Berry Berry Quite Contrary

5 Useful iOS Apps

2011-12-21T11:21:00.000-05:00

Devices that use iOS – iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad – are useful for many reasons. Haters can disagree all they like, but Apple has the corner on function and usefulness – with a whole lot of style thrown into the mix. The fabulous user-interface, effortless multi-touch technology, and thousands of apps available for download are just three reasons to use an iOS device.

Here, in no particular order, are five generally-useful iOS apps.
Dropbox
Cost: Your first 2 GB of storage is free, subsequent storage space costs, starting at $9.99 a month. You can get extra storage space through referrals and by completing a few easy steps as set out by Dropbox.
Dropbox is a web-based storage options that uses the cloud to store files and folders. You can share those files and folders with people, or keep them to yourself. Because all data is stored in the cloud, you can access your photos and files from any device, be it your computer or iOS device. The only downside to this app is the lack of ability to sort your files by date.

Evernote
Cost: Basic is free, upgrade to a paid account is optional, which gives you more storage space and added features.
Evernote is a great app that allows you to write notes, store photos, save voice notes, copy snippets of text or even whole screenshots and save them in the cloud. Your info syncs automatically across all of your devices. Anyone who relies on notes for their day-to-day lives – students, writers, admin assistants, etcetera – this app is a must-have.

Skype
Cost: Basic Skype is free. If you want to make calls to landlines or cell phones, you need to buy a subscription or purchase credits.
Skype is a great app that lets you make calls over the internet to other computers (people who have Skype accounts), cell phones, and landlines. The messaging service also works great. You can also make video calls to other Skype users.

Kindle
Cost: Free (there are free books available, too – but most have a purchase price).
Kindle has more books available for purchase or download compared to iBooks. If you want to stick with Apple apps only, that’s fine. But if you’re a reader, and you want access to tons of books, download Kindle. It’s free. Bonuses include different font selections, different colorations (black background with white text, white background with black text, or dark text on a sepia background.) You can also adjust the brightness manually with a slider. If you like to read in bed, and don’t sleep alone, the white-text-on-a-black-background is a great feature.

Facebook
Cost: Free.
iPad owners rejoice! Facebook has finally come out with a version specifically designed for the iPad’s larger screen. The iPhone/iPod touch versions of FB are really quite cramped and not very user-friendly. The iPad version, on the other hand, is a joy: side-bars hold the nav bar (on the left side) and information bars (on the right side) take advantage of all the extra space. You can look at photos full-screen, and you can also zoom and navigate using multi-touch gestures. Facebook for iPad is a must for FB users.
Well, readers, that’s the first five on our favorites list. What are your favorite apps for iOS?

Why you should consider Sucanat

2011-03-28T10:22:00.001-04:00

Do you have a sweet tooth? Are you aware of all of the health issues associated with using refined sugar? How about the dangers of artificial sweeteners? When you spend a bit of time to look into those issues, you'll be amazed at the health risks you subject yourself to when you eat chemical sweeteners OR refined sugar on a regular basis. I'm going to talk about the unsafe options vs Sucanat, a healthy substitute for both.

Refined Sugar

White sugar, or any processed sugar (including brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, or icing sugar) is a highly-processed food item. Sugar canes (or sugar beets) are harvested and the syrup is evaporated, heated, and the molasses has been removed. In doing so, all of the minerals and vitamins of the plant are removed. Brown sugar has some of the molasses added back in, but even that molasses has been highly processed in that most of the nutrition is removed for other uses.

Because all of the nutrition is removed from sugar during this process, what is left is pure carbohydrates, which the body stores as fat. Even worse, the daily consumption of sugar puts the body in an inbalance, which causes many illnesses, vitamin deficiencies, and tooth decay. Excess sugar stored in the body can also lead to diabetes.

I'm not even going to go into high-fructose corn syrup and its dangers, because that's a whole article worth of badness.

Chemical Sweeteners

There are several different types of chemical sweeteners, but the most common are aspartame and sucralose (Splenda).

Aspartame

Aspartame, like MSG, is an excitotoxin. That means it excites parts of the brain and eventually cause cell death if it is eaten too much. Even though many studies show that aspartame causes cancer and infertility in rats, it was approved for human consumption and remains common in every day foods. Cancers associated with consumption are testes, thyroid, pancreas, breast, prostate, and brain.

What is most unfortunate is that aspartame is found in many food items consumed by children. As they age, their exposure to this harmful substance will accumulate and many could develop cancers or increase the liklihood that their offspring will be infertile.

In addition to cancers and infertility, aspartame also triggers sensitivities in millions of people. Dizziness, headache, nausea, seizures, and other brain function issues have all been reported after consuming aspartame.

Sucralose (Splenda)

The company that produces Splenda is very quick to say it's made from sugar, but so what? Sugar isn't even healthy for you. Even worse, sucralose is made by chlorinating the sugar. Yum. While likely not quite as dangerous as aspartame (originally made by Monsanto, by the way – BOO!), it still is not a “safe” alternative. Pre-approval studies showed sucralose was associated with shrunken thymus glands and enlarged kidneys and livers.

Sucanat

Sucanat (a trademarked name) is made by harvesting organic sugar cane plants. The syrup from those plants is removed and then dried. The resulting dried product, which is light brown/golden in colour and looks grainy, is packaged and sold as Sucanat. That's it. So what does that tell you? It's a whole food, contains all its original vitamins and minerals, and is actually GOOD for you. One teaspoon contains 15 calories, but it also has iron, calcium, B6, chromium, and potassium.

Because Sucanat contains less sucrose than refined sugar, it tastes less sweet, which can take some getting used to, but it has a natural flavour and no aftertaste. It tastes a lot like brown sugar, with a lovely molasses smell. A further pro is that Sucanat is made from organic cane sugar, and the company that makes it (Wholesome Sweeteners) is certified fair trade.

Each bag of Sucanat (it comes in a 16 oz or 32 oz size) includes a recipe for using the product. You can buy sucanat at most health food stores, or in the organic/health food section of your local grocery store.

Natural cane sugar products have been linked to positive dental health, as well. It is thought that several components of Sucanat inhibits dental caries (cavities) and can promote a healthy mouth.

So – are you convinced yet? Switch to Sucanat and eat a whole food rather than a highly-processed or chemical sweetener, and reap the benefits.

**I have no association with the company that produces Sucanat.**

Sources

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/salud/esp_salud23n.htm

http://loveforlife.com.au/content/08/03/11/my-aspartame-experiment-female-rat-developed-mammary-tumor-so-large-she-often-used-

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-sweeteners.html

http://www.vollrohrzucker.webs.com/eng/wirkung_karies.html

Article - Why Does My Blood Sugar Rise After Exercise?

2011-03-21T19:39:00.002-04:00

Introduction

Blood sugar level, also called blood glucose level or blood sugar concentration, is the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. Sugar, called glucose by the medical community, is the main fuel source for a body's cells. The hormone called insulin makes the glucose available for use by the cells. Too much glucose in the bloodstream is called hyperglycemia. One cause of hyperglycemia is Diabetes mellitus. A person with Diabetes does not produce enough insulin and therefore cannot control the amount of sugar in his or her bloodstream. Both long-term hyperglycemia as well as fluctuating blood sugar levels are dangerous and can cause severe side effects and shortened life span.

Exercise

In some people, especially those who have high blood sugar levels before exercise, their blood sugars will rise after exercise. Normally, exercise causes blood sugar to drop, but in cases where the glucose levels are already high, the stress caused by strenuous exercise causes the liver to release excess glucose into the bloodstream.

Testing

It is very important for diabetics to consistently monitor their blood sugar levels. To make sure exercise is safe, they should test before, during, and after exercise. This will help determine when the best time of day is for exercise on an individual basis, plus it will help prevent dangerous glucose level fluctuations. The best time to test is thirty minutes before exercise and then immediately before exercise begins to make sure no major change has occurred.

Sugar Levels

The Mayo Clinic says that when the blood sugar level is between 5.6 mmol/L and 13.9 mmol/L (100 mg/dL and 250 mg/dL), exercise is safe. If the sugar level is more than 16.7 mmol/L (300 mg/dL), then levels could rise after exercise and cause an unsafe blood glucose level. In this scenario, exercise should be avoided. To prevent dangerously low levels, test every thirty minutes during extended exercise situations. If levels drop to 3.9 mmol/L (70 mg/dL) or lower, stop exercising immediately and take measures to raise blood sugar levels.

Cautions

Never exercise right before bedtime, since exercise usually causes blood sugar levels to drop, and this could result in hypoglycemic levels occurring sleep. Consult your doctor to determine what type of exercise is best for your situation, and how to design an exercise program for you if you've been inactive recently.

Sources

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/diabetes/131-1.html

http://www.diabetes.org/news-research/research/access-diabetes-research/advanced-diabetes-may-hinder.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-and-exercise/DA00105

German Traditions of the Spider Christmas Tree Ornament

2010-12-22T18:21:00.000-05:00

By Rebecca MacLary

The history of the Christmas tree as we know it today is said to have started in Germany. There is conflicting information about its origins but most agree that the first decorated Christmas tree was erected some time in the 15th or 16th century century. Traditions have evolved since then and many different cultures have their own customs. One fascinating Christmas tree tradition is the German tradition of the spider ornament.

Many years ago, on Christmas Eve, the woman of the house tidied her home in preparation of the upcoming festivities. She swept the house spotless, and all of the spiders ran and hid in the attic. The family erected their Christmas tree and spent the evening decorating it. When the adornment was complete, the family went to bed while the woman stayed up to do more cleaning. She was the last to go to bed.

In the middle of the night, the spiders crept out from the attic and went back to the living room. Behold, there was a beautiful Christmas tree! The spiders leaped from branch to branch in joy, inspecting the tree and all its ornaments. The spiders´ activity covered the tree in a thick gray web, hiding all the ornaments.

Weihnachtsmann, or Father Christmas, arrived soon after, and saw what the spiders had done. He was pleased that the spiders had so enjoyed themselves, but knew the family would be heartbroken to come down to a tree covered in thick spider webs. Father Christmas touched the webs, and they magically turned into strands of silver and gold.

When the family came downstairs in the morning, they gasped with surprise. The woman of the house knew that the new decorations were a Christmas miracle. They so enjoyed the look of the tree, they adopted the tradition of adorning Christmas trees with tinsel. Some families even began the custom of placing a small spider ornament hidden somewhere among the branches.

Many cultures follow the custom of decorating a Christmas tree for the Yuletide season. Many households, in Germany and elsewhere, also hang a spider ornament from the branches to represent that Christmas miracle from long ago. Decorate your tree with tinsel, and remember the story of its origin.

Win a Rosetta Stone course!

2010-12-13T12:48:00.003-05:00

Now is the perfect time to give your child the gift of possibilities for the holidays with Rosetta Stone Homeschool — and you can WIN a Level 1 Homeschool program, language of your choice (valued at $249)!

Right now Rosetta Stone is having a special Holiday promotion on our Homeschool Edition program and we’d like you to help spread the word! Everyone can save up to $150 on Rosetta Stone Homeschool by visiting our website at http://www.RosettaStone.com/hsw1110.

By helping us spread the word you can win a Rosetta Stone Homeschool Edition Level 1 program, language of your choice, valued at $249.

This is a computer based curriculum and Rosetta Stone will also include a headset with microphone, and a supplementary “Audio Companion” CD so you can practice lessons in the car, on the go, or where-ever!

Students participate in life-like conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone incorporates listening, reading, grammar, vocabulary and writing along with speaking and pronunciation lessons. For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program to allow parents to easily enroll up to ten students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, grade completed work (the program grades the work automatically as the students progress), and you can view and print reports for transcripts. Homeschooling a lot of kids at your house? This program is designed to enroll and track up to ten students (five users on two computers) and will work for nearly all ages — from beginning readers up to college students.

To win this program, copy these paragraphs and post them in (or as) your next blog post, and/OR post about this contest on your facebook page. Then go to the original page at

http://www.othersuchhappenings.com/2010/12/rosetta-stone-giveaway-yay.html

and leave a comment saying that you’ve posted about, or have linked to, the contest. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post, and good luck!

***

***Open to U.S. Residents ONLY.

Happy Labour Day!

2010-09-06T10:07:00.000-04:00

From Wikipedia:

Labour Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in Canada since the 1880s. The origins of Labour Day in Canada can be traced back to April 14, 1872 when a parade was staged in support of the Toronto Typographical Union's strike for a 58-hour work-week.[1] The Toronto Trades Assembly (TTA) called its 27 unions to demonstrate in support of the Typographical Union who had been on strike since March 25.[1] George Brown, Canadian politician and editor of the Toronto Globe hit back at his striking employees, pressing police to charge the Typographical Union with "conspiracy."[1] Although the laws criminalising union activity were outdated and had already been abolished in Great Britain, they were still on books in Canada and police arrested 24 leaders of the Typographical Union. Labour leaders decided to call another similar demonstration on September 3 to protest the arrests. Seven unions marched in Ottawa, prompting a promise by Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald to repeal the "barbarous" anti-union laws.[1] Parliament passed the Trade Union Act on June 14 the following year, and soon all unions were demanding a 54-hour work-week.

The Toronto Trades and Labour Council (successor to the TTA) held similar celebrations every spring. American Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was asked to speak at a labour festival in Toronto, Canada on July 22, 1882. Returning to the United States, McGuire and the Knights of Labor organised a similar parade based on the Canadian event on September 5, 1882 in New York City, USA. On July 23, 1894, Canadian Prime Minister John Thompson and his government made Labour Day, to be held in September, an official holiday. In the United States, the New York parade became an annual event that year, and in 1894 was adopted by American president Grover Cleveland to compete with International Workers' Day (May Day).

While Labour Day parades and picnics are organised by unions, many Canadians regard Labour Day as the Monday of the last long weekend of summer. Non-union celebrations include picnics, fireworks displays, water activities, and public art events. Since the new school year generally starts right after Labour Day, families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer.

An old custom prohibits the wearing of white after Labour Day. The explanations for this tradition range from the fact that white clothes are worse protection against cold weather in the winter to the fact that the rule was intended as a status symbol for new members of the middle class in the late 19th century and early 20th century.[1][2]

A Labour Day tradition in Atlantic Canada would be the Wharf Rat Rally, while the rest of Canada is watching Labour Day Classic, Canadian Football League event where rivals like Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts, and Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers play on Labour Day weekend. Before the demise of the Ottawa Renegades after the 2005 season, that team played the nearby Montreal Alouettes on Labour Day weekend. Since then, the Alouettes have played the remaining team in the league, the BC Lions.

Labour Day parade in Grand Falls-Windsor Newfoundland started in 1910 and still continues today, over 100 years later. The celebrations go on for three days with the parade on Labour Day Monday.

Vaccine Zombie

2010-08-31T09:39:00.000-04:00

New Kitty

2010-08-27T11:16:00.006-04:00

A lot has been going on in the last few months! A new career turn for me (writing is going very well, I have several regular online writing jobs) and a move coming up on October 1. We're moving back to London, since we were unable to find a suitable place in a good neighbourhood, within our price range, that would take the dog. And now we have a kitten, too.

I've spoken with several people who said that another dog or cat would make a big difference in Harley's separation anxiety. One guy I met at the dog park said his german shepherd would chew through doors when she was left alone! After they got her a cat, she calmed right down and now can be left alone without incident. Amazing.

So since we have a solid move-in date, we decided to get a kitten for Harley. Ok, for me too. I really miss Birdie, and I know she's in a great home... but now that we have a dog who won't EAT a cat, I really wanted another one. So I started searching Kijiji for a free kitten. A few days later, I found a listing for a litter that was born June 10. There were 5 kittens, and two of them were white with a grey mohawk and black noses. I emailed the lady and asked if the female white one was still available, and told her a bit about myself and my family. She responded and said she would love to give me the last girl kitty.

Yesterday I made arrangements to borrow a cat carrier. The same friend who lent me that also gave me a small litter box! Thanks Stephie! That cut down on a lot of cost, and let me spend a little more on quality kitten food (Blue Buffalo brand: no by-products, no wheat/soy/corn, no artificial flavours). I also got some Swheat Scoop litter.

Swheat Scoop is made from wheat and other grains. It is completely renewable, biodegradeable, flushable (supposedly), clumping, and chemical-free. I love the fact that it has no clay or other mined products. I've read a lot about clay litter, and how it can cause illness and death in cats and kittens. I got the small bag to try it out.

I met the lady and her daughter in the pet store parking lot. The lady was carrying the kitten in her arms. My first thought was, "man, she's fuzzy!" She has longer wispy hairs all over her body. She's not a long-haired cat, but she'd definitely not a short hair! Her eyes are a weird yellow-brown colour and the black mark on her nose is so cute...she is pure white, except for the streak of grey on her forehead.
She's still very small, being only 10 weeks. I haven't weighed her yet but she's definitely under three pounds. She's got a lot of attitude in that little body! She has already told Harley to back off a few times. He needs to learn to respect her space. She's not afraid to spit and use her claws!

In any case, I'll post back in a while with a review on the litter. Hopefully it works well for her, because I really don't want to use clay litter. I'm actually toying with the idea of training her to use the toilet...

Earning Money Online

2010-08-14T12:48:00.002-04:00

I am sure there are millions of web pages and blogs dedicated to the topic of earning money online. From content articles to entire web pages, people devote a lot of time, money, and energy to this topic.
A person who is interested in making money online has thousands of options. From completing paid surveys to reading articles, to writing e-books, there is a job for someone. You just have to be willing to work cheap and fast, in some cases, to establish some credibility in your area or niche.
For those people with administrative skills, there are a lot of transcription jobs available. For coders, the opportunities are endless. The same goes for many different skill sets. You just need to know where to look for work.
I have found that the best place to find work is on job bidding sites. There are a few that offer a certain number of bids per month for users with a free account. They take a certain percentage of your profits. Other job bidding sites require you pay a base fee each month for membership, but they take less of your earnings. Lastly, there are a couple bidding sites that are completely free to bid an unlimited amount of jobs each month, but they take up to 15% of your profits. It's up to you to decide which bidding site(s) you'd rather deal with.
Some common sites are Elance, vWorker, Guru, and PeoplePerHour.
Elance - has a basic (free) membership that gives you 10 bids a month. Elance takes up to 8.75% of each job pay. Also has 2 additional member levels that you must pay for but those allow you more bids each month and Elance takes a smaller percentage of your profits.
vWorker - free, with unlimited bids per month. vWorker takes 15% of your profits, with a minimum $3 charge on each job you win.
Guru - has a free membership level, but the jobs offered to people with free membership, I have found, are few and far between. So not really worth your time, in my opinion.
PeoplePerHour - based in the UK but people from all over the world post looking for workers (and jobs). Free membership, and PPH takes a cut. (unsure how much, 10% maybe?)

