Fremont, California comes out as one of the highest cities in the USA for keeping New Year’s Resolutions according to research, while Detroit is among the lowest. 

It is an interesting correlation that Fremont has the lowest percentage of obese adults and Detroit has the highest.  We are not going to dissect those isolated pieces of research just now but merely cast the Figtree Products eye over the art of the yearly resolution.

From the Resolution to the Goal to the Plan
You can’t avoid it.  Everywhere the world is shouting at you to write your goals down. Without goals you won’t succeed. The most successful people are those who write their goals down, etc. etc.

​Well, the next part of the goal is the plan which is all fine and good. But unless that plan includes exactly what you are going to do and when you are going to do it step-by-step, it has little chance of happening and if you don’t stick to it, it is doomed to fall by the wayside. That is why it also needs to be realistic – within reason!

Psychological Self-Sabotage?
If we do it properly, the goals we make are the set of instructions we give ourselves, but nobody likes being told what to do even by ourselves!  

Is this the psychological self-sabotage that causes them to fall off even before January’s out! The hardest person to discipline is yourself and that could be the issue.

But don’t beat yourself up.  Let’s look at the top 3 goals that keep coming back and back for more like losing weight, exercising more and spending less.
 
Diets that start on 1 January are doomed to fail!
So you’re going to lose weight? And you are checking out the best diets of 2024 because you can’t decide whether to do the Keto Diet or the DASH Diet.

But to start a diet on l January is just plain silly. Why?

• You still have chocolate, cookies, and cake left over from Christmas plus a ton of other goodies that need finishing up because you most likely bought too much and it’s simply wasteful to throw it away.
• Unless you live near the equator, it’s cold out there. You appreciate and enjoy the comfort food when it’s dark, grey and miserable. And unless you are one of those hardy types – and there are plenty - who are out running come rain or shine, those cold, grey days are just not going to get you going.
• Nature itself is still in hibernation mode – and you are too.

Choose to start your diet at Lent and you will stand a better chance of succeeding. Plus you can get that grill going again after its spring clean!

You are going to do more Exercise
By nature humans tend to seek out the easy route: the quick fix; the get rich quick hype. Surely it is easy enough to find an hour a few times a week to go to the gym, or take a walk. The trouble is, it’s even easier not to!  
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Pleasure over Pain and Its Consequences
We are creatures of habit and will choose pleasure over pain at any cost. Whether it is unpaid debt, unattended appointments or simply failure to address small things, the result is inevitable. What starts off as a minor issue will gradually accumulate into a mountain of problems you never even knew you were creating.

66 Days
Some of latest research says it takes 66 days to form a new habit. What are your poor habits that are stopping you?

So remember, it’s a CHOICE. You can choose to continue the insanity route out of habit or write what you are going to do in your calendar NOW, not tomorrow! 
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And it’s individual to you.  Are you looking for the answer to your deficiencies on the internet like you chase your horoscope? Or will you put in the effort and create your own year?

Spend less money
More difficult than it looks or not?

With outgoings that always increase and income that seems to dwindle every year, it looks like we are fighting a losing battle or is it the pleasure over pain principle again?  A few things you can think about are:

• Cut back on magazine and video subscriptions you don’t need
• Cut the unhealthy extras out of your shopping lists
• Grow your own vegetables
• Don’t buy new cars
• Negotiate on prices everywhere where possible

Balance
Overall, practise balance. Extreme austerity is both undesirable, unsustainable and unenjoyable.

Remember that.

And if you need an app to help you keep those resolutions, here are a couple of suggestions.
http://bit.ly/2mtpIyU

So what are you waiting for? 

Oh and incidentally, if you are considering spring cleaning that grill, you can get our grill cleaning brush at HALF PRICE when you buy both the Grill Set and the brush together during January and up to Valentine’s Day/start of Lent.  They make a great gift together.

Happy 2024!

Miami, FL, September 13, 2017 --Figtree Products Ltd is excited to announce it is expanding its Figtree-Chef Brand to include two new products which have just arrived at Amazon.

Both products are made from neoprene, a versatile fabric that is used for wetsuits that has increasingly lent itself perfectly to a variety of uses that capitalise on its insulating and protective qualities, such as laptop cases, sportswear and bottle coolers.

