Me Time

How My Instant Pot Saves Me Time

Jody Yarborough
Everything Else

I’ve written in another post my love-affair with my Instant Pot. But I wanted to write about it here on my Simply Sort blog to explain how (in addition to making really good food) the Instant Pot is a time-saving solution for any busy schedule.

With it’s pressure-cooking magic, foods that once took hours to make, now take minutes. Some of my favorite dishes I would rarely have the time to make conventionally have been risotto, BBQ ribs and pork roast. Of course if I prioritized the the time I could put a roast in the oven at 2 p.m. Or if I wanted refried beans for dinner I could take the extra step to soak them the night before. But that is one extra thing on my to-do list. When my to-do list is already full with things like doing laundry, going to meetings, writing blog posts and walking Alton.

When I want to make dinner, I just want to make it all at once. And for the first time, for more complex or time-consuming meals, the Instant-Pot has allowed me to do that.

And it’s not just about being busy. Because of my disability,

Cleaning Solutions That Really Work

Cleaning Solutions That Really Work

Jody Yarborough
Everything Else

Can I make a confession? As much as I love having things clean, I don’t love the task of cleaning. My motivation is the end result. That is why I look for methods that are quick, easy and most of all: effective.

Over the years I have tried and tested the following cleaning methods and found they have worked with surprising success.

Boiling hot water for sugar: There is nothing worse than burnt sugar on pots and pans. I made the mistake once of not using protective aluminum foil when cooking something, and I paid the price. Luckily, the internet came to my rescue and provided this tip that really does work. Check out the video I made to demonstrate. Never under estimate the power of really hot water. Just use caution not to burn yourself.

WD-40 for soap scum: I don’t remember where I read this tip, but unbelievably, it does work. Our master bath shower has a challenge with really bad soap scum. Probably because we use a bar soap that doesn’t have a lot of sulfur or other chemicals. It’s really just soap. What a concept!

My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets and Tools

My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets and Tools

Jody Yarborough
Everything Else

I love it when I have time in the kitchen to cook a nice meal for Drew and I, or when I can bake something to share with others. Ever since we remodeled our home and built a truly accessible kitchen, preparing food in that space has become a joy.

But what makes it just as fun is being able to use some of my favorite kitchen gadgets and tools while cooking and baking. They made the process more fun, less stressful, and because I have them placed in strategic places throughout the kitchen, always easy to find.

These are my top five must-have kitchen gadgets and tools. Some are more obvious than others, but either way, I recommend them all.

1) IKEA Cheese Box Graters

I’ve had these box graters for years, and I just love them. I use the larger tooth grater way more than the finer tooth. But having either as a lid, makes for quick cheese prep with practically no mess. I put the lids in the dishwasher and hand wash the container. They have held up grate, over the years!

Office Supplies Every Desk Needs

Office Supplies Every Desk Needs

Jody Yarborough
Everything Else

I know it might sound odd, but there are times throughout my hectic schedule that working in my home office is really going to my “happy place.” I think it is because it is a space that offers limited distractions and maximum efficiency. Plus, I have made small decorative touches that are personal, motivational and aesthetic. Despite being somewhat of a cramped space, it has a good vibe.

One of the ways that I help keep it an efficient and productive space, is the handy reach and purposeful storage of some of my favorite office supplies. In a wide spectrum of functional to sentimental, pricey to pretty cheap, here are my must-haves in no particular order:

Tips and Strategies for Meal Planning for Two People

Tips and Strategies for Meal Planning for Two People

Jody Yarborough
Everything Else

I’m not going to lie, meal planning for just two people is a struggle. It is something that has taken me years to get better at, and still, there are many meals where we are eating leftovers for days. The one thing that has helped most is my utilization of the freezer. But more on that in a minute.

On the one hand it might seem like meal planning for two would be a breeze: fewer preferences, food allergies, or picky eaters; less to buy, a quicker prep, etc. While there might be aspects of these factors that make meal planning for just two people easier, there are an equal number of challenges.

First off, there is the fact that most recipes aren’t written for just two people, but rather, four to six. Additionally, while there is some control over how many servings to make in one meal, the prep process is for the most part unchanged. Whether two chicken breasts are getting baked, or four, there is still the same amount of dirty dishes.

There is one additional challenge that is a specific to Andrew and I. In addition to just being the two of us, we also have small appetites. We are small statured people so it literally doesn’t take as much food to fill us up. But just because we can’t eat large quantities of food in one sitting, doesn’t mean we want to be deprived of good quality.

Ideas to Get Rid of Stuff Ecologically

Ideas to Get Rid of Stuff Ecologically

Jody Yarborough
Everything Else

The end of the holiday season is always a special time of year for me. Special because it taps into one of my guilty pleasures: throwing things away. From one organizing enthusiast to another, that might not sound so odd. After all, a key aspect of being neat, tidy, and uncluttered, is not having too much stuff.

But for me, it goes a bit deeper. I actually get a little bit of a happy rush when I see a full garbage can. And the week after Christmas provides a full neighborhood of streets lined with garbage cans and recycle bins overflowing with the remnants of holiday cheer. It is so expected that the garbage company even allots for additional waste the first pickup after Christmas.

As with all guilty pleasures, I'm not particularly proud of my Oscar the Grouch affinity for all things trash. But hey, that is what makes it a guilty pleasure. I know the importance and necessity for proper recycling and reducing and reusing as much as we can, to help the environment and the future of our planet.

So even though I feel a glee for a full garbage can, I know the importance

Hammer Time: Sometimes It's My Tool of Choice in a DIY Project

Hammer Time: Sometimes It's My Tool of Choice in a DIY Project

Jody Yarborough
Everything Else

Ever since I moved in with my husband into the house he owned when we met, there have been little projects around the house that need tending—some of a decorative nature, others of an essential functional nature. One of the more functional items that needed fixing was the broken lazy susan in the kitchen that didn't spin. What good function can a lazy susan provide if it is more lazy, than it is Susan? So there it would sit, open, exposing all of our dishes and making our kitchen look.... well, broken, and unfinished. Well, two years of tolerating the un-lazy Susan and I had enough. I carefully measured and Googled my way to finding just the suitable replacement, as well as thinking about how to get it installed. How hard could it be, right? I am a smart girl who knows her way around a power tool or two.