New Blog Created!

2010-06-25T00:58:00.000-04:00

Well I got the new blog up and running. I've located it at http://get-fit-with-berry.blogspot.com and I've given it a temporary name of "Health and Fitness with Berry." I may or may not keep the name, it all depends on if someone makes a recommendation that I like better. See previous post HERE regarding contest for new blog name!

You won't likely see any more general health and fitness postings here. What I plan on doing is making this my personal blog (as it was intended all along), and branching off with other blogs, each focusing on a different topic. Eventually I will have one for Real Food and assorted recipes, and maybe one for crafts. Or maybe this will become the craft blog and I'll start a new personal one that isn't linked to all over the place. Who knows.

In any case, changes are underway. Please don't let that bother you! Stick around, and see what happens!

Contest!

2010-06-24T11:18:00.001-04:00

I will be starting a new blog separate from this one, based on Health and Fitness. My interests are so varied, I need to have a specialized outlet for each one so people coming here for one thing aren't forced to read about another. Of course, everyone who reads this blog is welcome to sign up to follow me on the new blog! I'd love to take you all along with me!

Anyhoo, onto the contest. Creative writing isn't my strong suit, except for the occasional haiku when inspiration strikes. I'm having a hard time coming up with a suitable name for the health and fitness blog. It needs to be fairly short (3 words or less), catchy, and relevant. Here's where you come in.

Submit your suggestions in the comments section (or email me privately if you'd prefer) and, should I choose your name suggestion, you win a prize! I haven't decided upon what the prize will be. But it will be good.

Contest is open to residents of the world. So have at it - contest closes Friday night at 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time. Good luck.

***Edited to add: Since I've had several people asking me to clarify what specifically will be discussed on the new blog, here's a list of things that will be included (and no longer discussed on THIS blog):
~fitness, fitness challenges, workouts, etc
~any alternative health issues
~discussions about chiropractic, massage, etc
~posts concerning Real Food, recipes, and how foods affect your health
~any reviews relating to any of the above topics (books, magazines, workout videos, reviews of specific practitioners, etc)
~I will be taking applications from advertisers within those fields, so if you or anyone one you know is a practitioner (registered massage therapist, aromatherapist, chiropractor, reiki, etc), talk to me.

How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off

2010-06-24T00:21:00.000-04:00

I wrote a super long article today (1600 ish words) and turned it into a HubPage called How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off. I thought about selling it on Constant-Content, but I used first person POV and it would have been a pain to edit all that out. I find I am much more comfortable writing weight loss articles when I can talk a bit about my experience and knowledge base in the first person. C-C doesn't accept first person POV so that would have taken a lot of work.

In any case, I have compiled and expanded upon all my weight loss and fitness knowledge. I don't go into a lot of detail regarding Real Foods, but that will come and get attached to this hub.

Here's the link, read it, enjoy it, use it. And if you like it, click the buttons at the bottom that are most applicable, like "useful" or whatever. And leave a comment - I love comments!

Hub Pages I've Written

2010-06-22T12:46:00.001-04:00

As indicated in a previous post, I've created two Hub pages. The first was based on the article, "When to Have Children and How Many to Have" and you can go HERE to check out the hub. I plan on adding a poll to see how many children readers think is a good amount.

The second one I created is called "How to Make a Composter" and you can see it HERE.

I really enjoy creating hub pages. I'm working on one now - it will be titled, "Ten Halloween Costume Ideas for Kids." I'll come back and add the link as an edit when I'm done.

Edited to add: HERE is the Hub page for the Halloween costume ideas.

Enjoy your reading! If you like what you read, please consider leaving a comment or question, and click the button if you found my articles "useful."