The new Figtree-Chef Insulating Wine Tote comes in both single and double bottle sizes. It is made from 4mm thick neoprene that will keep chilled bottles cool for up to 4 hours; it also protects against bumps and accidental knocks when carrying it out and about in the car to parties, picnics and beach for example.
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Figtree Products CEO and owner said, “They are excellent for taking a bottle of wine or champagne to your host or hostess and they will turn your Chardonnay or Chateau Latour into the gift that will be remembered.”

In addition, Figtree Products are bringing to the market a neoprene lunch bag which is made to the same 4mm thick specifications as the wine totes.

Neoprene lunch bags have been a favorite among people who lead a busy, active lifestyle and they continue to be a popular choice for families because of their lightness, unbreakable construction and insulating properties. They hold just the right amount of food for the smart, health-conscious American and are perfect for children’s school lunches.

The new products come in two colors, one in the easily recognizable Figtree Products stripes with black interior, and an alternative with the design reversed - black exterior with the stripes on the inside.

The CEO and owner said, “We wanted to create products that were similar in appearance across the Figtree-Chef brand so we manufactured them in the Oxford stripe design found on our Barbecue Tools Set. whilst offering the more conservative option with matching interior that still complements the brand. This will offer customers the chance to buy a matching set of items that will make an impressive statement whether for a small get together or large-scale business function.”

To celebrate the arrival of its new products, Figtree Products is going to be offering a discount of 25% for a limited time. Updates about the arrival dates of the new items and how to access the discount code can be found on the Company's website www.figtreeproducts.com

S​ometimes when the weather is cold, you’d rather just order a pizza and sit in front of YouTube or the TV but now the weather has warmed up, your thoughts may be turning to those juicy steaks you enjoyed last summer or you may be inspired to find some new barbecue recipes to try this year. But hey, did the grill get cleaned?
 
In an ideal world the grill is cleaned up perfectly after use and put away for the winter but somehow it often happens that you just don’t get around to it.
 
If it has been left out and has been exposed to the elements, what can you do to make your grill usable again?
 
Rusty grates?

There are no shortcuts in life but there are a couple of simple ways to remove the rust as easily as possible.
 
Here are some of the solutions you most likely have in your cupboard that you can use today.
 
Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda 
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• Brush away as much of the surface rust as possible with a wire brush
• Take a cup of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and add vinegar to make a paste. It will froth and bubble
• Put the grates into a bag (a garbage bag is ideal) and spread the mixture over them or pour it in so it covers the grates. Seal the bag.
• Leave it anywhere from an hour to overnight to do its work
• Rinse and replace in your BBQ

 
If your grates are non-removable, simply sprinkle them with bicarbonate of soda and heat up the grill until the soda begins to bubble. Let the grill cool and use a brush to remove the now loosened rust.
 
Lemon Juice and washing powder

• Mix lemon juice with detergent to form a thick paste
• Spread this over the grates so they are covered
• Put the grates in a bag as before and seal them in
• Leave overnight, then wipe or scour them
• Rinse and replace in your BBQ

 
Vinegar and salt

• Mix a cup of salt with 2 cups of vinegar
• Put the grates in a bag, pour the mixture in as above and seal it
• Wipe/scour the grates the next day
• Rinse and replace in your BBQ

 
If your grates are have really resistant burnt on debris and need something a bit more, make a paste out of salt and water and use a wire brush or steel wool pad to scrub the rust off.
 
Cola drinks (and this is why Cola is not the Figtree Products’ family drink of choice)

• It is quite well known that cola has the potential to dissolve rust. The reason for this is the ingredient phosphoric acid.
• If you Google ‘phosphoric acid’ you may find commercial rust-removing products. While these must undoubtedly contain a more concentrated formulation, we think a bottle of cola will work just fine..
• If you want to drink it too, that’s up to you. But for the time being just seal your grates in a bag with the cola overnight and see if it does what they say it does.  We haven’t actually tried this one because there’s not often cola around. If you want to know what effect phosphoric acid can have on the body and have time to Google it, have a look.

Tip
Coat your grates in vegetable oil before the next session. It will help prevent food sticking and help with rust resistance. Happy grilling!