Off we go to California!! A weekend trip to Huntington Beach, to be exact. The trip is a gift from Josh’s boss in lieu of a raise this year, due to the recession. The owner only has a few of us going, about 20 I think, so it should be fun. I can’t wait to hit the beach and maybe some shops. I can’t wait to share stories. It’s a mystery trip, in a way: will we be left to do as we please, but there will be a company supper, or some pre-booked activities? I guess we will find…
When I started a month ago, I had no idea if eating whole food would make a difference. Fortunately, it did! I thought that eating no processed food would be really difficult, but with just a little bit of planning ahead, I was easily able to avoid it and eat whole food instead. Now, I don’t crave the chips, sugary snacks and crackers I used to. Instead, I started to reach for fruit or veggies, homemade hummus or nuts as a snack. At first, I was very gassy! I think just the rapid upping of fiber intake hurt me a…
I am a lazy eco-warrior. Every Spring I get so fired up about saving the planet, then take on too much and fizzle out in the winter. This year I am going to pace myself. I am also going to learn patience and to be less impulsive- because the Earth needs us ALL the time, not just when we feel like doing eco-friendly choices or if it’s convenient for us. It’s kinda like exercise in that way! Who doesn’t feel motivated when they start and then stop when the going is slow or we hit a plateau? Our brains are…
I have a sweet tooth. I love chocolate and cake and ice cream and candy. But….being gluten-free, most of that is off-limits to me. I have to be really careful about what sweets I eat because most of them contain wheat or a glutinous ingredient. Because of that and through a lot of effort on my part, my taste-buds have changed. Actually, being in Japan for a year in my early twenties helped as well. Their sweets are a lot less sugary and sweet than ours! They rely more on natural flavour than sweetness. In fact, the Japanese would warn…
You know what I love? The idea of taking care of yourself. The idea of loving yourself, body and soul. Sometimes the soul needs a helping hand and sometimes that helping hand is online therapy. I haven’t tried online therapy myself, yet, but the idea fills me with calm. I have, however, been on-again, off-again with therapy and counseling since I was in my early teens. Whenever I have a particularly rough patch, I go back to a therapist to help me through it. My first bout with therapy was when I was 14, after a failed suicide attempt. It…
I was concerned that eating more mindfully would take a long time to make a difference, but changes are happening!! I wake up easier in the morning, my nails are stronger, and my bowel movements are normal. I know it seems like TMI but bowel movements are so important! That’s how we get rid of toxins and how your gut communicates its health to you….so I have learned to stop being grossed-out and to pay attention to them. I also find that I have more energy for workouts and get less light-headed after them. All the wins! It’s been hard,…
My kids used to hate sweet potato, but they love this recipe! Plus, this spiced smashed sweet potato recipe takes around ten-fifteen minutes to make, depending on the size of the vegetable, so it’s an easy weeknight solution. They are so easy that they have become a bit of a go-to for me and the kids are getting sick of them. Haha! One night, I had planned to roast a large sweet potato and forgot to throw them in the oven!! Does that happen to you?? I knew they would cook in the microwave in a quarter of the time,…
My kids are so picky at breakfast time! They don’t even seem hungry when they wake up. I always find them playing or reading! Often, I have to find them and drag them to the table. It’s really annoying because I love breakfast and it is the most important meal of the day. I really want my kids to be full and happy for the first part of the school day. But it’s been hard to convince them to eat more than sugary cereal every morning. I never say die! I am very stubborn and tried several recipes until I…
The average American person produces about 5 lbs of garbage per day, while the average Canadian throws away about 1/2 kg of packaging daily (JUST packaging). We need to reduce waste! I feel very passionate about reducing waste and, apparently, live in the worst province in Canada for garbage and waste- Alberta. When people complain about their compost bin, I want to kick them. I was visiting my mom in rural Saskatchewan and she was mentioning how the ladies at work were commenting on the inconvenience of taking things to recycling and composting in such an isolated area. I replied…
It started with shrimp. I had a package of defrosted cooked shrimp to use up and was going to use it in a salad, but made a last minute decision to make a stir-fry. It was one of those nights where everything was rushed. As usual, I started supper late and Hunter had gymnastics that night, so I had to whip up something fast! (Why do we have to eat three times a day?!? So annoying, right?) Using what was on hand, plus a couple of surprising choices, I made this delicious concoction that had the kids making satisfied noises…