2 Haikus

2010-06-22T11:58:00.000-04:00

Here are some haiku poems I've had published with Helium.

~~~ BUYER BEWARE~~~

"Caveat Emptor"

Buyer beware. Read the fine

Print or get burned.

RAGE

Anger so blinding

It makes my vision go black

And spotted with red.

A Brief Review of HubPages

2010-06-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

HubPages is one of those resources for freelance writers who want to use their writing abilities to make some money via passive income - aka ad revenue. It's an extremely friendly site, especially for people who might be technically limited. Basically the premise is this: you write an article. You create a Hub page, wherein you design (using super easy user-friendly click-to-select or drag-and-drop style design) and make a mini web page featuring your article. If you have affiliate advertising membership with Amazon, eBay, and Adsense, so much the better.

You have the option to insert different "capsules" into your hub. From easy-create polls, to quizzes, there are tons of fun add-ins you can choose. Once you have people interested in your article, they can rate it up or down, or describe it as "useful," "funny," "awesome," or "beautiful." Depending on the ratings your hub receives, and how much traffic it pulls in, your hub is rated on a score of 1-100, with 100 being the top rating.

I've made 2 hubs so far, and honestly, it's kind of fun. It's a nice change from writing for Constant-Content. I've made it my goal to make at least one hub a day. Let's see if I can keep up with that goal.

Here's a link to one of the hubs I made, so you can see what it looks like. Keep in mind that the hubs are totally customizable according to the "hubber's" preferences.

Freelance Writing Takes a Lot of Work

2010-06-22T01:34:00.002-04:00

Wow. I've just totalled up all the writing I've done in the last 9 days. Since June 12th, I've:

~submitted 18 articles to Constant-Content;
~had 4 articles published on Triond;
~had 8 haikus published on Triond;
~submitted 4 haikus to Helium ( a mistake, I think);
~submitted 7 articles to a private client thru Elance;
~submitted 1 blog post and 1 article to a private client thru Elance, and
~created 2 hubpages.

Keep in mind that, except for the four articles for Triond, all of the articles and poems were written in the last 9 days. Although I'd love some day to work part-time hours for full-time pay, I think that the more work I put into this endeavor now, the more I'll get out of it (and sooner). I'm not one for lollygagging around once I put my mind to it-I jump in with both feet.

I am grateful that I have my laptop. With the arrival of warm, sunny weather, D and I have been going outside into the backyard more often than not. I take my work along with me. The only downside to my laptop is that the battery is really crappy and only lasts about an hour. I aim to improve that with a new battery purchased off ebay with my FIRST ELANCE EARNINGS!!!! I've ordered the 9-cell battery, now I just have to wait for it to get here.

I've been staying up late (usually until 2 am) writing and researching. These last few days, I've been reading about how to make passive income online. Interesting stuff, but it takes a lot of work and can be confusing. I'm still trying to wade my way through it all.

Needless to say, I won't be posting quite as often as I'd like, but I'll try to check in regularly so you all know what's going on.

Edited to add: In case you'd like to read/buy any of my work, here are some links to my profiles for each of the sites (click the names of the sites):

Constant-Content where high-quality articles are purchased

HubPages where I create mini-webpages (hubs) on different topics centred around articles, recipes, and more

Elance where I bid on freelance writing jobs

Triond is a site where I submit articles and haikus for ad revenue, not sale.

I won't mention Helium, because I don't plan on submitting any more work to them.

A Haiku for My Husband on Father's Day

2010-06-20T10:40:00.002-04:00

ROBOT LOVE

Robots are coming,

Created to rule the world:

Are you friend or foe?

New Business Cards!

2010-06-19T23:57:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited!

I wrestled with the idea of getting a new set of business cards printed. I mean, my biggest issue was, "Why do I need biz cards? Aren't they pretty irrelevant for a freelance writer? To whom would I give business cards?"

Well. Self-promotion is a freelance writer's number one responsibility. So business cards ARE useful. I plan on writing a post on the usefulness of business cards and where you can post/hand out/leave them in order to grow your business.

This is the design for my new business cards. I ordered them today from VistaPrint. It's not the first time I've ordered from there-all of my business stationary and advertising needs are handled by VistaPrint.

I got an email today from VP, offering 250 Premium business cards FREE. It was a limited offer. I spent about 4 hours last night scrolling through all the designs they offer, but I wasn't convinced to plunk down the money for cards, as I still hadn't convinced myself that I really NEEDED them. So the email was pretty fortuitous.

If you order a free product, all you pay for is shipping and taxes. This order for 250 cards came to a total of under $10. I picked the "slow shipping", which is just regular mail. Every other order I've placed, I've used the same kind of shipping and received my order within a week. Officially, it can take up to 21 days, I think. But I've never had to wait that long.

I'm excited and impatient. I can't wait to open my mailbox and see the little white box sitting inside....opening the package is always thrilling, when you get to see your order for the first time in real life, in real colours. I've been extremely satisfied with my other 2 business card designs and printing quality. VistaPrint rocks!

If you're interested in checking out VistaPrint, click HERE and you will be offered 25% off your order.** After that, you will receive regular emails offering lots of cool stuff and tons of free items.

* you can get regular (not premium) business cards for free ALL the time (you pay shipping) as long as you choose the option where they put a bit of advertising on the back of the card. It's one line, and makes your cards FREE. Try them out.

**this is a referral program and I will receive 3 VistaPrint bucks for each person I refer who places an order.

Articles Published on Triond

2010-06-19T23:47:00.000-04:00

In case you'd like to see how my Triond articles look on the page, here are some links: (Please consider clicking, "I Like It" at the bottom of each article!)

Rules for a Lifestyle of Healthy Eating

Why Disposable Cleaning Products are Bad

Just Say No to Commercialism This Holiday Season

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot!

I'm trying to increase the number of visitors to my blog, too-so if you would, please pass on my blog addy to all of your friends-facebook or otherwise. Obviously, if they're into crafts this would be a great blog for them. But any aspiring writers could learn something here, too. I plan on reviewing all the freelance sites I've been using, in a couple weeks. Stay tuned.

Constant-Content

2010-06-19T10:30:00.003-04:00

It has been a few days and I'm quite impressed with Constant-Content. Despite reviews to the contrary, it is NOT impossible to get articles accepted. Perhaps the reviewers who had such poor experience with the editor of CC should take some basic English courses and improve their writing skills.

I have written eleven articles so far for Constant-Content. So far, eight of them have been reviewed and accepted. Three are awaiting review. I've written on topics ranging from housecleaning to environmental stewardship issues to articles for a Christian publication. One of the Christian articles sold.

Right now I'm working on series on Wicca. I've completed three so far and plan to start on another today.

If you're interested in learning more about becoming an author with Constant-Content, click HERE and you will be taken to CC directly. This is an affiliate link provided to me for suggesting authors. If you become an author with CC, I will receive 5% of the sale price. The 5% is taken out of CC's cut, not yours! When you sign up, you will receive your own affiliate link to provide to your friends so that you too can benefit.

Writing

2010-06-18T22:05:00.002-04:00

Sorry that my appearances here have been sporadic. I've started writing articles, and am pretty busy. I recently finished an Elance job where I wrote 10 articles on the topic of psychics. I'm a veritable expert on psychics, now!

I've place a few different bids, but I'm currently working on developing long-term business relationships with a couple people. It will work out well if I have a couple monthly jobs and write for Constant Content, too. Should pay the bills. In any case, check out the articles I've written by clicking on the links over there------->

Freelance Writing

2010-06-13T16:32:00.002-04:00

It has recently come to my attention that rather than posting on my blog, I can write pretty much the same thing that interests me in article format and sell it online. So I've decided to do that and see if there is any income opportunity.

If you look to the right column, you'll see a few different widgets which have links to recent articles published my me. If you could do me the honour of clicking thru and reading the articles, that would be awesome. If you like what you read, click "I Like It" or share the article on Facebook, or link to it on your own blogs. Exposure for my writing would be very helpful.

Any articles I publish through Triond make an income generated by advertising revenue which is posted on the same page as the article. Any income garnered from there is on a passive, ongoing basis, as long as Triond and their sites are online. I also have become a writer for Constant Content, which is a site where you sell your articles and therefore receive a one-time income from each buyer. You can sell usage rights, unique usage rights, and full-usage rights. Usage rights basically means that the person can use your article but cannot change it and must give you credit. You can sell this type of article to as many people as you like. Unique usage means you can sell your article only once-but the person may not change it and must credit you as the author. Full-usage rights mean the person who buys your article owns it, may make any changes he wishes, and may claim it as his work. You may only sell your article once as full-usage, obviously, because as soon as you sell it you no longer own it.

Constant Content has the reputation of being very tough on their authors. Each article submitted for sale is proofread by an editor. If there is ONE spelling error, typo, awkward sentence, or grammatical error, he rejects the article. If you get three rejections, you're no longer allowed to submit articles. Ever. So you need to make sure the article you are submitting is PERFECT. This is good, because it keeps the quality high and the price you place on your articles (if realistic) is more likely to be met. Instead of receiving $3 for a 550 word article, you're more likely to receive $10 or more, depending on the rights you are selling.

I'm exploring my options right now. I've applied to be a writer for Factoidz.com and am awaiting their response. I have applied for another job for a website that does an audible dictionary. I also have bid on (and won) a couple jobs thru Elance. So I am currently working.

Freelance Writer. That's my new job. Fun, huh?

Fitness Challenge

2010-06-06T18:36:00.004-04:00

Remember WAAAY back, in June last year? I and 2 friends entered into a fitness challenge. Each participant was to contribute a $10 gift card to the winner. Well, I won. And today I got my gift card from one of the participants!!! haha better late than never!

We went to church and then stopped in a Chapters in Cambridge as I was feeling the need for an iced cafe mocha from Starbucks and she reminded me she owed me the gift card! So she got me a pretty red one from Starbucks. The interesting thing is that if you register the card online, you get a bunch of free perks! (haha no pun intended). Like free refills in-store, free flavour shots in your regular coffee, free cream in certain drinks, etc! Bonus!

Now...here's hoping the 2nd friend reads this post..... :)

Oh, and by the way: that little 12 day illness I had? Yeah. I'm down to below my target weight now. I weighed in at 135 this morning. Here's to hoping it stays off. I'm going to start running this week in an effort to go down even more. So my new goal is 133, with muscles.

Dig Dig Dig

2010-06-05T10:52:00.002-04:00

It's gardening time!

The last few days have been busy. I've ripped out about 10 square feet of evil hosta plants (terrible spreading things) that were choking the composter. Now on either side of the composter, I've planted a couple plants each of a sweet melon and squash. Fingers crossed the dog doesn't trample them!

Up the east fenceline, I planted canteloupe seedlings, watermelon seedlings, and 3 pumpkin seeds, hoping that at least ONE pumpkin grows. It would be nice to have a few for pies (which I totally don't eat, but it would be neat to make one from scratch, right?) and our own Jack O'Lanterns.

Up against the house there is a wild strawberry patch. We picked the first two ripe ones today and gobbled them up. Delicious! You should have seen Delilah's face when she tried it! Priceless.

In the same bed as the strawberries, I planted some "world's hottest" habanero pepper plants, and will plant a couple lettuce plants in front of those, so we can have fresh salad while we wait for the lettuce seeds to grow. I plan on planting lettuce seeds every 2 weeks or so, so we'll have lettuce all summer and fall. IF it doesn't get too hot, that is. I might have to make a shade cover for the lettuce.

Speaking of lettuce, I bought a 24" long window box planter at Walmart last night and filled it with a magic soil/compost blend and Delilah and I planted 3 rows of loose leaf lettuce into it. We planted Grand Rapids lettuce, Heirloom Red Lettuce (oak leaf), and Mesclun salad mix lettuces into the planter. We'll also be planting rows of mixed lettuce seeds in and among other plants. I MIGHT make a permanent lettuce bed up underneath the maple tree for shade, but we'll see how that goes.

I need to borrow a rototiller. I plan on planting a LOT of tomato plants this year, enough to can a bunch of stewed tomatoes, plus make salsa and tomato sauce. That means one bed dedicated to tomatoes. I have the room to do a 4' x 10' garden, which translates into 40 plants, if my math is correct. Or 20, if I give them 2 feet of space each. That is plenty. I want to plant romas (they're good for stewing), a few beefsteak, and some other variety that are good for sauces. And one or two cherry or grape for salads. mmmm tomatoes.

Around

2010-06-02T16:02:00.000-04:00

I'm still around, I just don't have much to say lately.

Please Help Do Your Part-Oil Spill-Updated

2010-05-16T09:33:00.004-04:00

You may or may not have noticed-or if you're reading my blog in a reader-that I now have a "Donate" button on the right sidebar at the top. Please consider donating a dollar or more. It's thru Paypal, so it's easy for you.

Please.

Edited to add: once you've donated, please leave a comment with your total donation amount (anonymous, if you prefer). I will keep track on the blog-maybe I'll install one of those fun doodads.

Please Help Do Your Part-Oil Spill

2010-05-14T15:42:00.001-04:00

I'm posting this on my Facebook, and other blog as well-as well as emailing everyone on my contact list. It is THAT important.

You may not have heard, but there is a MASSIVE oil leak going on just off the Gulf coast right now. British Petroleum drilled far too deep, and basically hit a load of oil that is simply SPEWING thousands of barrels of oil into the ocean DAILY. They are unsuccessful thus far in containing it.

This is catastrophic. Not only to local wildlife, but to entire ecosystems, the environment, economy, and ultimately-humanity. This is POTENTIALLY the end of humanity, if they don't stop it soon and clean it up. Yes, it's that bad.

Having said that, I've been paralyzed with overwhelming dismay and dread regarding this environmental disaster as it unfolded. I felt, since it's so far away, there's not much I can do. Well, I was wrong. Matter of Trust is a non-profit organization that collects natural fibre (hair, fur, alpaca/sheep/etc wool, old nylons, dog fur) and makes mats and booms that they use to soak up the oil. Not only are they doing this for the BP spill ongoing right now, but they do it for all sorts of oil spills that happen every year.

Basically, all you have to do is collect a bag of hair, put that in a box, and ship it to a pre-arranged location (you have to sign up to get the address). Clean hair, of course-people have to handle it! They then turn it into the booms.

So. Here's what I'm doing. I'm going to start collecting hair. I'll start off with 2 boxes-one of human hair and one of dog fur. I am trying to gather cash/Paypal/email money transfer donations to help pay for shipping. This is the LEAST of what we can do.

So please, be generous. This oil needs to get cleaned up. Millions of animals are dying. Give a dollar, two dollars, 20 dollars, 200 dollars. It will ALL be used for shipping. I even plan on scavenging boxes so 100% of the money given goes towards shipping.

In case you doubt the impact this spill has, go here and read about it. Then come back here and give generously. The future of the life of humanity depends on it.

I'll be setting up donation buttons on the blog in the next couple of days.

Thank you.

Rhubarb and Lavender Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

2010-05-13T12:04:00.004-04:00

So, in case people forget that this blog is also about my cooking adventures, here's a post about some of my forays into using my new ice cream machine.

I found a tub of vanilla yogurt in the chest freezer the other day. I've found that the texture of yogurt is not very desirable once it has been frozen and thawed-at least not for eating just as-is. So I decided today to put it to use and make some frozen yogurt.

I didn't really use a recipe, per se-I just threw together a couple different recipes I found/had in my stash. I had a recipe for a delicious rhubarb/lavender compote that I used as filling for some meringue-topped cupcakes I made for my friend's baby shower. It takes 1.5 c diced rhubarb, half a cup of sugar, and a teaspoon of lavender buds. Throw it all into a pot, and simmer gently on med or med-low until it's all broken down and shiny. Stir occasionally, and don't let it burn.

Once that was done, I put it into a med. sized bowl and put it into the freezer for 20 minutes then the fridge for an hour.

I probably wouldn't have used that much sugar but I actually thought that the yogurt I had was unsweetened plain-but it's actually sweetened vanilla. Oops. So this might be overly sweet. We'll see.

Once the hour was up, I poured the yogurt into the rhubarb mixture and mixed it all up. I set up and turned on my ice cream machine (I keep the bowl in the freezer when not in use, so it's always ready) and poured in the mixture. It didn't come close to filling the bowl, so I added about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of raw milk.

The yogurt/rhubarb mixture that was left in the mixing bowl after I scraped it into the machine tasted pretty darned good. That rhubarb/lavender marriage is so unexpected but SO delicious. The vanilla from the yogurt should blend nicely with it, too. I'll write about how it turns out.

Edited to add: we just tasted this straight out of the machine, and it is AMAZING! It's a soft-serve consistency at this point, so it could be a little harder for my liking, but it's so good. Just the right amount of rhubarb and lavender taste. Next time I think I'll pulverize the lavender in my mortar and pestle.

Giant Tiger has Astro yogurt on sale for 97 cents a tub. I am going to get some strawberry to make some strawberry rhubarb frozen yogurt. How I love rhubarb season! I better freeze some so I can use it all year!

Edited AGAIN to add: go check out my HubPage that I wrote on making ice cream and frozen yogurt.
If you think HubPages look fun to make, go HERE and sign up as a writer. It's FREE.

Background

2010-05-13T00:07:00.002-04:00

I LOVE this new background. What do you think? I found it at Designs by Dani.

New Look 6470 Pattern Review

2010-05-05T15:09:00.004-04:00

Pattern Description: Misses' Skirt and Knit Tops-I sewed "View B", a sleeveless top with cowl neck.

Pattern Sizing: 8-18, I sewed Size 16 (I'm an 8-10 in RTW)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Mostly, except the back neck droops-which may have been caused by me pulling it as I sewed.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Except for the part where you are supposed to attach the front flap to the shoulder-I wasn't too sure about that. But that's a problem of my inexperience, not the pattern.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

Likes: Only 2 pieces!

Dislikes: none

Fabric Used: Jersey knit, grey with red, black, grey and pink flower pattern

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: None

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes and Yes. I would make it longer next time.

Conclusion: Overall, a very simple pattern. Not sure I like the front cowl part, but I will definitely try out "View D" in the sleeveless and sleeved versions.

Photos of the Completed Grey Sleeveless T-shirt

2010-05-05T10:18:00.002-04:00

Please ignore my purple plaid pj bottoms!!!

All in all, I'm not really happy with this shirt. But seeing as it is my first one, I'll let go of the pursuit of perfection this one time. Things I don't like about it: the back of the neckline gapes a bit. The bottom hem isn't straight, and the front neckline style doesn't really match the casualness of the print. I think the back neckline gapes because I pulled on it while I was hemming it.

I really don't love working with this jersey knit, but I think I will get used to it. I'd love to get a roller presser foot for working with stretchy materials. It sews while avoiding stretching out the material.

Next post will be my review of the pattern.

#6470 Shirt Update

2010-05-03T01:06:00.004-04:00

Just a quick post to show progress, with the best of a bunch of horrible photos. The lighting was terrible, and I was standing crooked-the shirt isn't crooked!

I still have the armhole and bottom hems to finish.

I think this fabric is too casual for the neckline style. Oh well, we'll call this my practice run. I think I would have preferred to do the V-neck, but I didn't have enough fabric (although, I likely would have, as I have lots left over!!!)

The width of the torso fits me quite well, but the back neck droops. I'll see if I can fix it somehow. The length is a LITTLE short, considering I have to hem it still. I will do a scant hem.

New Look # 6470-Women's Shirt

2010-05-02T17:26:00.004-04:00

I'm making View B, the sleeveless top with no gather, and draped neck. This shirt can be casual or dressy, depending on the fabric you use. I found a fun stretch jersey in the remnant bin: .8 metres for under $2. I wanted to make View D-the wrap-style with gathered side, but that requires more fabric. This was a case of finding the fabric and THEN the pattern, which is usually not how I operate. But when you find awesome fabric in the remnant bin, you can't let it go to waste! And I figured, if I bomb this shirt, I won't be out much money, and it will be good practice!

This is my first adult shirt from a pattern project, and I hope it turns out. It's also my first foray into using stretch knit/jerseys, so I'm a little nervous. More pics and an eventual review of the pattern will come.

Very Late Maternity or Not Frock

2010-05-01T01:05:00.003-04:00

I've finally started moving along on my Maternity or Not Frock. Obviously, in my case, it's NOT...

I decided to use a silky, dark blue paisley/floral print. Hard to describe, but it's nice. Lots of blue in between the paisley bits.

I did a boat neck, but wish I had done a v-neck. I was following the tutorial exactly though. Next time I will make some changes. I like how the sleeves are set up. I MIGHT turn this into a tunic-length shirt, as this material has zero give, and likely won't make a good dress without a serious slit for leg movement.

I really REALLY dislike working with this fabric, whatever it is. It's slippery and slides all over the place. It's hard to cut pattern pieces properly, too. We'll see.

So far I've done everything but the waist and hem. So pictures might come tomorrow, depending on the weather.

Aprons!

2010-04-30T16:43:00.004-04:00

I've made a few aprons in the last few days. One for myself, which was the first one I made. This apron is to hold a calculator, some paper, and pens while I work at a Garden Centre starting on Sunday (until the end of July).

The next one I made was the pink and green toddler's apron for D, who insisted I make one for her, too! Hers is reversible (I suppose mine is, too), with 2 pockets on one side, and no pockets on the other.

The red, white and seafoam one with initial was made this afternoon for a birthday gift. I hope she likes it!

2 years-a retrospective on Delilah

2010-04-24T18:50:00.005-04:00

Delilah at 3 days.
Delilah at 1 year and 6 days
Delilah this morning, 1 day shy of 2 years.

Two years ago, on May 9, 2008 at 11:11 AM, Delilah was born, after a long and arduous birth. 9lbs and 4 oz, she was a big baby with a big personality. She took to nursing like a champ, rarely cried, and was an all-around happy baby.

One year ago, my daughter was just walking. She started at 11 months, but really got her confidence about a month later. She used sign language to tell us what she wanted. She used the potty. She had just gotten her dog Harley (and lost Tyler).

She didn't have much hair. She was charming, and smart. She was beautiful.

And she still is. Now she's 2! She's got a little bit more hair, she's a lot taller, and she is just as charming as ever. She doesn't talk much, but has a large American Sign Language vocabulary. She is able to communicate very effectively. She is totally diaper free and has been for almost 2 months. She's about 34 inches tall, weighs 23.5 pounds, and has a skinny little waist. She's got the prettiest dark blue eyes that shift to greyish blue sometimes. I can't believe she's 2 already! It seems like just a few months ago, we were bringing home a newborn.

Happy Birthday, Delilah!

Molly #3!

2010-04-23T21:25:00.004-04:00

Are you tired of looking at photos of Molly Monkeys???

This Molly was made for a friend's baby. I LOVE the fabric in her skirt! And I'm quite proud of the hand embroidery I did!

Molly Monkey #2!

2010-04-22T11:07:00.004-04:00

Molly #2 now has red mary jane shoes with an opalescent grey button on each.

D saw Molly #2 before I could hide her away and now has claimed BOTH of them as hers.

I now have 2 more on the go-both of which I will have to keep hidden from my daughter. ;) More pictures will come!

Molly Monkey #1

2010-04-14T23:01:00.004-04:00

After a few days of on and off again sewing, I finally finished the Molly Monkey I was sewing for D's upcoming 2nd birthday. She was really easy and fun to make. The hardest part was choosing the fabrics! I'm not in love with the beret; I might replace it with a bow.

I have another one on the go, too-a black narrow-wale corduroy with grey face. It's all cut out, it's face is embroidered and sewn on. I have to sew the limbs onto the body and stuff it, then she's done, too.

Edited to add: if you like Molly, head over to my Etsy shop and check out the other things I make!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BerryMac

New Look #6954

2010-04-07T10:32:00.004-04:00

Yet another dress finished for the commission. This is New Look #6954, View A, Size Small. The dress is made from a cotton/poly broadcloth in a rusty orange colour. The original pattern didn't have the flower embellishment, but there was a View B overdress that had 2 flowers on the skirt. I took one of those flowers and placed in on the bodice of my dress, and added an adorable orange button with vintage-y flowers stamped on it. The cream fabric is a cream-on-cream dahlia print. I like it.

This dress took me only a few hours to make. I started it yesterday and completed it this morning. I am not 100% finished, but the only thing remaining is to sew on the hook and eye closure. I will do that as soon as I find my hook and eyes. ;)

This pattern was a little frustrating. I disliked the way they instructed I attach the sleeves, and the zipper instructions were confusing. So I did them my way. In addition, the sleeves aren't gathered enough at the top of the shoulder where it attaches to the dress. If I were to make this dress again, I would use the sleeves from the next size up to add volume in the shoulders. I realize that the pattern doesn't really have gathered sleeves, so it's not a problem with the pattern.

Rainy Days = Sewing Days

2010-04-06T14:54:00.002-04:00

With a daughter (and a dog) who LOVES to be outside, from morning until night, sewing all day just isn't possible. I got practically nothing done all last week due to the nice weather.

Today I woke to overcast skies and intermittent showers. Yay! Normally I wouldn't be happy about that, but I really have been itching to get at the sewing projects again. I have several things on the back burner, and need to get more done on the commission work.

I still have 2 dresses to make, then possibly another 2 in pillowcase style. I got one kid's tie done and might do another. I also have 2 more tie orders that need to get finished-they are cut out but not sewn.

On top of all that, I have some sewing for ME that I'd like to get done. I started the "Maternity or Not Frock" (definitely NOT) and a tube top that I'll be making. I'd love to make some summery skirts, too. I have a couple pairs of shorts, but I really like skirts for the summer. I find as I get older, I prefer to dress in a more modest manner, and one more suitable for my age. Just because I have the legs of a 20 year old, doesn't mean I need to show them!!! I do wear longer shorts that have a hem closer to my knee. I have some shorter shorts but don't know if I will wear them that much.

I've been working on the Etsy shop. I need to get my items re-photographed with better lighting and consistency. I also need to plan what items I will be featuring in my shop, and plan for expansion. I love making zippered pouches and they are relatively inexpensive. The best part about them is that they don't take a lot of fabric, so I can make them with scraps from other projects and turn little pieces of fabric into gorgeous accessories.

New Etsy Items

2010-04-04T12:58:00.002-04:00

So with all the sewing I've been doing, I've decided to re-start my Etsy store. I've gotten a couple ties added (child and adult size), as well as a silk zippered pouch for makeup/money/whatever. I'll be adding stuff as I go.

I am hoping to get some business doing commissioned work, but custom Etsy orders would be great, too. I will be adding more and more items to the shop as I go, so check in often to see new stuff!

Completed Projects

2010-04-02T15:23:00.003-04:00

Here are two of the finished commissioned projects. The buttons on the dress make it perfect. And the vintage hand-embroidered lace trim circa 1940's is amazing.

The child size bow tie turned out well, and has 2 snaps for adjustment (and so Tisha doesn't have to tie the bow each time). I'll try to make the bow perfect so she can just use it that way.

Delilah loved the bow tie. I might have to make her one.

Tie One On

2010-04-01T22:25:00.003-04:00

Bow ties are classic and contemporary, all at the same time. Dress them up or dress them down-the possibilities are endless.

To its devotees the bow tie suggests iconoclasm of an Old World sort, a fusty adherence to a contrarian point of view. The bow tie hints at intellectualism, real or feigned, and sometimes suggests technical acumen, perhaps because it is so hard to tie. Bow ties are worn by magicians, country doctors, lawyers and professors and by people hoping to look like the above. But perhaps most of all, wearing a bow tie is a way of broadcasting an aggressive lack of concern for what other people think."

—Warren St John, The New York Times

I've recently gotten several bow tie orders. The first was for a child size, for use in the photo shoot that my friend is holding. I also have 3 adult orders in different colours. I am hoping to get some more orders, as they are fun to make, and not as involved as clothing. I might have to spread more into accessories for a change of pace.

I use silk-it's available in a wonderful array of shimmery, beautiful colours. From black to red, purple, green...the solid colours are amazing. I'm still searching for a source of patterned/polka dot silk. I might also check out the taffeta selection at Len's Mill.

The best part of a bow tie is that it's unexpected. Obviously, a bow tie is the norm with tuxedos, but with a regular sports coat or even just a button up shirt and jeans? It's a great way to show a bit of personality.

I decided to put the bow ties on sale at my Etsy shop. Here's a link:

Projects in Progress

2010-03-30T21:22:00.004-04:00

So as I mentioned, I am currently working on a large commission which involves (at least) 4 dresses and a boy's bow tie. I've finished one dress and am almost done the 2nd. Here are some in-progress photos.

The yellow dress was the first dress to be sewn up. It actually has halter ties-it's not strapless. ;)

The seafoam green dress is almost done now, all that is left is finishing the inside side seams to prevent fraying, and the bottom hem-I'll be adding vintage hand-sewn lace embroidery. I plan on taking about 4 inches off the bottom to allow room for the lace so it doesn't drag on the floor. And some buttons at the top for embellishment. It should be awesome when it's done-not bad considering I didn't use a commercial pattern! And the sleeves turned out PERFECTLY! Whew!

Sewing, sewing, sewing

2010-03-30T01:07:00.003-04:00

I've been commissioned by an old school friend - who happens to be a professional photographer-to make 4 dresses for an upcoming photo shoot. The dresses are to be made to fit a 6 month, 12 month, 18 month, and 24 month old. The four dresses are all of different design, so it's not like I'm using the same pattern to make all 4. Each one will have it's own unique twist, whether it's vintage lace, trim, ribbon, buttons, or ruffles. The shoot is coming up this summer, so I have a bit of time to get them done.

In addition to the dresses, I will also be making a little boy's bowtie (or two) for the same shoot. And maybe a newsboy cap.

Having announced the commission on Facebook, I immediately got orders for 3 full-sized bowties, one of which is due to be delivered this weekend. So I suppose I better get started on it. I'm kind of hesitant to cut into the beautiful silk I purchased--I don't want to mess it up. But I guess I have to, if I'm going to sew it!

So far I've completed two dresses (but only one counts for the commission, since the two dresses were practically identical in size and design-one was for practice) and have one that I already made that is suitable for the project. So technically I only have two to make, but I will likely make more than that. Just for funsies.

I have one in process right now--I made the pattern myself, and am learning how to make gathered sleeves, too. Should be fun. Haha. I'm more than a little intimidated by the idea, but we'll see how that goes. Once I get this dress completed, I'll make a tiny 3-6 month size shirred sundress to ease my brain. Easy to make the pattern, easy to sew the shirring detail. Just a little time consuming. THEN I'll start on the final dress, which will be completed using an actual PATTERN! A store-bought, commercial pattern! Almost unheard of-I generally make all the patterns for D's stuff using online tutorials, or I just wing it. Fun times.

Pictures will follow, as long as the customer doesn't mind.

MAY 1-7, 2010 = Spring Top Week

2010-03-11T10:38:00.002-05:00

I've joined another challenge. And this one isn't about reducing your paper towel consumption, or replacing all your regular lightbulbs with CFLs. No, this is a sewing challenge. A TOP sewing challenge, to be precise. Made by Rae has issued a Spring Top Week challenge. Go over to see the details if you're interested!

Anyone who knows me will be aware that I've been in a bit of a sewing frenzy, lately. I've made D halter tops, 2 sun dresses, and about a billion pairs of pants. Well, that "sewing for someone else" phase is over, for now. I will attempt to make myself not one, but several shirts. Nice light summery shirts, and maybe a dressy one or two. We'll see.

In any case, I started my first one last night. True to form, I don't actually have a pattern, but will be using a tutorial I found online (actually my friend found it for me). Here is the link to the pattern. I've picked my fabric and got started on it last night. I'll use a lovely cream on cream dahlia print for the straps and (in typical me fashion) army green (ish) for the body of the shirt. We'll see how it turns out!

To cement the deal, I have challenged my friend Melanie to a little challenge of our own: we'll each wear a top of our making on our IKEA day trip we're doing the first week of April. I've thrown down the gauntlet!

Rules for a lifestyle of healthy eating

2010-02-26T10:06:00.003-05:00

I've done a lot of research and have practical experience with fitness and weight loss. I've been active in sports most of my life, from being a small child participating in gymnastics and soccer, floor hockey and other intramural sports, to being on a travel team for soccer. Then I transitioned into gym activities (cardio and other classes, and weight training).

Only recently have I joined SparkPeople online. It's a free resource that-honestly-is the best thing I've done in a long long time. If you don't know what it is, it's an online community and resource that is simply irreplaceable. You have forums and articles and the support of millions of other people, but you also have a nutrition tracker (where you can track every thing you eat so you can fix and maintain your eating habits), a fitness tracker, and free videos that show you everything from how to make the perfect meal to how to perform a bicep curl with free weight. There are even full-length exercise videos available for free. FREE!

I've learned that losing weight-and maintaining your goal weight-is 20% exercise (cardio and weight training) and 80% diet. You can work out all you want, but if you eat crap, you're never going to drop those pounds.

Last night I was awake, thinking about the 3 most important things I've learned when it comes to diet. And when I say "diet", I don't mean "Only eat ______ for 3 days" or starving yourself. "Diet" to me means lifestyle. Eating to live, not living to eat. In any case, here are the three things that I feel are MOST important to being successful in being healthy and being at a healthy weight:

1) PORTION CONTROL - this is, for me, probably the most important thing to be aware of when eating. Most people eat WAY too much. A regular serving of rice or pasta is 1/2 cup, not those huge bowls piled high that you get in a restaurant. Also, that bottle of soda you're about to drink actually has 2.5 servings in it, so when you read the nutritional info on the side, you need to multiply it to get the actual count. Tricky.

2) EAT SMART - sure, you have a range of calories you should consume in a day. Mine is set according to my activity level, current weight, and nursing status. I aim to consume between 1800-2400 calories a day. I try to stay near the low end, but some days I just want more, so I go into the higher end. I'm still seeing weight loss, so it's working.

Having said that, the part about being smart is this: 100 calories of crap isn't going to do much for you by way of filling you up or providing any nutritional value. Have your treat of a couple pieces of dark chocolate, if you have a craving, but don't eat that entire family-sized chocolate bar.

Eating smart also includes healthy fats: almonds and other nuts, olive oil, butter, full-fat milk products, lean meats, and coconut oil. We don't eat any other type of oil. Highly-processed vegetable oils contain nothing good for you. In addition, you need to eat fat. Fat is instrumental in delivering many vitamins (A,D,E and K) as well as making you feel fuller for longer. I dispute the lipid hypothesis in that eating fat makes you fat-I think eating unhealthy fats make you fat. Think McDonalds, highly processed foods, and high-fructose corn syrup. Disgusting stuff.

3) DRINK WATER. I can't stress how important this is. Not only does virtually every function of your body require adequate amounts of water to be at optimum levels, but drinking water makes you feel full. Many times when I felt "hungry", I was simply thirsty. It's amazing how much better I felt (and looked) once I started drinking 8-10 glasses (or more) a day. Lines that have been on my face for YEARS look shallower and in some cases have even disappeared. My hair is shiny. I have tons more energy, and I feel great. I think a large part of that is due to my increased intake of water.

The first thing I do when I get up in the morning (after bathroom break and weighing in) is to drink a full glass of water. Then I drink my coffee, have some breakfast, and have another glass. I keep a 750 mL glass jar with lid full of water through the day and drink at least 3 of them. I drink a glass of water before each meal and that ensures I don't overeat.

I barely miss drinking other beverages. I would much rather EAT my calories instead of drinking them. Of course, once in a while, I'll have a bit of juice or a half-glass of soda. Most of the time, a glass of kombucha totally cures my craving for a coke. Otherwise, water totally satisfies me. Sometimes I'll throw a bit of lemon or lime into the jar or pitcher of water for a bit of added flavour and some vitamin C.

