System: Hydration

I drink a lot of water. Mom has always been "afraid" of drinking too much water because it means having to go to the bathroom a lot. Luckily for me, my cube is pretty close to the bathroom. I can't imagine being on the other ends of this gigantic floor. I'd have to pack provisions and plan excursions to the restroom.

Water makes me feel good, reduces stress, and prevents me from eating too much. Hot jasmine green tea gives me antioxidants and a little kick in the morning and cold water during the day burns calories. Without it, I get headaches and feel crappy. During the whole BPA thing (toxic chemicals seep into your water!) I bought a big and little wide-mouth Bruntons (aluminum with glass lining). My boss laughs at me and orders huge cases of Poland Spring water but (1) I don't want to add a bunch of bottles to landfills, (2) spring water is sketchy, (3) filtered NY water is damn fine. I also painted a little work cup to remind me to "Be Nice" at the office (it also says "Good Job" and "Pay Day").

So every morning, I pump a little dishwashing detergent into the paper towel at the bottom of the tray (I had a squeeze bottle but that got all clogged up so pump is better). I get a tea bag and bring the whole thing to the pantry. I put a new paper towel at the bottom of the tray, use yesterday's paper towel with the dish detergent to wash the bottles, cup and any utensils I used the day before. Thank goodness they gave us a water filter. I make my tea, fill my water and off I go.

Note on coffee: I never developed a taste for it. It smells yummy but tastes really bitter to me. Plus, there's the complexity, calories and food allergy involved with dairy products and sweeteners.