An Ode to Creativity

So, it's a new year already and I'm inspired to make positive changes and to be more creative. 

The best way to do this is to surround yourself with positive, creative people. 

Fortunately, I work with some really clever guys.

For example, the other day, I spotted this at the office coffee pot:

How cool is that?!

You just turn the bottom cup to the time the coffee was made so you'll know how fresh it is.

I love being resourceful and using everyday objects for new purposes and I thought this was totally rad!! 

So, now, you should totally do this at your office and everyone will think you're awesome!

Here's something I had to do the other day:

Yes, that is a latex glove covering a styrofoam cup filled with gravy. 

We ran out of lids at work and I didn't want to throw this perfectly good sausage gravy away when I could have it for breakfast the next day. So...I looked around and found a box of latex gloves 

that fit the top of the cup perfectly.

It really provided an airtight seal and assured me breakfast for the next day!

It's not much to look at, but, hey, it served a purpose.

Sometimes it's hard to solve a problem because we try to do things the way we've always done. 

It's a lot more fun when we come up with a new, creative solution on our own.

(It's more rewarding, too!)
I never want to be so closed minded that I am not open to new ideas and possibilities.

(On that note, did you know that you've been eating chicken wings all wrong?)

Or what about all those "life hacks" you've seen on the internet? Do they really work?
Check out this video from mental_floss to find out:

So there you have it. My ode to creativity. 

I hope you're inspired to think outside the box this year and not let any obstacles stand in your way!

Until next time...

Life Hack

Ok, so I did something really crazy today, but it worked and I have to share it with you...It's my own personal Life Hack! If you don't know what a "Life Hack" is, check out this website. Basically, a "life hack"  is a new way to do something using things that you normally wouldn't have considered a.k.a: being resourceful! So, without further ado, here's my contribution...

Here's the background...So, I've mentioned before how I prefer to cook microwave food in the toaster oven, but there are a few inconveniences with that: 1- it takes longer, obviously, and 2- you usually need to wrap or cover the food in aluminum foil to protect it from the heat and to prevent burning. 

If you're ok with both these issues, then your patience and inconvenience will be greatly rewarded! 

So, it's lunch and I wanted the best Hot Pocket experience, sans the microwave, but I couldn't find a scrap of aluminum foil anywhere. What to do?!

After an extensive and thorough search through all the cabinets at work, my quest for even the tiniest scrap of aluminum foil was all for naught. But I refused to give up. My lunch hour was quickly dwindling away and something had to be done. That's when it happened. That A-Ha moment that changed my life forever, we'll maybe not forever, but at least for the next 30 minutes anyway.

I found an all metal cheese grater in the cabinet and thought, "there's nothing on it that could melt..."

I put the Hot Pocket in and set the dial to 350. Meaning, I bit the bullet and hoped for the best. 

Twenty minutes later, I grabbed a potholder and removed the pastry and what do you know? It was perfectly cooked! It was slightly crispy on the outside and it was hot on the inside! See?

What a successful moment! A total win-win! I didn't have to waste a piece of aluminum foil and I had a hot, fulfilling lunch!

So, the next time life hands you lemons, make your own "Life Hacking" lemonade. 

Whatever you do, never let anything stand between you and your Chicken Fiesta Lean Pocket!