~~~

All in all, I think these three things are the most important things I need to do in order to be successful at losing and keeping the weight off. Follow these rules and you should be on the track to good health. Good luck!

Insanity Workout Review-Week 3 Day 1: 2nd Fit Test!

2010-02-08T10:39:00.002-05:00

Woohee!

I just completed my second fit test. I didn't have my first test results in front of me, because I wanted to push myself because I was better, not to just beat my last test results. So I just got the chance to compare and I am impressed!

Here are my results (first week results are in burgundy):

Switch Kicks 80/88

Power Jacks 37/47

Power Knees 77/90

Power Jumps 25/29

Globe Jumps 7/9

Suicide Jumps 16/16

Pushup Jacks - I did 34 girl pushups, my hand was still too sore to do the pushup jacks.

Low Plank Obliques 45/56

Looking at these numbers, I can see that I've improved quite a bit. I feel a lot stronger, and my endurance has improved a lot.

As for my weigh-in and measurements, it seems as though I haven't lost any weight, but I'm sure that's just water weight. I've lost (since my last fit test) 1 inch off of my waist and hips and thighs. (That's 1 inch off of each). That's 3 inches lost in 2 weeks. And I can really tell the difference!

Insanity Workout Review-Week 2 Day 6 Pure Cardio AND Cardio Abs

2010-02-06T12:58:00.000-05:00

What a GREAT workout today! I think the only way I got through it was remembering that I have tomorrow off!

Seriously though, today was my first day doing both a regular workout plus Cardio Abs. Needless to say, I was a little worried, especially since it was Pure Cardio I was doing first!!!

Pure Cardio seems to get a little less intimidating each time. I dreaded it this morning, but once I got going, it wasn't so bad. I just focus on getting through one exercise at a time-in 60 second blocks. Then, move on and start over. I didn't take many breaks-just a couple times when I realized my heart rate was a little high.

Instead of doing the cool down and stretches at the end of Pure Cardio, I moved straight into Cardio Abs (does that make me crazy??) and when that was done, I rewound to the cool down for Pure Cardio.

Cardio Abs-what can I say? Feel the burn, baby! I tend to have really strong abs so I didn't find it super challenging, but it was a good workout. I had to alter the high plank to the low plank, as my thumb is still really bruised and sore.

All in all, today was a good workout, but I'm glad I don't have to do that all the time! Intense, but good.

On a side note, I made vanilla pudding a couple days ago for my daughter. For lunch today (salmon salad on D'Italiano Whole Wheat Thintini buns, a slice of extra old cheddar cheese, and water), I had a half cup of pudding with 1 tbsp of organic strawberry jam mixed in-YUM.

Now I need a nap.

Insanity Workout Review-Week 2 Day 4 Cardio Recovery

2010-02-04T11:41:00.002-05:00

I hadn't realized that for the first 3 weeks, Thursdays are Cardio Recovery Day. That's cool. But I feel as though I should be doing cardio-funny, huh? I guess that means that exercise is becoming a habit. That's good.

I must say, though-each day when I'm doing the workout, I think to myself, "maybe I'll just do the warm up today" and then I mentally kick myself in the pants and push myself through the workout. Amazing how that works.

Last night I had a breakthrough. I was having a hard time fighting cravings/night time hunger. Even though I was at my limit for calories, I'd feel like I needed something more. But when I was researching the importance of water, I learned that many people confuse thirst with hunger, and eat when they should be drinking. So yesterday I really focused on getting enough water and after dinner, when I felt "hungry", I drank water. I ended up drinking 10 glasses of water yesterday-that's 2.5 L of water! The best part-I didn't cave to those cravings AND I ended up being closer to my lower range of calories.

The Importance of Drinking Enough Water

2010-02-03T23:21:00.004-05:00

Water is a basic life requirement. Our bodies are composed of (approx) 70% water-practically every system uses water. Blood, brain, breathing, organs, joints, muscles, skin...all of these things and more are dependent upon water. Dehydration is the #1 trigger for daytime fatigue-not lack of sleep!

What may be surprising to some is the link between weight loss (or optimal weight maintenance) and being adequately hydrated. I read on weightlossforall.com that water makes your metabolism burn 3% faster. In addition, being sufficiently hydrated allows your body to be working at peak performance. That's a desirable outcome.

Another issue linking water to weight loss is this-and I can attest to it's veracity, as I have experienced it myself: sometimes people confuse thirst with hunger and eat instead of drinking water. Imagine if your body was trying to tell you to drink water, and instead, you ate a bag of chips. So not only are you eating all those unnecessary and unwanted calories (and fat, and salt...), but you're still not getting the water your body needed in the first place. Interesting. I have noticed, today especially, that if I concentrate on drinking when I feel "hungry", I was actually just thirsty, as the sensation went away after drinking a glass of water. Now of course, I could be filling myself up with water, but that's not a bad thing, either. I know I've consumed enough calories for my energy output for today, so anything that might stop me from going out to the kitchen and grabbing a handful of those Oreos is a GOOD THING.

Recommendations for water intake vary, but the general rule seems to be to consume at LEAST 8 cups (that's 250 mL, or 8 oz in each cup) of water daily. Some say that a person should consume 1 oz of water for every 2 pounds of body weight-so at 141 pounds I should be drinking a minimum of 8.8 cups of water a day (and that minimum doesn't take in to consideration people who exercise-they have a higher requirement).

Don't like the taste of water? Throw some lemon wedges in there, or orange, or lime. Or all three! Any citrus will freshen up your water and provide a bit of vitamin c, at the same time. A bit of lemon in your water will also assist in suppressing appetite, as well.

One last bit of water info: keeping your body sufficiently hydrated will also assist in keeping your skin healthy. People who drink enough water look younger, have fewer wrinkles, and generally, just look good.

So go and have a glass of water-you probably need it!

Insanity Workout Review - and my first Derby Injury

2010-02-03T19:41:00.004-05:00

Today was Week 2 Day 3 of the Insanity Workout. The workout was the Plyo Cardio Circuit, and I found it a little easier to keep up this week, as compared to the very first time I did it (which was Week 1 Day 2). I didn't do any of the pushups this week (explained later in this post), but did wall pushups instead. My heartrate was pretty high so I ended up doing simple squats rather than power squats on the 2nd and 3rd time through the circuits.

As for why I didn't do the pushups-well, it's because I got hurt at roller derby practice last night. We were practicing whips and I skated up to Connie, who was the whipper, and even though we were on the bend I took the whip. Unfortunately, I let go of her (and she let go of me) too early thru the bend and I ended up headed for the concrete wall. I didn't have time to stop, so I slowed down as much as I could and ended up wiping out-CRASH. I went down really hard on my right wrist and smashed into the wall (which is entirely too close to the edge of the track) and a piece of wood and a saw table (left there by the owner, I'm sure). I went down pretty hard on my left hip but my right hand took the brunt of it. Even with the wristguards on, I immediately felt that I had done something to the base of my thumb. I got up and skated off the track and got some ice on it. I didn't feel it was broken but knew it was bruised, at least.

Driving home, the thumb felt worse and worse. It was throbbing constantly and when I tried to touch my thumb to my pinky finger or actually touched the base of my thumb, I had sharp stabbing pain. Then I tried to go to sleep and tossed and turned for almost 2 hours, trying to find a position that didn't make my hand throb even worse than it did already.

This morning, I figured I had better make sure I hadn't cracked or broken any bones and took myself to the ER (small town has no urgent care clinic) where they did some xrays. Turns out I just severely bruised the thumb. What a relief! It would suck to injure myself and have to take time off of practices-or stop doing the Insanity workouts. Having said that, it hurts enough that I can't do push ups. Grr.

Pictures of the spectacular bruising will follow.

New Blog Layout

2010-02-02T12:59:00.000-05:00

I'll be messing around with the blog design in the next little bit. Please be patient.

Insanity Workout Review-Week 2 Day 2 Pure Cardio

2010-02-02T12:27:00.002-05:00

I'm supposed to do Pure Cardio today, but tonight is roller derby practice so I am going to skip it.

I've been browsing SparkRecipes and have found some good ideas for changing up dinner. We're having roast chicken tonight, along with roasted broccoli and roasted garlic rosemary mashed potatoes. Yum.

Insanity Workout Review-Week 2 Day 1 Cardio Power and Resistance

2010-02-01T11:14:00.002-05:00

Wow! Only one week completed and I feel the results already! I feel like I'm working harder and jumping higher on all exercises. This is great!

I really felt this workout today. Last week, the first time I did it, I felt like it wasn't as much of a workout as the Plyo Cardio Circuit-but today I pushed myself just that little bit more and really noticed the increased heartrate. I maxed out my heartrate at about 162 bpm, which is on the high side, but when I noticed it that high I backed off a bit. I figure I burned about 400 calories today, just with Insanity! Then I did an abs workout.

I had some soaked rolled oats for breakfast-last night I splashed some whey into some oats and added water, then put it into the fridge for the night. Soaking grains reduces the phytic acid and improves the nutrient content. The great thing about oatmeal is that it fills you up, but is low in calories. I added some organic raspberry jam (low sugar) and the entire meal was only 135 calories-and tasty, too! Oatmeal also helps reduce cholesterol. Now I'll have some eggs scrambled with some peppers and onions and mushrooms, and half a bagel with some labneh (yogurt cheese) for some protein and good fat.

I'm really happy that the muscle soreness has departed, for the most part. I did experience some tightness in my left calf this morning, but since the workout it seems to have loosened up, thankfully. I've always had issues with calf muscles being too tight, and spasming at night-not fun! I think the biggest issue was my lack of stretching after exercise, but I'm trying to do that really well now. Now if I can remember to stretch after derby practice!

Insanity Workout Review-Week 1 Day 6 and 7

2010-01-31T11:25:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, which was Week 1 Day 6, I was scheduled to do the Plyo Cardio Circuit again. Instead of doing the workout, though, I went rollerskating for over 2 hours. I figured it out to be over 900 calories burned, so I didn't bother doing the workout!

Last night I went to the Forest City Derby Girls party to celebrate the beginning of this season. Lots of fun!

Today is a scheduled rest day, so I'll be taking it easy. I might do an ab workout or two.

One week completed!

Insanity Workout Review-Week 1 Day 5 Pure Cardio

2010-01-29T14:22:00.000-05:00

I've just finished Week 1 Day 5-Pure Cardio. My hands are shaking. After the workout was completed but before the stretching/cool down with Shaun T, I walked in place for a couple minutes to do some additional cool down. Then I did the stretch and then an additional calf stretch and then a 12 minute Pilates Abs workout. After all the nerves I had since watching the video yesterday, I must admit that it wasn't AS bad as I thought it would be-but it was still pretty bad. There were a few places where I probably COULD have pushed myself harder....but didn't. I kept a few of the exercises a little lower-impact by keeping the range of motion but instead of jumping kept it on the floor. And times when I just got too tired, I simply jogged in place instead of stopping completely. But-I finished the workout! There were a few times when I felt my heartrate was just too high and dropped it down into a jog to be safe. 180 BPM is a little high for my comfort level! In any case, I won't be afraid of Pure Cardio anymore. It's intimidating, yes-but while you're doing it, it works if you just focus on getting through just that one exercise you're doing. Then the next, then the next, and before you know it, Shaun T is saying you're finished! Woo! As an aside, last night I was under in my calories so I enjoyed 3 oreo cookies and a glass (8 oz) of whole organic milk. Yum! I hopped on the scale today. I'm down a pound-in four days. I wasn't expecting a loss this week, as I will be building muscle AND my body will be absorbing water (in shock LOL) so this drop was a surprise-but a welcome one! If I lose 1 pound every 4 days, that will translate to 15 pounds lost. I realize that's not necessarily realistic, but hey - every girl can dream, right? Having said that, I'm not sure I even NEED to lose 15 pounds. 128 pounds is very light for me, given my muscle mass. We'll see!

Insanity Workout Review-Day 4 Cardio Recovery

2010-01-28T12:31:00.002-05:00

What a relief!

Cardio Recovery workout is a very nice workout- a cross between yoga and pilates. You get a nice burn in your legs and core with all the anaerobic moves - slow deep squats and lunges, plank work, and good stretches.

Even though there was no cardio work, my heartrate still got up to 120 bpm, which is good. What I especially liked about Shaun T is that he continually reminds you to breathe. AND he constantly explains how to have perfect form, which gets you the best results and prevents injury.

I'm really liking this workout in its totality. I haven't done all the workouts yet, but I have no doubt that I'll like them just as much. Now of course, that doesn't mean that I ENJOY the workouts-I mean, who would? I'm a total masochist and I still don't enjoy them...but I appreciate that I'm doing some hard work and should see some results. I already can feel the difference in my legs and butt, and it's only been 4 days! I'm looking forward to completing the first 14 days-I anticipate that is when I will see start seeing some serious results!

I'm trying to not get my hopes up too high, as I know that I'm pretty close to my goal weight and it might be difficult to drop those last few pounds. Having said that...even when I was a police officer and in the best shape of my life, I still weighed about 137 pounds, but that was a LOT of muscle. I didn't really do a lot of cardio in those days, I did SOME, but not as much as I could. Now, I think I could get a little leaner since I'm doing more cardio, and I can run outside more once the weather is nice (and I'm done Insanity). Now the inverse is true with the weight lifting-I don't have a gym membership anymore but I do have access to a friend's Bowflex. I've never used one before but I'm sure it's fairly simple. Even 2 workouts a week would be okay, if I do pushups and crunches and squats and lunges and such on other days.

I'm going to have a Beachbody!!

Insanity Workout Review-Day 3 Cardio Power and Resistance

2010-01-27T13:24:00.002-05:00

Wooh! Day 3 complete!

When I woke up this morning my calves were SO stiff and tired, I could barely go down the stairs. It took me twice as long to get downstairs! And before I even got up, I was laying in bed and thinking about having to do another workout today. Craziness!

Today was the Cardio Power and Resistance workout. I found it to be challenging, but my heart rate didn't get as high as with yesterday's workout (Plyo Cardio Circuit). So that was kind of disappointing, but I suppose that I can control that-I just have to work harder next time. I did change a few of the exercises due to my own limitations-space, for one. I can't do the globe jumps as I only have about 4 square feet in which to do my workout, and the ceiling fan really gets in the way. I did squats instead of the globe jumps. And instead of the travelling pushups, I did wall pushups with one foot up off the floor. Floor sprints, I stayed doing wall push ups but added in jogs. So my heart rate was still up, and I still got the shoulder/pec workout.

One thing I thought the workout could have improved upon was the stretch/cooldown at the end. Although we did a lot of jumping, which really works the calves, he did very little calf stretching, in my opinion. We also did little shoulder and chest stretching. I added in some calf, shoulder, and chest stretches at the end.

Last night I figured out the Harris Benedict equation for number of calories required in a day to maintain my weight as it is, with the level of activity I am doing right now. Apparently (adding in 500 calories per day for nursing), I should be consuming 2711 calories per day just to stay at 143 pounds. Craziness. I don't think I could do that. BUT in order to lose weight you also need to eat ENOUGH calories...according to this equation, you subtract 500-800 (never more than 1000 or you go into the starvation mode) and that is how many calories per day that I need to eat to lose weight. That means I need to consume between 1911 and 2211 a day. That sounds crazy, but there you have it. We'll see--Mondays are my weigh-in days. Of course, those caloric requirements will change as my weight drops.

For anyone interested in finding out their own caloric requirements, here is a link.

Oh-and if you're wondering how roller derby practice went last night....it was rough at first, let me tell you. I felt like my inner thighs and quads were completely fatigued and I just didn't have the strength to do the knee dips and slides properly. So I will wait and see how the soreness goes for the rest of the week and might just do the "warm up" portion of the workout on practice nights.

Insanity Workout Review-Day 2 Plyometric Cardio Circuit

2010-01-26T15:39:00.001-05:00

Day 2 complete!

Wow. Even though I watched the workout first to get an idea of what I was in for, I totally underestimated the DIFFICULTY. Seriously-I was almost ready to quit at the end of the warm-up session. The WARM-UP, people! But I pushed through. I'm my worst critic-I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I gave up.

I did take more breaks than was given, but that's ok. I didn't expect to be able to do the whole thing. That is one difficult, high-intensity workout.

The crazy part is that when you think you're into the workout, you're not. You're just warming up. Then there is a good stretching session, and then BAM! You're doing basketball jumps, crazy pushups and more. I did take it easy on the power squats, since I have to skate tonight! Most of the time I just jogged in place if I got too tired. A few times I turned the move into a low-impact move-for example, the mountain climbing exercise, I simple did knee lifts instead of the jumping. But that's ok, I think, because I kept the movement and the momentum going.

The end comes faster than I thought it would. Even though I was wishing for the end, it still surprised me when we started into the stretching cool-down period. I guess I'm just used to 55 minute classes. Not that I'm complaining, mind you! I don't think I would have been able to do another 15-20 minutes of that!

I made salmon salad sandwiches and a big spring green salad with broccoli, red and green pepper, and a little cheese with a balsamic vinegar dressing (homemade) for lunch. I'm at about hour 2 after the workout, and I'm tired-my arms are tired and a little sore, and my legs are a LOT tired and sore. But I'm hoping that I'll warm up and loosen up once I get skating tonight. I want to be able to do all the drills required at practice. Should I find that I can't, I'll have to re-evaluate the wisdom of doing the workouts on practice day. We'll see!

I'll be making Chicken Coconut Thai Soup for dinner and then head off to roller derby practice. As I've said before, I won't be following Shaun T's nutritional plan-I don't believe that eating fat makes you fat. I don't eat many processed foods, I am trying to cut back on my carbs, and I'm increasing my water consumption. We'll see how that goes.

Tuesdays Hurt

2010-01-26T11:36:00.001-05:00

I'm a little apprehensive. Yesterday I started Insanity Workout with Shaun T by completing the Fit Test. This morning I woke up and I'm a little stiff, a little sore. Nothing too crazy, a lot better than I expected. However....today is Day 2 and I have the Plyometric Cardio Circuit workout to do. I watched it in advance to see what I'm in for, and I'm a little nervous. It looks extreme, to say the least.

And if that's not bad enough, I also have roller derby practice tonight. I don't want to kill myself! Last week's practice was pretty intense-tons of squat moves, lunges, slides, and suicides...in addition to a pyramid race-type exercise. Lots of cardio, lots of power moves required.

I'll have to load up on protein for sure after I do the Insanity workout. Maybe salmon salad sandwiches. And I hope to cram a nap in there, too.

Another post will follow with Insanity Workout Review Day 2: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Insanity Workout Review-Day 1 Fit Test

2010-01-25T11:32:00.003-05:00

Wow. Ok, I must admit something. When I was looking into getting the Insanity Workout with Shaun T, I read some guy's blog where he reviewed the entire program. His first workout, the Fit Test, he talked about how he puked afterwards. I laughed. I scoffed. I thought, "I won't puke". HA! Well, let me tell you, I came pretty darned close.

For anyone who isn't interested in workout videos, cardio programs, or anything like that, stop reading. This is a 60-day program designed to improve cardio health and give a ripped body. So if you don't want to read about my progress, don't read any blog entries that start with "Insanity Workout Review...".

I will NOT be following the nutrition plan, I'm just doing the workouts.

All right. So onto today's review and my fitness test results. Keep in mind you do the Fit test every 2 weeks so you can compare your results and track improvement. Once you get into Month 2, you do your Fit Test AND a workout every two weeks. ARGH!

Basically the fit test is in a few sections. First you do a warm up (holy smokes it's like a workout all on it's own), then you stretch, then you get a very short break to get a pen and paper and he explains the first exercise. Then you get a minute to do as many of those exercises as you can, using proper form. Correct form is very important. It's better to do 5 in proper form than 15 in poor form. Poor form causes injury and you don't get the benefits of the exercise.

After each set of 1-minute exercises you get a short break where he explains the next set. Trust me, you want this little break, especially toward the end when you are at muscle fatigue and don't think you can stand up, let alone do another set of exercises.

Here are my results for my Day 1 Fit Test:

Switch Kicks: 80

Power Jacks 37

Power Knee 77

Power Jump 25

Globe Jumps 7

Suicide Jumps 16

Pushup Jacks 10 (and then I did 10 girl-style pushups)

Low Plank Obliques 45

When I finished, I felt fine. Tired, but fine. And then about 5 minutes later, after doing my measurements, I started to feel queasy. So queasy, in fact, that I was sure I was going to throw up and spent the next 5 minutes in the bathroom doing deep breathing exercises. I didn't end up vomiting, but it was close. As I said before, next time I will do the workouts on an empty stomach. Definitely no coffee right before!

I'm looking forward to the next 60 days or so. It will be interesting to see the types of changes this exercise program brings, especially considering I will be following a high-fat diet. I don't really intend to change my eating habits, except for maybe trying to reduce my carb intake further.

Oh-and I will weigh myself once a week on Mondays and post gains or losses instead of posting my weight and measurements.

ROLLER DERBY!!!

2010-01-15T16:02:00.002-05:00

Ok. I have gone completely nuts. This Tuesday past, I went to a Fresh Meat practice for the Forest City Derby Girls. I skated (forward and backward), I did derby moves, I fell (just once). I wore a bike helment while everyone else work skate helmets (haha). I was terrified, and exhilarated, the entire time.

I had no idea what to wear (other than "dress warm", I had no other instruction), so I just wore a t shirt and a hoodie, yoga pants and underneath that, some cool-ass leg warmers. I wanted to break out the fishnet but didn't wanna stand out too much that first day, you know? I mean, come on...everyone who knows me knows any chance I get to wear the goth stuff, I do, right? I have a whole bag of tights and fishnet everything (shirts, arm sleeves, tights...) just waiting for me. Seriously-not only is the sport awesome, but the clothes rock!

Since then, I have been watching YouTube videos of bouts, instructional videos, and looking up patterns for derby clothes. I've got an idea that involves hot pink/silver stretch denim and black trim being turned into a mini pleated skirt to go over leggings or tights and legwarmers or socks. I've got my top-three picks for my derby name, and just have to decide which one I want.

Craziness.

For anyone who needs an explanation as to what roller derby is, click HERE.

Berry out.

Last Post for this decade

2009-12-31T16:23:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe that 10 years ago today, I was with friends, celebrating New Years Eve and wondering if all computers would crash when the clock struck midnight. Silliness.

Now, I'm looking at my daughter (who will be 20 months old on January 9th) and wondering where the last year went. I am blessed to have her - and my husband - in my life.

Today I made up a list of goals for 2010. I'm not sharing them, since they're fairly personal, but I think it's important to set goals for oneself. Whether you actually MEET them is another thing, but at least you have something to strive towards, right?

As I look into the future, I can only hope that this coming year (and decade) brings health, happiness, love, and friendship for everyone.

Happy New Year!

LOVE the Telehealth commercial

2009-12-28T16:15:00.003-05:00

I don't know about you, but I love that the Ontario Telehealth commercial discussing levels of medical care available (doctor, walk-in clinic, urgent care, and emergency room) features an obviously gay married couple as their last example. "Jeffrey and Michael flipped their car..."-the spot features two men, arms round each other. The man on the left side has a visible left hand on his partner's shoulder, and on his ring finger is a wedding band.

Awesomeness.

"Tis the Season

2009-12-18T19:13:00.002-05:00

A week until Christmas. We don't celebrate Christmas in the "Jesus was born in a manger this day" kind of way, but a "spend time with family and friends" way. My mom has always been the type to put up the Christmas tree the weekend after Halloween, and musical dancing stuffed things in the weeks following. Stockings go up the week before Christmas (empty of course). They went up today. With a new one for Harley, of course. All the pets get a stocking-they get a toy and usually a treat.

This year is going to be scaled way back in the gift department. Ben's new job (yes, he got the one he interviewed for) hasn't paid him his first cheque yet, and of course since he filed his EI saying he was employed, he doesn't get any more EI cheques. Go figure. So we're outta luck for Christmas.

Having said that, I did get Delilah a few things, a month or two ago. We bought her barely anything last year, but she got lots of stuff from other people. This year, she'll be getting 3 gifts from us, 4 if I find her a book tomorrow. We don't see the point in giving her tons of things, and nothing will be from Santa. We have our own traditions and will be making some up as we go along. One we started last year (her first Yule/Christmas) is a tree ornament. It is given to her on Yule (and I think we will add a book to that tradition) and will be added to our tree. When she is old enough to have her own tree, we will give her a box filled with all the ornaments given to her over the years.

This year I learned about the Christmas Tree Spider tradition. Taken from the Etsy shop article:

The Christmas Spider Legend
A long time ago in Germany, while a mother was busily cleaning house in preparation for Christmas, the spiders that usually stayed in the living room corner fled upstairs to the attic to escape from her broom. From the attic they could hear all the excitement from the living room as decorations were being made for when Santa was to come on Christmas Eve and bring gifts for the children. Frantic to see the decorated tree, the spiders slowly crept downstairs for a view. Oh, what a beautiful tree! In their excitement, they scurried up the trunk and out along each branch. They were filled with happiness as they climbed all through the tree to see the glittering beauty. But alas! By the time they were through climbing all over the tree, it was completely shrouded in their dusty-gray spiderweb. When Santa came, he smiled as he saw how happy the spiders were. However, He knew how heart-broken the mother would be if she saw the tree covered with the dusty webs. So He reached out and touched the webs, blessing them and turning them to silver and gold. Thus, the custom to have a spider ornament amongst all other decorations with tinsel of gold and silver on the Christmas tree was born.

Pretty cool, huh? We got her an awesome handmade Spider Ornament from Etsy. That's gonna be hard to beat.

I'm curious as to what people's opinions are on the whole Santa myth. I mean, I like the sentiment of a magical elf who embodies the meaning of Christmas and all that, but....really? Why tell your kids lies? Why not give them the best presents and claim credit for it? Why not continue the trusting relationship you try to foster from the beginning, rather than have to explain to them why you LIED for years?

People look at us funny when we say we "don't do Santa". And they say, "but what will you tell her when all the other kids are talking about Santa? And when you see Santa in the mall, and the Santa Claus parade-you took her to that!!!" It's pretty amusing, actually. It's not like we're going to pretend that the Santa Claus myth doesn't exist...we're just not going to tell her that he's REAL, and that he's coming down the chimney on Christmas Eve to leave great toys under the tree for her. Instead, we'll tell her that there are people all over the world who tell their children that Santa is real, and that she shouldn't argue with anyone about his existence. It's a lot like religious myths, actually. Strange, that.

Keeping Busy

2009-12-07T14:20:00.004-05:00

Well, it appears winter weather has decided to arrive. Strange, to have a November with practically no snow! The flakes are just drifting down here, slowly but steadily. Apparently we have a storm watch for Tuesday night. Woohoo!

Things have been busy on the workfront. I've had several commissions for handcrafted items (wristwarmers, berets, scarves, and keychains, etc). Those are all finished for now but I'm looking to get a few more before Christmas-so if you need a unique stocking stuffer or small gift idea, contact me.

Thursday, I have an estimate for a housecleaning job. It's in London, which will suck for winter driving, but I am looking to get one or two locally as well, for some extra cash. Ben's business is doing REALLY well lately and it's improving all the time. In addition to that, he is currently at an interview for a parts/service position at a newer dealership. Fingers crossed! **Edited to add: Ben came home and less than an hour later, got the call-he starts Wednesday morning!

My training has been going well. I'm amazed at how quickly my body became used to running again. The first few runs, I had to walk several times. But now, I generally run the entire way and walk only to cool down. That's on the 2.5km runs. I haven't done any longer runs yet, as I'm easing my way into it. I've been running 3 times a week. I had to skip yesterday, because I walked downtown on Saturday for my Mom (to the liquor store for a Bailey's special 40 oz with mug) and got a HUGE blister on my left heel-from the Doc's I've had SINCE I WAS 14!!! I couldn't believe it! By the time I got home, it had broken and was oozing sebum. Not pleasant. So now I'm letting it heal a bit more before I go running. I should be able to go tomorrow. I've also been doing pushups and situps after my runs. A friend has a home gym and has said I can use it whenever I want-it's just the issue of me getting over there to do it!

I have an information meeting scheduled with the OPP on December 15th. I'll find out then what is required of me for application, and to see what's what. I'm nervous, but looking forward to getting there and meeting the recruiter.

Trolls

2009-11-29T21:03:00.003-05:00

So. I haven't been on the blog lately, and hadn't realized that I have my very own troll who has nothing better to do than to read and presume to know something about my life-and then pass judgement.

This person obviously isn't aware that her identity is readily available (as if I didn't know who it was already) to anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of internet and computer technology.

This blog is written for family members and friends, and for people with similar interests in health, craft, or lifestyle. It's not for negative judgemental assholes who have such pitiful and pathetic lives that they need to trash talk other people.

So-if your only intent is to come here and judge me or my family, then you can screw right off. I am doing what is best for my daughter and my family at this point in our lives. My decisions and actions are of no concern of yours, and perhaps you should concentrate on your own messed up family life instead of mine.

Oh, and comments are now on moderation.

Simple Crochet Wristwarmers

2009-11-22T17:22:00.004-05:00

I searched for a couple days online trying to find a simple and easy crochet pattern for wristwarmers. I didn't end up finding one for worsted weight that I liked, so I took the pattern from "Family of Mittens" by Lionbrand and chopped and experimented and finally made it so that I liked it. These wristwarmers will fit a small to medium sized hand. In any case, here is the pattern. Please excuse my terrible pattern-writing skills, as this is my first one.

I used a 5.5 mm hook. I crochet quite tightly, so if you may have to alter your hook size. The upside is that it only takes an hour or so to make each one. These warmers are NOT done in the round.

CUFF

Leaving a 10" tail for sewing, ch 20.

SC in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. 19 sts. TURN

RIBBING

Ch 1, sc in back loop of each sc across; turn.

Repeat 23 more rows. On last row, DO NOT TURN.

PALM

Working across top (long side) of ribbing, sc 21 stitches evenly spaced across (picking up anywhere you can); turn.

CH 1, sc in each sc across and increase by working 2 sc into each of 6 stitches evenly spaced; turn. There should be 27 stitches.

CH 1, sc in each st, turn.

Repeat for 7 more rows.

FINISH

This lacy edge is optional, you could do any type of edging you wanted, of course. Another nice one is the scallop ch1, (5 HDC in next st, skip one) repeat across.

CH 1, (CH 4, skip 1 stitch, sc in next) repeat to end.

Fold in half length-wise, and sew up from bottom ribbing, leaving space for thumb-approx 1.5-2 rows up from beginning of ribbing. Leave 3.5-4 rows unsewn to accommodate thumb.

I also finished the wrist end with sc.

The pair shown was completed as a gift for a friend, made from Patons Classic 100% wool. Each warmer weighs approx .65 oz.

Life Update

2009-09-08T13:09:00.003-04:00

Summer is almost over and many things have changed around here. We lost our raw milk source and that was disappointing to say the least. I refuse to go back to regular store milk so made effort to find the next best thing and was able to find, at Quartermasters in Wortley Village, organic, whole milk that is unhomogenized. That's awesome! The brand is called Harmony. The cows are pastured and treated humanely and fed natural foods. The milk is pasteurized at the lowest legal temperature, which is nice-no Ultra High Temperature pasteurization here! They also do not routinely use antibiotics or growth hormones.

Besides the milk issue, we have some HUGE changes going on around here. It has been a flurry of activity for the last few weeks. The last week of August, we were searching for a lodger to help us cover bills. Then, we had someone agree to move in for the 1st of September, then the next day he called and told us he couldn't move. Then I was told I was losing a client due to her giving the job to her sister-in-law, and I had just lost my other full-time weekly client due to terminal illness. Things were NOT looking good. On top of that, Ben got notice that he was being laid off as of October 3rd. Not good at all.

Considering the fact we had used what savings we had last time he was laid off for 4 months, and couldn't survive the wait period for EI, never mind the fact that EI won't pay our expenses, I figured drastic action was required. I asked my Mom if her and Dad would consider allowing us to move in there to get us back on our feet. This was on September 1st. Keep that in mind.

She texted me back, saying she would talk to Dad and was on her way to pick him up. I emailed Ben and told him I had asked Mom if we could move in. A little while later, Mom texted me and told me to call her. On the phone, she said we could move in. That meant I had to get my notice in to Sifton PRONTO! I emailed Ben, who understood this was our only option, and typed up a letter of notice for Sifton. I immediately took it over to the Berkshire Club to hand in. The lady at the desk felt it necessary to admonish me for waiting to give it to her until the 1st; apparently I should have done it the day before. Luckily there are 31 days in October, else we would have been stuck here until Nov 30 instead of October 31. And I'm not sure how we would have paid October's rent!

We immediately realized we were going to have to get rid of EVERYTHING. We will not be taking any furniture aside from our bedroom set, Ben's big TV, and the kitchen set. Everything else is being sold or donated. Even our decorations, half my clothes, and all other unnecessary items will be gone. We started purging the stuff from the basement and I have gotten my stored stuff down to 1 box of Christmas decorations (not getting rid of that!), 1 box of Halloween decorations, 1 box of keepsake items (baby book, Ty's ashes, photos, etc), 2 boxes of reference books, and then my craft stuff. All of my other books are being sold or donated. I posted 3 lists of books on my Facebook in the Notes section and had some response but other than that, I will put the books out in a yard sale next week, and whatever doesn't sell will go to the used bookstores for credit. Anything they don't take will go to Valu Village.

The same goes for clothes. A new consignment shop just opened in the plaza down the street so that's where most of my clothes will go. I have a lot of suits and such, and I don't really need them anymore. I will keep one suit but the rest will go. I also have dresses and other items that I don't wear anymore that are just taking up space. All of Delilah's old clothes will go to Once Upon a Child or be donated.

The "donation" pile downstairs is huge, and keeps getting bigger every day. It feels good, to go thru boxes I've had for years and years and realize that I just don't NEED this stuff. There's no way I'm moving all that crap again! There is some space for storage at my parents', in the spare room or the basement, but why bother? I am in a competition with myself to get rid of as much stuff as I can. I know how much crap we have, considering we just moved in here last Feb 29th. And I know we said we wouldn't move again until it was to our own house, but things happen. At least we'll be starting fresh in a year or two. I didn't realize it, but Ben felt a lot of the stuff here was "mine", not "ours". Which is odd, considering I got rid of a lot of stuff when I moved from Guelph to Ingersoll last time!

The sad news about the move is that we have to get rid of Harley. We are heartbroken but my parents won't consider allowing him to come with us. I tried to convince them, since D loves him so much, but they won't budge. I will be meeting with a family in the next few days who are considering taking him. They live on a farm, have a 7 year old son and an 8 month old puppy and horses. The mother is always home, and they take the dogs with them when they go out. It sounds like the perfect place for him. He needs the space to run, and I think another dog will help him with his anxiety.

The other day I told Ben that it will be a long time before I consider getting another pet. Every single other animal I've had, I've had to get rid of in one way or another. Felix stayed with my parents when I moved to Guelph (and hates me now). Maddox ran away (or was killed, haven't figured that out yet) when she was left with housemates. Birdie had to go to a new (loving) home when Tyler was insistent on killing her, and Tyler had to be put down just last February. And now Harley.

Aside from the Harley situation, I am excited to start this new aspect of our lives. I think it will allow us to change and grow and go in a new direction. One year will allow us to become debt-free, and another year will have us saving for a down payment.

MMMM kombucha

2009-08-28T23:24:00.002-04:00

Kombucha experiment #2 is a success! We have a good, healthy SCOBY going (about 1/4" thick), forming on the top of the tea. The mother is below it, kind of perpendicular. I am doing a continuous fermentation rather than starting a new batch each time. I think tomorrow I will separate off on of the babies and throw it in a jar with some of the kombucha and some fresh tea/sugar mixture and keep it on the counter, just in case something happens to the big batch. I wouldn't want to lose my kombucha now!

I have done 2 re-batches so far, about every 3 days. I pour off 1.5 litres or so, and put in fresh tea. The kombucha goes straight into a mason jar into the fridge, and when it's chilled we drink a couple ounces at a time. Our bodies are still getting used to it so we don't want to overdo it.

I like the flavour. I was a little scared it would be gross, but it is really good! It still tastes like tea, kind of, but with a little zing to it. Almost apple juicy, almost vinegary, but in a good way. Yum.

Careers and Destiny

2009-08-28T01:03:00.003-04:00

Way back in another life, I was a police officer. That news may surprise some people. But it is true.

A couple neighbours recently found out I was a cop in another life and have taken it upon themselves to convince me that I should go back to it. At first I was resistant. There's only so much rejection a person can take, ya know? I left Guelph under a cloud-accused of doing things I hadn't done...messy.

In any case, 5 years have gone by. I still miss the job, the duty, the obligation...the politics part still ticks me off, but I think I can manage that part better. I miss the other parts enough that I think I could balance out the undesirable part...

I have initiated contact with a few people I used to work with. I hope to get a couple letters of recommendation from former co-workers and approach London's HR person. Wish me luck!

Kombucha Experiment #2

2009-08-16T10:20:00.003-04:00

My first kombucha failed-it developed mold around Day 4. I waited a week to ensure that what I was seeing was indeed mold, and it was.

A friend gave me another, fresher SCOBY and I made up a new batch of sweetened tea yesterday (Aug 15). I used 3 (2-cup) teabags and a cup of sugar in 3 L of water. I cleaned out the sun tea jar and set the 2nd batch to sit on the counter. I'm not covering it up this time, since it's not really in direct sunlight anyway.

I will check it in 4 or 5 days. Hopefully this one takes!

A Weight Loss Update, and How to Make "Soda"

2009-08-07T00:50:00.005-04:00

First, the update on my weight loss. Sorry to anyone not interested, just skip down to the soda recipe!

It's been two and a half weeks since we started on this "real food" path, and I've lost 6 pounds. What have I been doing? Well, for one, I WASN'T exercising, which I find odd. It's just been too rainy, or too busy, so I've done practically no walking/running
(up until yesterday).

The things I have been doing with regularity is:
~eating soaked/fermented oatmeal every morning (1/2 cup dried oats soaked in a mixture of water and whey or water and yogurt, in pot with lid on stove overnight), rinsed in morning and heated with a bit of water, milk, cinnamon, and honey or maple syrup, with raisins or bits of apple in it. D eats this too (but not raisins);
~eating scrambled eggs daily (usually with cheese, or cream cheese, or labneh, as well as fresh cilantro or dill) and a piece of homemade toast with butter or natural peanut butter
~drinking whole milk (cream has not been removed), fresh from a cow - at least one cup daily, plus use in cooking

Note the trend? I've been eating MORE fat from animal sources but I'm losing weight. Huh. On the other hand, I haven't been eating as much garbage as I used to. I pay attention to labels and try to avoid processed foods. I haven't killed my chocolate addiction yet, or my love for ice cream, but something has to give. I am coveting a hand-cranked ice cream machine but we'll see....

Now. On to the recipe for "soda":
I ran across a recipe for homemade gingerale online (as well as amazing info on cheese and other things-thanks to David B. Fankhauser, Ph.D, and used it with great success, then tinkered with it to find a less-sweet option. Then I tried the same basic recipe with lemon instead of ginger, and am quite pleased with the outcome. One of my major addictions is soda, and I'd rather drink something I've made, even if it has sugar in it, over the HFCS crap you buy at the store. In any case, here is the modified recipe for a nice, light-tasting soda that is reminiscent of club soda, but better (as you could drink it WITHOUT alcohol in it):

~3/4 c sugar (the yeast need sugar-I don't think anything else would work)
~about 1-2 tbsp lemon juice (you could do lime, too, or vanilla for cream soda, or grated ginger...)
~1/4 tsp yeast
~water to fill (filtered is best)

Using a clean plastic 2L bottle (apparently it's a risk to use glass as the pressure could make it explode - I will experiment with a glass gallon jug and valve system), pour in the sugar and then the yeast using a funnel. Swirl the bottle around to mix the yeast into the sugar, then add the lemon or lime juice. Fill the bottle to within an inch of the neck with water, and cap tightly. Tilt the bottle several times until the sugar is dissolved, then place on the counter. Let sit for 24-48 hours (could be finished before this depending on how warm your place is-make sure you check), until you can't squeeze the sides of the bottle. Let it sit for a couple hours more, then refrigerate for several hours/overnight for complete chilling. Enjoy!

**it is possible to let it go for too long on your counter and risk having the bottle explode from the expanding gasses. Try to avoid this. Messy.

I Made Labneh!

2009-08-04T17:04:00.003-04:00

Labneh is a traditional Middle-Eastern soft cheese made from straining yoghurt. It is very similar in taste and consistency to cream cheese.

Yesterday, I placed a cheesecloth into a strainer and dumped a tub of plain natural (no sugar added, no flavours, etc) yogurt into it. Apparently I should have added salt before this step but no matter, I added salt to the finished product.

Next I gathered the corners of the cheesecloth and brought them together and hung the small sack from the kitchen faucet over top of a 4 cup glass measuring cup to catch the whey. A couple hours later I remembered that the yogurt I was using was pasteurized, and should be refrigerated, so I transferred the sack to hang over a pitcher using a wooden spoon to hold it.

This afternoon I checked on the sack and it felt of the proper consistency so I carefully removed it from the cheesecloth. It looked like a big white ball of cream cheese! I transferred it to a bowl and mixed in about half a teaspoon or so of kosher sea salt. I'll store the labneh in a cream cheese container, since it made just a little less than 250 mL. Perfect.

The taste is pretty similar to cream cheese, if not a little more sour tasting. It's less sour than the plain yogurt taste, I think, and not offensive at all, especially with the salt added. I tried some spread over PC Organic Multi-Seed Stoned Wheat Crackers. Yum.

I can foresee this replacing our commercial cream cheese. It has an excellent, creamy consistency, a smooth taste, and will go with everything that cream cheese or sour cream partners does. I picture it over baked potatoes, on bagels and crackers, or the base for dips and spreads. Right now I'm imagining it served with roasted red peppers and olives.

The best part is, I know how to make yogurt. I can make that myself, and in turn, make labneh from the yogurt. And then the remaining whey I will use for soaking grains and such, and for replacing the liquid in breads and baking. Cheese and milk products RULE!

On a side note, I have found an Ontario source for rennet tablets and liquid, so I'll be ordering some of that. I plan on making Feta, so I won't have to buy THAT anymore, either. Eventually I'd love to learn to make cheddar and other forms of cheese so I'm excited to get started.

Health Update

2009-08-03T01:19:00.002-04:00

Many people who actually know me will know that I had a bout with extremely high blood pressure at the end of my pregnancy and for months afterward (the high BP is what caused my transfer to hospital to give birth). It got high enough after I had D that my midwife worried about stroke. I was forced to go onto blood pressure medication for about 2 months after having Delilah just to control it, and even then, it was high normal. I was weaned off of the meds but continued to monitor myself.

I hadn't tested my numbers in the last month or so. Today while grocery shopping I realized that the No Frills has a blood pressure machine, so I sat down in the chair...and wondered. First reading was 129/78. I figured, "huh, I've been walking around pushing a cart for the last 20 minutes, and this here sheet says to wait 5 minutes while sitting quietly before taking a reading" so...I tested again. Result: 117/78. Awesome.

I don't think my blood pressure has been this low in YEARS. I always struggled with it, even before I got pregnant. It got to the point where my doctor threatened to take me off my birth control pills.

I wonder...could the lowered blood pressure be related to the milk?? I'm still dropping weight and haven't really changed anything other than drinking the real milk. Maybe my blood pressure has gone down BECAUSE I've lost weight. But no, that doesn't really make sense either, because my BP was high before when I weighed under 145. hmmmm.

Kombucha Update: Day 3

2009-08-02T11:37:00.004-04:00

My kombucha is coming along nicely. Above are pictures: the baby SCOBY is forming on top of the tea (if you look closely you can see the mother SCOBY sort of suspended sideways just below the baby) and a view of how my kombucha sits on the counter with it's cover. I've been calling the jar "the Arab"...

Some might think that I have mold forming on the surface; this is, in fact, NOT mold, it is the baby forming.

When I place my nose close to the top of the jar, I can smell a winy-sweet smell, like when you make wine. This tells me the kombucha is doing well and has started to ferment. Yay!

In 3 more days I will test the flavour. I have posted ads on the freecycle and such groups asking for some empty Grolsch bottles so I can do a secondary fermentation, with ginger, lemon, and other flavourings.

I have had people ask me for babies so they can start their own. I will have to wait a while before the SCOBY will be sturdy enough to separate. I will be doing the continuous brew method, so I will allow the SCOBY to get up to an inch thick before dividing it (unless it appears it wants to divide).

Weight Loss-The Easy Way

2009-08-01T01:29:00.003-04:00

Some of you may have noticed I have a weight loss ticker up there at the top centre of my blog. It says I've lost 8 lbs so far. And before you go thinking I'm talking about baby weight, I'm not-I dropped that about 3 weeks after I had D. Go ahead, hate me if you want.

No, the weight I need to lose is from BEFORE I got pregnant. I was fat when I got married. Okay, maybe not fat compared to some people's standards, but I was fat for ME. I hit a major depression when I jumped on the scales 3 weeks after our wedding and saw it read...172 pounds. At just over 5 and a half feet, that's crazy. Especially since my ideal weight is about 135. That's almost 40 pounds over, for those who feel they need a number. Ouch.

After I had D, I went down to about 168, and have gone down somewhat steadily, then plateaued around 160. Still waaay too high. So when a couple friends and I decided to enter into a weight loss challenge, I figured I'd have no problems, and all that. Yeah, right. I lost a pound, I gained it back, etc. This went on for 2 months. Then I started on the Real Food path. Yep, here I go, talking about Real Food again.

In any case, since that day about a week and a half ago, I have lost 4 pounds. 4 pounds, and all I've done is started drinking real milk (whole milk, with all the cream still in it), eating yogurt I made from the real milk, and trying to eat healthier foods. I eat a LOT of chickpeas, lots of fruits and veggies, and a little meat. Usually 3 oz or less a day. (That's more because we can't afford more, but whatever.) Does it strike you as odd that I've begun eating MORE fat and am losing weight? Huh.

I try to avoid foods that have HFCS, inordinate amounts of sugar, vegetable oils, and other processed crap. About the only processed foods I've eaten in the last few days are organic stoned wheat crackers (and not that many) and packaged gravy (ew, I know, terrible stuff).

I feel pretty good. You can really tell by looking at my face that I have lost weight. I like that my clothes are fitting better, I've put clothes on that I haven't worn in years, and am looking forward to trying on more of my "skinny" clothes. I have drawers and a box full of clothes that were/are too small for me. I have gotten RID of boxes of clothes that I thought would never fit again! I think I donated all of my skinniest clothes, with the idea that I would never fit into them again. But lately, I've started to believe that it might be possible for me to get back down to my ideal weight yet again.

I don't think that I'll ever be as skinny as I was once-at one point, at the end of college and right before I started working as a police officer, I was a very skinny 127 pounds. That is far too thin, for me, as I tend to be muscular and fit. My hipbones stick out really far when I get below 135, and anything below 133 is crazy. My body likes being about 135-that is, if I get moderate amounts of exercise and eat properly.

I will start walking regularly again - we haven't been, in about a week, because of our schedule, the rain, and other reasons. I would love to start running again. I really miss it. My only problem is finding the time. I am loathe to give up my sleep in the mornings, but it might be the only way I can get out. Even if I went for short runs, that would help. Weight training at the gym would be a huge help also, especially in getting my metabolism going again. I miss my muscles. And I think my husband does too.

I am looking forward to getting out and about, getting the dog some extra exercise, and enjoying the rest of the summer. Can you believe it's the first of August??? I will be 32 in 25 days, and I'd like to weigh less than 150 pounds. That would be nice. I'd say I'd like to weigh less than 140 pounds, but that would be pushing it. I'll be realistic.

Ah, Kombucha!

2009-07-31T19:55:00.007-04:00

At this moment in time, I have 2.5 L of real milk in my fridge, and about 1/4 L clabbering on the stove with which I will make cream cheese. We decided we prefer to drink whole milk for the flavour (quite impressive considering I used to refuse to drink anything with more fat than 1%! Delilah is drinking it and enjoying it as well. We slowly integrated it from pasteurized goat's milk to 100% whole milk. She also enjoys the yogurt I made last week.

I started a jug of Kombucha going last night with a friend's SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), using 4 orange pekoe tea bags, a pomegranate green tea bag, and 3 L of water plus a cup of sugar. This is my first attempt at kombucha, so we'll see how it turns out. I put it all into a sun tea jar (with spigot) and covered it with a tea towel and elastic band to keep bugs, dust, and anything else airborne out of it. In 6-8 days I'll check it for flavour and if I can find pH test strips, will check the pH.

For those who have never heard of Kombucha before, basically it's a fermented beverage made from tea and a SCOBY. The yeast in the SCOBY (which theoretically floats on top of the liquid in the jar) consumes the sugar and turns the tea into a healthy, delicious, naturally carbonated fermented beverage. The benefits are twofold, in my opinion: I get the nutrients from the drink, and I get to satisfy my soda addiction (I hope). We'll see.

According to Seeds of Health,

As the Kombucha culture digests the sugar it produces a range of organic acids like glucuronic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, malic acid and usnic acid; vitamins, particularly B vitamins and vitamin C; as well as amino acids, enzymes. And of course there are all the benefits of the probiotic microorganisms themselves. The Kombucha culture is a biochemical powerhouse in your kitchen.

and

Many health claims are made for kombucha but there is less research on the benefits of kombucha than there is on fermented milk products. It has certainly been shown to have similar antibiotic, antiviral and anti fungal properties in lab tests. In rats it’s been shown to protect against stress and improve liver function. There is a lot of experiential evidence from people who have been using kombucha over many years. Many of the benefits reported include improvements in energy levels, metabolic disorders, allergies, cancer, digestive problems, candidiasis, hypertension, HIV, chronic fatigue and arthritis. It ‘s also used externally for skin problems and as a hair wash among other things.

There are many supposed benefits to drinking the tea. From reversal of cancer, to treating skin issues, to reversing the signs of aging...the list is endless. There are internet sites full of testimonials. Here is one of them.

I am impatient to start drinking this, I can't wait to see what happens. I plan on starting small (half an ounce to an ounce a day, increasing by a half ounce per week) to avoid any violent cleansing side effects (nausea, cold symptoms, skin eruptions, etc). I am told this is also a good idea when breastfeeding, as I don't want my liver to do a purge and dump a bunch of toxins into my blood and breastmilk. Once I have my body accustomed to small amounts I will gradually increase the "dosage".

I don't know if Ben will drink it, but I'm sure he will try it. I will let forward him my research, we will discuss it, and he will make his decision. This is how we do practically everything-I discover something I want to try/do, and let him make his decision based on information.

I just hope it doesn't taste funny.

This is a Fight Back Fridays post. A little late, but whatever.

**image from http://www.skrewtips.com/img/300px-kombucha_jar.jpg

Our Journey Down the Real Food Path

2009-07-24T20:47:00.004-04:00

Have you ever had one of those AHA! moments? One where you realize that EVERYTHING you've previously thought about a subject was wrong, incomplete, based on faulty or invalid information, or just plain stupid? I had one of those just recently.

It all started when I toyed with the idea of drinking raw milk. I'm not sure WHERE I first heard that it was good for me, I think Dr Mercola was one of the people who inspired this decision. In any case, I have a friend who knew someone who was a potential source for raw milk and we followed that chain, which resulted in a raw milk source.

When I found out we were able to get some, regularly, I got cold feet - I did a LOT of researching, to make sure that it was safe. It shows you how much you are brainwashed into thinking that "but that's the way it's done" is right. "Pasteurize your milk? Of course! Raw milk is unsafe and you'll die of kidney failure!" Riiiight.

In any case, I found the argument for raw milk pretty convincing. Doctors, farmers, dentists, regular people, a whole bunch of people are out there and willing to talk about raw milk and why you should drink it-and conversely, why you shouldn't drink pasteurized!

I picked up our first installment of milk earlier this week, in a glass 1 gallon jug. It sat in my fridge until the next day, when I sterilized 4 1L mason jars and poured it off into them. There was a little left over in the big container, but that didn't last long.

At that point, I still hadn't tried it (because I'm chicken), so I took a sip-manna! It was delicious. As mentioned in my previous post, I had reservations at first (that brainwashing showing itself) but no more. I DID start small, with a quarter cup serving, so my guts could get used to all the good bacteria and such. I do eat yogurt almost daily, but even with that I could definitely tell a difference. (Sorry if that's TMI!)

I tried spooning off the cream from two of the jars, but that didn't work well, so I procured a sun tea jar/aka glass spigot jar (thanks Food Renegade for the idea!) and got most of it off that way. Then that night, I made butter in my blender. I didn't get as much as I thought I would, but that could be because I had more milk in there than I thought. Better luck next time!

In the course of all this reveling in fresh milk, I was researching. And looking up directions for making butter, yogurt, etcetera. And through THAT research, I learned something. There is a whole Real Food movement out there, a world I didn't even know existed. I mean, sure, eat local, eat organic, eat farm fresh eggs (which we do). But...pasture fed? I had never considered it before! Organic isn't enough?!? Stunning! Now I've started learning about all of this, it makes so much SENSE! Why didn't I think about this/hear about this before?

Another example of Real Food: sprouting or soaking grains/seeds/nuts before you eat them. Who does this? No one I know. But now we do. Last night, I soaked our rolled oats in milk in a pot on the stove (I didn't have any yogurt yet-tonight they are soaking in milk with some yogurt in it). Why? To neutralize a component that makes the oats less bioavailable than they should be. (This makes sense when a grain, seed, or nut's purpose is to propogate, and it can't do that if it's being digested and destroyed in a bird or animal).

Need another example? No processed crap. No white flour or sugar (ok, I was already moving towards that). Pastured, humanely-raised beef, pork, and chicken. Farm-fresh eggs from free-range chickens. Butter or cold-pressed olive oil or coconut oil, not vegetable oil. Most remarkable: ANIMAL FAT IS GOOD FOR YOU. Revolutionary.

I can't write any more now, I'm overwhelmed. I can't believe that I'm turning 32 in a month and I just learned all this. I have so much to make up for!

Raw Milk, and the Making of Yogurt

2009-07-24T19:45:00.004-04:00

I've taken a step into the abyss in the last few days - since we got our first batch of fresh milk. From here on out, I will refer to the milk we drink as REAL milk, as opposed to the store-bought, pus-laden, antibiotic and hormone filled garbage we used to drink. Okay, enough ranting-on with the post.

It is not illegal to drink real milk (aka raw, fresh, or unpasteurized). It is highly recommended that you inspect the cows and farm from which you will be obtaining the milk, to ensure the animals and location are clean and healthy. For obvious reasons.

I must admit, I was a little, well, SCARED, at first. I was hesitant about what it would taste like (I formerly used to drink skim milk from the store-BLECH), I was scared it would be thick and gross, I was scared I would die (ok, not really, but I had fallen into the whole "believe everything the government tells you about stuff" conspiracy regarding pasteurization). I actually waited a day, while the milk sat in the fridge, to gather my courage and take a sip.

It was DELICIOUS. Smooth and creamy, and a little sweet. It tasted NOTHING like store-bought. The milk I tasted first was whole milk, so it was as it came from the cow (when you let it sit, cream rises to the top-just shake it before you pour a glass, to mix it all together). This is the highest fat option. You could also strain off the cream, to use in coffee, to make butter, or cheese. The remainder is milk, a little less sweet. The third option is when making butter from your cream, the liquid that remains after the butter separates is buttermilk. This has even less fat than the milk.

Ever since getting the milk, I've been thinking about what to make with it. We had the equivalent of 4.5 mason jars (almost 5 litres!) so I made butter a couple of nights ago (already eaten, on bread and popcorn), and I have frozen 2 small containers of buttermilk for use in baking and cooking. After skimming the cream off of 2 jars, I have 2 jars of milk (one in the freezer) and we've drank half of one. That left us with 2 jars of whole milk. We are drinking one and the other, I made into yogurt. Yes, yogurt.

Today I perused a bunch of different sites and decided to follow one that seemed the most straight-forward, but didn't add in a bunch of stuff like she did. Here's what I used:

~one 1L mason jar of whole milk, shaken to incorporate cream
~one large saucepan
~1/4 cup yogurt starter (I used Western brand Plain Natural 2% Yogurt)
~candy thermometer
~sink half-full of cold water
~whisk
~1 1/2 L wide-mouth mason jar
~oven pre-heated to 150F, with oven light on

Make sure all pieces of equipment are VERY clean, with no soap residue.

Add milk to saucepan and on low-med heat, bring temperature up slowly to 180F. You don't need to stir. Watch the temperature carefully, you don't want it to get too hot. I chose this temperature as it supposedly provides a thicker consistency.

Remove from heat and place pot into sink filled with cold water and whisk as the temperature drops to 110-115F. Make sure you keep the thermometer in the milk, and watch carefully, as this happens fairly quickly.

Add the yogurt starter in and whisk until smooth.

Remove from the water and pour the milk/starter mixture into your clean 1.5 L jar and place into the oven.

Turn the oven OFF but leave the oven light on - this will maintain the inside temperature at 100F, which is optimal for developing the yogurt.

Now wait. 4-10 hours is average. Do NOT open the door before 4 hours is up.

Some time after 4 hours (I waited almost 6), carefully open the oven door and look at the yogurt. If it is creamy and thickened (yes, you can use a clean spoon), then it's ready and you can take it out, cover it, and place it into the fridge. If it's NOT, you will have to bring the oven heat up a bit (just turn your oven back on up to the lowest temp it'll go, usually 150F) for a minute or to, then turn it off again and leave the door shut! Leave it for another couple hours.

I ended up leaving mine in for closer to 8 hours. It looked a little runny straight out of the oven, but not too bad. I haven't tasted it yet, as it was still warm - I am about to give it a taste test in a few minutes. If it is still runny after cooling, I will strain a bit of the whey (the liquid) and reserve it for fermenting purposes and for soaking grains, seeds, and nuts before eating.

Remember to keep a little of your first batch aside as starter for next time, OR keep using your store-bought yogurt.

You can add in sweetener like maple syrup or honey, plus jam, fruit, vanilla, anything you like.

***for those people who think it's stupid to drink real milk, that it's unsafe - think about this: it's legal in 28 states to sell raw milk for human consumption. Add in the states where it's legally sold for animal consumption, then you have 33 out of the 50 states where it's absolutely legal. Plus all the states where people get around the law by buying "cow shares"-if you own a cow, you can drink it's milk - and you have a LOT of people drinking raw milk. Plus all the farmers' families, people from other countries, and Canada. That's a LOT of people drinking raw milk, and you don't hear about mass deaths.

People have been drinking raw milk for thousands of years. It's unsafe farming practices (overcrowding, hormone treatments, and misuse of antibiotics), like industrial milk farming that create milk that needs to be pasteurized.

For other ideas on how to eat properly and well, with Real Food, check out Fight Back Fridays, over on Food Renegade.

Clean Your Plate July!

2009-07-23T19:42:00.006-04:00

My Recipe for July's Clean Your Plate Recipe Challenge is my favourite curry recipe so far. It involves full-fat coconut milk, organic, free-range chicken, curry powder, and your own favourite picks of in-season vegetables. My husband and I eat this served over a bed of organic medium or long grain brown rice, but you can serve it however you like (I have JUST started into this Real Food thing so be nice!). My husband and I are living on a frugal grocery budget, so I make one chicken breast serve both of us.

In any case, let's get started. This recipe will provide 4 small servings or 3 large ones.

Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2-3 tbsp of medium or spicy yellow curry powder (or however much you need to coat your chicken pieces)
olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 clove garlic (more or less, to taste)
red and green peppers (half of each)-chopped in 1/4 inch chunks
any other in-season vegetables (zucchini, cauliflower, snap peas), chopped
1/4 c homemade chicken stock

Directions:

Place curry powder into a bowl and toss cubed chicken in spice, making sure all pieces are thoroughly covered. Meanwhile, in a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil. Add in onion, ginger, and garlic and cook over low heat until softened.

THIS PART IS VERY IMPORTANT to ensure the curry flavour gets locked in to the chicken: remove onion, garlic, and ginger to a small bowl and add more oil to the pan, if necessary. Turn up the heat and add your curry-coated chicken pieces to the pan and quickly sear the chicken on all sides. **You are NOT cooking the chicken through at this stage, just searing it.

Add the onion, garlic and ginger back to the pan, add 1 can of full-fat coconut milk and 1/4 cup chicken broth (this part is optional, as it gives a depth to the flavour, but if you leave it out you get a more coconut-y taste!) and all your other vegetables.

Keep heat on medium until the mixture starts to simmer, then reduce heat and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Serve over your choice of rice, quinoa, or pasta.

Delicious!

***EDITED TO ADD: if you would like some heat to your curry, feel free to add dried hot red pepper flakes when you add in the coconut milk. I usually add a tablespoon, and that makes it pretty hot.

When Children Get Hurt

2009-07-12T11:10:00.003-04:00

Thursday evening, Ben went off to fly and so I took Harley and Delilah for a walk. I decided to stop in and pick up Sean, Ben's nephew so that he could go with us to the dog park and then the playground. He was nattering away, like usual, as we walked along on the sidewalk, when suddenly, BAM! The stroller stopped! I looked down, and Delilah's left foot was caught on the tire, and her leg was twisted up and around. She was in the rear-facing position, and there is no footrest or fender on the back wheel.

She looked at me with this awful face and started screaming. I had to actually lift her foot and put it back where it should be. As she continued crying, I gently felt the ankle joint and foot and shin for movement where there should be none, and tried to see if I could get a flinch or anything. I looked for immediate swelling and bruising, but didn't see any. She kept pulling her foot away so it was hard, and I didn't want to hurt her more than necessary.

She stopped crying within 3 or 4 minutes, and I didn't see any OBVIOUS signs of a fracture, so I decided to continue on to the park and keep assessing. She fell asleep within 5 minutes and slept the entire time we were at the dog park. She woke up when we got to the playground but was content to stay in the stroller. Sean played for about 10 minutes, then we left for home.

Once Delilah and Harley and I got home (shortly after 8 PM), I took her out of the stroller and attempted to set her on the floor on her feet. She immediately fell onto the floor. That's when I was sure she needed to get checked out. I had to send a friend to the airfield to find Ben to send him home and waited for him.

We got to Victoria Hospital and man, was it packed. Even the kid's emergency room waiting area was full. After about 2 hours we finally saw a doctor who felt her leg and ankle and foot. He couldn't feel any fractures, but once he saw that D wouldn't walk, he ordered x-rays. He felt that, since her bones are so young (and therefore soft), there was a greenstick fracture instead of a complete break through the bone. Which would explain why he couldn't feel a fracture.

The x-rays didn't show any breaks, but the doc still thought there might be, since some won't show on x-rays until 48 hours later for some reason. So he sent us home and told us that if there was no improvement within 48 hours, to come back. We finally got out of the hospital around 1:00 AM. The doctor had told us to give her tylenol or ibuprofin, but of course, D was fast asleep within 5 minutes of leaving the hospital. We managed to get her inside and upstairs without waking her.

The next morning, she still wouldn't walk on it, but didn't seem to be in any pain when she was sitting. Both Ben and I felt that it would be foolhardy to give her pain medication since we didn't want her walking on it-and if Tylenol made her feel better she might try and overdo it. We showed her how to crawl again, and about midmorning, she finally figured it out that she could get around, saving herself a lot of frustration.

The next day, Saturday, D was walking around a little bit in the evening so we felt there was enough improvement that she didn't need to go back for x-rays. Since then, she has used it more and more, but is still crawling on occasion. She'll forget that it's sore and try to do something that is a little too much for it and will whimper a bit and look sad.

It's such a relief that she's healing, and without a cast. It was a terrible feeling, knowing she was injured and in pain and there wasn't much I could do about it.

It's a Walk in the Park

2009-07-08T17:45:00.002-04:00

Cable has been off for what, a week now? Two? I haven't missed it. Once or twice, in the evenings I forget and wonder what's on, but I'm not upset when I realize we don't have anything to watch on tv. Admittedly, it is possible for us to watch stuff online, and we have hooked the laptop up to the television to watch a movie or two (Wolverine last week, Night in the Museum this week). Other than the possibility of us going over our download limit, it's not a bad deal.

One upside of us turning our cable off has been the inordinate amount of time I have on my hands. Who knew? TV was eating my day! Ack! These days, I get a hell of a lot more housework done, and Delilah, Harley and I go on daily walks that average an hour in duration. That's a lot more calories burned than sitting on your duff watching the boob tube.

Today we walked to the Civic Gardens entrance at Wonderland and Springbank (right on the corner) and cut thru the park to the paths. Then we walked all the way along the river past Storybook Gardens and kept going until we reached Byron Baseline by the bridge. The road loops back around and goes back through Springbank Park past a splash pad/wading pool and playground for the kiddies. That will be awesome when Delilah is older! Then we came out exactly where we went in and came home. All told it took us just about 2 hours, with a few water breaks.

I haven't been able to find an actual map of the paths with scale distance that is clear enough to understand-the London City one is terrible. I'd like to know how far we went today. It feels like about 6 km but what do I know?

The paths are great. There are some that are paved and some are crushed stone. There are trees all along the way-willow trees, evergreens, maple trees, and oaks. I am sure there are many more different types as well. There are flowers and plants, ivy and ground cover, wild raspberries, daisies, and more with which I am unfamiliar. There are cyclists and joggers, in-line skaters, people with regular strollers and running strollers. There are people with dogs and babies and older kids.

We have had a couple run-ins with the local wildlife, too. Monday we walked up to the backside of Storybook where the little duck pond is. There was a family of geese on the pedestrian side of the fence - the mom and dad plus 3 goslings. The dad didn't take too kindly to Harley and started hissing and chased us. We ran away. Then, today, there was a big swan by the banks of the river by the dam and it wasn't too friendly either. We avoid the big birds, now.

I'm looking forward to exploring more of the paths, in all directions. Apparently you can get from Springbank Park to downtown London using the path system!

Fitness Challenge Update

2009-06-29T12:11:00.002-04:00

Today was the cut off date for the weight loss challenge I entered into with some friends. In speaking with the other original participant, we decided to extend the challenge to the end of August. We both felt that we hadn't worked as hard as we could have and wish to continue.

I haven't yet told the other participant (I'm sure she'll find out if she reads this today). I think she'll be happy for the extension.

As for weight loss, I gave up measuring myself on a weekly basis because it seemed to discourage me. I haven't seen that much of a loss, but I AM able to wear a lot of things that I couldn't before, so I must be losing.

The biggest difference has come in the last month or so, when I started cleaning my weekly house. It's not a LOT of exercise, but it got me off my butt one day a week, and made me feel good about doing something. Then Amanda gave me a stroller to try (then buy) last weekend and since Monday, Delilah and Harley and I have gone for a walk every day. Sometimes we go for two.

Originally we would walk to the dog park and back, but last week when it got SO hot, it was just too hot for Harley to walk there then play then walk home again. So I decided that we would just walk in the park. It's quite nice, with beautiful paved paths that meander along the river, in and out of shade. There are benches along the way, and bathrooms in case you need them. There are always other people out on the trails: walking, biking, rollerblading, and running. Most of them are friendly and I've even struck up a conversation or two with random strangers (usually over their dog or baby).

Now that we have the stroller, it's easier for me to get out and exercise. I think next time we go I will take my rollerblades and once we get to the park, try them on for size. That's the nice thing about the stroller, it's one of those jogging 3-wheeled ones with a hand brake. It rocks. Thanks Amanda!

I'm a Bad Blogger

2009-06-26T23:48:00.002-04:00

I admit it. I don't post as often as I should, considering there are people who check in daily to see if I've written anything new. I apologize. I will try harder.

That being said, I have to announce that we are officially cable TV-free, as of today. I was a little scared at first. Tomorrow will be the first day in a very long time with the tv off.

When I lived with my parents I watched tv very very rarely. IF there was one show a week that I watched, that was a lot. Then I hit college and watched even less. The only thing I really watched was Survivor (season 1, maybe season 2), and I think that was in the summer. I watched that with Peg and had fun counting the strikes against people.

After I moved to Guelph, I lived with Denny and never watched TV. I don't even know if he had cable. I watched a few movies there but that was it. Then I moved to a basement apartment across town and it was furnished, including satellite tv. I rarely watched there, except for hockey once or twice. Then I moved AGAIN (I know, I've moved a LOT in the last 10 years!), and we had tv with satellite just to watch hockey. I don't remember really watching much tv there. Then I moved out on my own again and had tv briefly. Back to my parents, but didn't watch much, then to Windsor, where I didn't even own a tv set. I did discover Grey's Anatomy and downloaded every episode in Season One and most of Season Two. Back to London, into the House From Fight Club where everything we watched was downloaded or otherwise obtained.

Then I met Ben. Ben, with the ginormous television and multi-package cable. Oh, the hated cable.

I must say, I became addicted. I would sit down to watch one thing and get sucked into a few hours of brain-draining crap. It became worse when I had Delilah. TV doesn't require you have hands free, like reading. It's hard to hold an infant and read at the same time.

A few months ago, we cut down to basic cable in order to reduce our monthly costs. We noticed a big difference in the beginning, and I'm sure I missed a few things. We quikly adapted to having only channels 1 through 28. Then we (ok, I) decided that I really don't need cable at all. For what you pay for, basic cable sucks. You don't get very much.

Ben was concerned that we would lose our deal on high speed internet and therefore not actually save any money by divorcing cable. But I insisted, and he ended up sweet-talking a good internet deal from Rogers. We get to keep our internet at the same rate as if we have a cable-internet package. So that's good. I couldn't live without internet. Really. Ok, maybe i could LIVE, but I wouldn't be very happy.

I'm a little hesitant about how my days are going to go when it is like a furnace outside and am stuck in here with nothing to do - I guess my house is gonna get a whole lot cleaner!

I'll keep you posted.

World Oceans Day

2009-06-04T17:49:00.004-04:00

***thanks to OceanHealth.Org for the image!
This upcoming Monday, June 8, 2009, is World Oceans Day. It is a day recognized by the United Nations, for the first time this year! Here is some info, taken from The Ocean Project Website:

The concept of a "World Ocean Day" was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The Ocean Project has been working closely with the World Ocean Network for the last six years to promote and coordinate World Ocean Day events and activities with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations and agencies, universities, schools, and businesses. Each year an increasing number of countries and organizations have been marking June 8th as opportunity to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea.

But you say you don't live near an ocean, so it doesn't matter to ME-WRONG! The world's oceans affect all of us. Your actions CAN help. Your biggest contribution to our oceans' health is to reduce your plastic use, reduce your consumption (of everything), reuse things that you can, and recycle everything that can't be reused. Compost your kitchen scraps! They make better soil than garbage! See previous posts on how to become more environmentally friendly.

Here are some ideas on how to celebrate/recognize World Oceans Day (also taken from The Ocean Project website):

Beginning this year we can all start to associate the color blue with World Oceans Day. This event has been unofficially celebrated for more than a dozen years but this year marks the inaugural World Oceans Day, officially recognized by United Nations resolution as June 8th each year.

One easy thing that all Partners and supporters can do is to wear blue in honor of the ocean. Many already do as part of their uniform, but we encourage all ZAM [zoos, aquariums and museums] staff and docents as well as those working at NGOs, agencies, and universities and schools, to help spread the blue.

We also suggest that you not only wear blue, but let people know why: tell people two things they likely don't know about our ocean and how they can help.

Connecting ocean health with climate change and healthy seafood are two issue opportunities for ZAMs and others to begin to more effectively engage the public in caring more and doing more for our shared ocean.

Our recent research shows...people want this info from ZAMs, and people want to be part of the solutions and believe their individual actions can help. Let's take advantage of that huge opportunity and, together, we can bring about some really positive change!

Two examples of what you could share with your visitors and the public:
Our ocean is in trouble, with climate change already linked to the killing of coral reefs, and destructive fishing practices causing a dramatic decline in many types of the fish we depend on for food.
There are important, easy actions each of us can take to help. Calculating our carbon footprints and looking for ways to reduce our role in climate change is a great step. Likewise, we can choose seafood that is abundant in supply and fished or farmed without harm to the ocean. ZAMs might want to consider, for instance:
Providing carbon calculators, such as those at StopGlobalWarming.org, EPA, or Berkeley Institute of the Environment, on-site and linking online so visitors can learn more.
Handing out sustainable seafood guides and cards on-site and linking online to programs such as Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch, Blue Ocean Institute, or Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector.

Homemade Composter

2009-06-01T22:19:00.007-04:00

I finally got my composter made. Not that it was a lot of work, but actually getting to the store by myself (so I'd have room in the car for the can) to get the garbage can took a bit longer than expected. I picked up a Rubbermaid Toughneck garbage can. It cost under $15 from Home Depot.

Tonight I pressed Ben into service and had him drill evenly spaced 1/4" holes all over it - the lid, the bottom, and all around the sides, for good air flow, drainage, and to let a little rain water in. After it was all drilled, I took it out back and layered some organic potting soil into the bottom, followed by kitchen scraps collected over the last few days, and then put some dried leaves on top. Luckily I didn't get a chance to rake the leaves up last fall before snow covered them, so they are all still there for me to use as my "brown" item! I plan on getting another (cheap) garbage can in which to store the dried leaves, and then each time I add a layer of kitchen scraps I will throw a handful of the leaves on top. This does two things: it keeps the proper ratio of "green" to "brown" in the compost bin, and keeps down the smell.

For those not familiar with compost rules, there are two types of compostable materials, green and brown. There should be an equal amount (by weight) of browns and greens.

"Green" items are nitrogen-rich materials:
~kitchen scraps such as vegetables and fruit scraps, paper towels, coffee grinds and filters, crushed egg shells
~yard waste
~grass clippings

"Brown" items are carbon-rich materials and include:
~shredded newspaper and paper
~finely ground sawdust
~dried leaves
~bread, pasta and rice
~shredded egg cartons and cardboard

Things that are NOT compostable include:
~diseased plants
~oils or fats (butter, peanut butter, cooking oil, etc)
~meat and animal bones
~pet waste or litter
~ash, sawdust, or shavings from painted or chemically-treated wood

Here is some info about composting rules, taken from the City of London's website on composting:

Locate the composting bin in an area with good drainage and one that is accessible year round (partial shade is preferred).
Loosen the soil over the area on which you are going to place your backyard composter. This will allow soil organisms (insects and worms) to move up the pile.
Put down a thick layer (4 cm/10 in) of browns, such as dry leaves or shredded paper.
Add a layer of greens, such as kitchen scraps, garden trimmings or grass clippings and spread evenly (6 cm/2 in).
Cover green material with browns (10 cm/4 in). This reduces fruit flies and odours. A layer of soil or compost will work in place of the browns. Soil and compost has the added benefit of supplying "starter" micro-organisms to accelerate the process.
Continue to alternate layers of green & brown until your compost bin is full. Tip!! Save some bags of dry leaves every fall.
Turning: When the backyard composter is full, mix and add air to the pile by turning with a garden fork or turning tool. Alternatively, lift compost bin off pile and place in a new location. Fork material back into bin, mixing it well.
Monitor moisture: it should be like a wrung out sponge - damp but not soaking. Add water if pile is dry. If too wet, add some browns.
Continue to mix the pile every 10-14 days. Note: Pile may heat up and shrink after being turned.
After 3-4 turnings, the compost should be ready. It should be crumbly, moist, dark coloured and have an earthy smell. Allow this material to mature for a couple of months before using.

During the winter months, continue with Steps 4 and 5 (save fall leaves for step 5). Click here for more details on winter composting.

Controlled and speedy decomposition is all about balance. If your compost pile is too full of browns, then your pile will be slow to decompose. On the other hand, if the pile is too full of greens, it will turn slimy and smell bad. The goal is to have roughly equal amounts, by weight, of browns and greens.

I encourage EVERYONE to have a composter. Reduce the garbage that goes to the dump, decrease greenhouse emissions from the breakdown of compostable materials (they need oxygen to compost, and the dump doesn't give them that-hence they produce methane), and create wonderful, rich, dark compost for your gardens and lawn! You will find that you will reduce your garbage output by up to 75% if you compost diligently!!!

Update on Earth-Friendly Maid Service

2009-05-27T20:35:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone.
Thanks for being patient with my lackadaisical posting these last few months. It seems I get into a writing fever for a bit and post almost daily (or multiple times in one day), then I trickle off into nothingness for a few weeks. I apologize and hope everyone can understand that life happens.

Having said that, I'd like to give everyone an update on the cleaning business. Earth-Friendly Maid Service officially has 2 clients; one weekly client and one bi-weekly. I've done two separate one-time cleans and have a bid in for another (which I am hoping will become a regular client). I also have a potential two more estimates to do for relatives of my weekly client. If they both sign up for regular cleans, my weekly client will earn $40 in gift certificates to be used however she wants. Not bad, for simply passing on my name and number, huh?

Anyway, I'm pretty excited. The client I just signed up with today (ok, more like a verbal agreement at this point), saw the car magnets while out and about. Talk about cheap advertising! I am also advertising on Facebook, in a trial period for a week. I set my budget low so it doesn't get too exorbitant, but I'm hoping that I get SOMETHING out of it. If I do, I'll increase my budget for that venue. Apparently there are over 266,000 people in the London area (within 50 miles of London) who use Facebook. Obviously not all of those people will be target clients, but word of mouth has its uses.

My goal is to get one or two more weekly or bi-weekly clients, which I will clean, then I plan on looking into getting employees. I'm sure there is a lot involved with that (taxes, CPP, EI, etc) and I am not really looking forward to that, but I'd like to grow this business into something that, eventually, I can run from home. I'd like to eventually do NONE of the cleaning, and simply run the business. I realize that will take time, effort, and patience, but I am hoping that people will help me out and pass the word! Tell everyone you know about your friend who is starting up a business and needs support! In addition, I will be starting interviews for a part-time employee.

Requirements for an applicant:
-trustworthy;
-clean criminal record check (yes I will be checking, are you surprised?);
-attention to detail;
-experience with housecleaning preferred, although it is not a requirement;
-access to vehicle;
-flexible schedule;
-willingness to learn new methods of 'earth-friendly' cleaning methods (ENJO, natural cleaners,e tc);
-desire to reduce our impact on our environment by eliminating disposable cleaning products and toxic cleaners; and
-reliable.

I am sure there are other requirements but these are ones I think of immediately. Please pass on the website address to anyone who may need (or knows someone who needs) a maid service. In addition, pass on the word that I will be hiring, and looking for one (and another, eventually) good person to help me represent my company.

Check out the website! I will be updating it soon (tomorrow, likely), with another interesting and informative blog post.

www.earthfriendlymaidservice.ca

Quilt Giveaway

2009-05-13T12:40:00.001-04:00

I want to win this quilt for Delilah so badly I can taste it. Seriously. I can't believe, it, because it's pink and girly, but OMG it's gorgeous!

Check it out here. Or click on the Win This Quilt button on the right sidebar.

I love it!

Challenge: Show Us Your (Plastic) Trash!

2009-05-13T10:01:00.004-04:00

Over on Fake Plastic Fish, Beth has thrown down the challenge gauntlet and is urging us to take part! Go on over and sign up for the challenge! It should be interesting to see how much plastic you accumulate in a week. Her rules are below (clipped directly from her site, thanks Beth!)

Post a note on my blog letting me know you're doing it, and any links to your blog. Then go to Fake Plastic Fish (at the link shown above) and do the same! Thanks!

"THE RULES:

1) Collect all of your own plastic waste for a minimum of one week. (Longer is okay, too, but try to separate out the weeks' collections.) What qualifies as yours? Anything that benefits you. So, if your housemate or significant other brings home a tub of yogurt that you both share, the tub goes in your tally. But if you hate yogurt, never touch the stuff, and wouldn't have bought it for yourself in a million years, it's not your responsibility. What about stuff for your kids? I'll leave that up to you. Whatever you decide, just be consistent about collecting it. Personally, I'd be very interested to see how much plastic waste is generated by babies, since I don't have children myself.

2) Try to live the way you normally would. It doesn't help to artificially reduce your plastic consumption for the sake of a one-week tally if you will go back to living with more plastic afterward. Think of this exercise as a scientific experiment. Nothing more.

3) At the end of the week, take a photo of your stash and list out the items. You might also want to include details about what things are recyclable in your community or not.

4) Guilt is not encouraged. Nor are comparisons with other people whom you perceive to be doing "worse" or "better" than you in terms of plastic waste. This exercise is for purely educational purposes. Guilt doesn't help.

5) After tallying your plastic waste, try answering the following questions:

What items could I easily replace with plastic-free or less plastic alternatives?

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic-free alternative doesn't exist?

How many of these items are from "convenience" foods that could be made from scratch with less packaging but might take more time to prepare?

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?

6) Guilt is unnecessary.

7) Send your photo, tally, and answers to questions to beth[at]fakeplasticfish[dot]com along with as much personal info as you feel comfortable sharing: Geographical location, gender, housemate/relationship status, work status (at home or away from home), children living with you, etc. These factors might influence the amount of plastic waste you generate and would be interesting to know, but are completely up to you of course.

8) If you have your own blog, feel free to post your tally, etc. there as well. And let me know the URL so I can link to you.

9) There is no time limit for doing this exercise. I would love to publish a series of "Show Us Your (Plastic) Trash" posts over several weeks or even months, depending on the response.

10) Guilt will only get in the way of understanding. It's not needed for this challenge.

11) Seriously.

Who's in?"

Happy Birthday Delilah!

2009-05-09T08:13:00.002-04:00

Happy First Birthday, my happy, beautiful girl!

Shirt Dress Sew-Along

2009-05-08T17:39:00.002-04:00

Ok. So I followed a tutorial I found online to make a toddler dress out of a dress shirt. I used one of my old dress shirts and found the length was perfect-I wouldn't have to hem the bottom! I traced one of D's current dresses and followed the tutorial from Made. Over on Presser Foot they are doing a sew along this month using the tutorial.

Anyway. Above picture is of the final product. This is what happens when you forget to add seam allowances when tracing an existing piece of clothing. The dress fit her fine except it was too narrow through the shoulders. This fabric had no give-I had to cut it off of her!

Now I know for next time. I am going to the thrift store for some more shirts.

One Year Later

2009-04-30T11:21:00.007-04:00

Time sure does fly, doesn't it?

Last year at this time I was huge, uncomfortable, and off work early due to minor complications with the pregnancy. I was hoping for an early birth, since I was terrified of going over and being induced. I always said I felt I would go early but expected to be late. I was right, and "Fred" was born on May 9, 2008 at 11:11 AM. "Fred" became Delilah as soon as Daddy announced "It's a girl!" and chased her off into the back room to watch them weigh her and check her lungs.

To be honest, during my whole pregnancy I was terrified of the thought of labour and birth. I made the biggest mistake in my life when I went to those childbirth classes. I didn't learn anything, but I sure did get some bad visuals. Seriously-I know how babies come out. I don't need to see it. Those images did more to freak me out and put me in a bad headspace than everything combined.

Anyhow, moving on...

This last year has been amazing, with some really hard parts as well as the most amazing, love-filled, joyous moments. It doesn't matter what's going on, how frustrated or tired or whatever I'm feeling, when Delilah looks at me and smiles, or comes up and gives me a hug, it all goes away. My heart fills up with the most agonizing love I've ever felt in my life.

It's hard to believe that my baby is almost a year old. She's walking, using American Sign Language, and has a few spoken words (mum, da, dog, hot). She has 8 teeth with a couple more trying to make it through, and weighs just over 20 pounds. Her feet are just over 4 inches long, which make them a little small for her age (size 4), and is wearing 12-18 shirts for the arm length while she can still wear 6-12 month pants. She rouses in the middle of the night lately and turns sideways, kicking or karate chopping one or both of us. Ben gets more sleep than I. She has slept every night of her life with me and her dad, except during nights when he chose to sleep on the couch (translation: fell asleep while watching tv and refused to come to bed) or when he was out of town visiting friends.

D has a friend, A, who is only 3 days older than D. Happy Early Birthday A! It's been interesting to see how the two of them develop compared to each other. It was hilarious when they grew the same teeth in the same order: the bottom two central incisors, followed by the upper 4 (central incisors plus lateral incisors), followed by the bottom left lateral incisor, followed by the bottom right lateral incisor...how strange is that?

Delilah loves our new dog Harley. She loves to pet (hit, pull hair, poke, bash with various toys) and lay down with him on his bed. She also loves to kiss him and be kissed by him, much to my chagrin-I think it's disgusting, but what can you do? Remove the dog's tongue? Anyway, we're so fortunate to have found a dog who not only LIKES kids, but is so tolerant that he just lays there when Delilah is abusing him. We tell him every day how good he is!

Now that Delilah is really starting to play and enjoy toys, I'm starting to get excited about the upcoming years when we can play dress up, do art activities, and much more. I know you're not supposed to rush things, but I am really looking forward to all the activities we'll do together. At the same time, I wish things would slow down, that time could stop, just for a while, so we could better enjoy this moment in time. I already miss holding an infant, and sometimes regret that we aren't having any more, but I think about all the reasons we only want one: extra attention D will get because she's an only, we'll have more money to do more fun stuff, and we'll never have divided attention or "favourites". D will always be OUR girl, our one and only baby. I guess I'll just live vicariously through other people when they have babies.

With my recent resignation from my full-time, secure position, I am scared sometimes about my decision, especially in this economy. I read an article today on how, sometimes, your job actually costs you just about as much as you make, so living without it isn't actually as hard as you'd think. Consider this:

Usually, parents find out that the cost of working is quite close to what they make. To see if this might fit you, consider the following. If both parents are working, there are always extra expenses. Take your lowest income. Then, subtract the amount you spend in gas to travel to that job. Also subtract how much you spend on drinks, meals at and to or from your job. If you pay for daycare or an after school program, subtract that amount from your income. Now consider the amount of money that you spend on clothing or shoes for that job. Next, start paying attention to the amount of money that you spend on items that you really don’t need and items out of guilt for the time you miss with your children. Now, consider how much less you might spend on food if you were making less prepackaged, on the go, and convenience foods. Most generally, when all is said and done, parents find that extra income is nearly spent just in maintaining that job. (quote from here)

When I think about it THAT way, I consider the cost of transportation (either bus or car), lunch costs, coffee costs, soda pop, all the unnecessary expenditure at Shoppers Drug Mart (nearby), unnecessary takeout lunch purchases, etc. Add in the cost of daycare (anywhere from $30 a day to $800 a month) and the benefits of working seem to pale in comparison. Plus, I consider the BIGGEST cost, my time. I wouldn't be able to see Delilah grow up, she'd be practically raised by someone else, and my heart would break every time I left her in someone else's care. It's TOTALLY not worth it.

VistaPrint

2009-04-18T12:27:00.003-04:00

I recently ordered 500 business cards, customized t-shirts, and car door magnets for advertising my company. The cost for all that, before taxes and shipping, was under $55. Can you believe it? A certain company I sell candles for charges $49.95 for 500 business cards ALONE.

The company I ordered from, VistaPrint, is offering to my friends a discounted first purchase. If you click on the banner, it will take you to the page where a special discount code will be entered for your purchase. They sell everything from stationary like letterheads, notepads, websites, and much more.

Check out Vista Print today!

Check Out My Website!

2009-04-17T12:23:00.007-04:00

Hi everyone!

I have been toiling over the creation of an all-new website for Earth-Friendly Maid Service. There you will find recipes for natural cleaning products, discussion boards, and info about my company. The site is still under construction, so please be patient.

Thanks!

Click HERE to go to the website.

If the link doesn't work, try cutting and pasting into your browser:
www.earthfriendlymaidservice.wordpress.com

Too Late To Change My Mind

2009-04-16T09:57:00.002-04:00

I have resigned from my position at work. Given all the circumstances and the issue of childcare and everything that goes with it, we decided it was best if I stayed home with Delilah. It seems foolish (at best) in this economy to give up a good paying, good job, but I don't feel I have any other option. I never wanted to go back, but towards the end it appeared Ben was going to be out of work still, so I had resigned myself to going back at least part time for the first month or so. Then the very DAY that I was at work, a lady from Hully Gully called and said they needed Ben there. (Hully Gully is owned by same family as Ultimate Suzuki.)

I was actually, literally, IN my boss's office when I got the message to call Ben. Thinking something was wrong, I called him back and that's when he told me he was going back to work. Gah. I had just told my boss I was coming back. Too bad you can't rewind your day, just a bit.

In any case, I need income and I've decided to start an all-natural, environmentally responsible cleaning company. It will be called Earth-Friendly Maid Service. I'm looking for some business - tell your friends-if they mention my blog I'll give them a discount off their first clean.

Reduce the toxins in your home-hire Earth-Friendly Maid Service today!

Nestle Pure Life Water Commercial

2009-04-15T09:46:00.002-04:00

Has anyone else seen this commercial? It's laughable. Everything they say is true: they talk about how kids don't swim in pools of high fructose corn syrup, how they don't play in sugar, etc. They talk about artificial colours and flavours, too. It gets your attention, until you realize what the ad is for: bottled water!!!

Um.

Does anyone wonder why companies sell stuff? It's not because they want to improve the world, it's not because they think that their product is better for the public. It's because they make MONEY!!!! Especially big companies like Nestle. Bottled water is a multi-million dollar industry.

The worst part of this is that tap water is better for your pocketbook and the environment. There are safeguards and regulations in place regarding tap water-it's there to protect us. There are fewer regulations regarding bottled water, and it is much more likely to contain feces. Google that, if you don't believe me. Worse, companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi take tap water and run it through filters and then bottle it. That works out to 40% of all bottled water - it's just glorified tap water anyway!

On the side of the environment: it is estimated that 88% of Americans don't recycle their water bottles, they throw them out. That works out to 40 million water bottles A DAY. I don't have numbers for Canadian water bottles but numbers (the 88% part) are likely similar. Nevermind the fact that the bottles are made of plastic that usually isn't made from recycled materials.

Health-wise, we should all know that plastic leaches chemicals. "They" say that BPA (Bisphenol-A) is the dangerous plastic, and that plastics now are safe and don't leach....BUT...didn't they say that about BPA? For years they've used plastics in food storage for adults and babies and assumed it was safe, only to find out that it isn't. What a surprise.

To close, I'd like to implore people: don't fall prey to advertising. Don't buy plastic water bottles at up to 10,000 times the cost of tap water. Instead, invest in a stainless steel water bottle, or a mason jar with tight fitting lid. Carry it with you, and refill it from the tap. People may look at you funny when you hand a mason jar to them to fill, but hey, maybe it will make them think!

Fitness Challenge

2009-04-12T09:38:00.006-04:00

Two friends & I (names held back until they give me permission to post them) have embarked on a fitness challenge -with each other. This has sprung from a desire to get in shape, and I think that a little friendly competition will up the ante a little and help keep me motivated.

The prize: a Chapters gift card, with each participant contributing $10.

We weighed in this morning, and measured calves, thighs, hips, bust, waist, and upper arms. Then, each Monday we will check in with each other. Each pound lost is worth 1 point and each inch lost is worth one point. June 28th we will tally and the person with the most points wins.

They've got a tough challenge ahead of them!

The best part? My summer clothes will fit.

Anyone else want in?