Making Lemonade

Changes

2011-08-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I only ever get in front of this screen with the purpose of writing when life seems confusing.

I guess its just the act of putting it down, releasing it from my mind which truthfully keeps me up at night and makes me crazy. I suppose I hope that by typing it out I can make my head and heart settle.

There is nothing WRONG in my life, who knows, maybe that is why I am unsettled. I have a job I love, that allows me plenty of creativity and a chance to be around people - family life is good, all is well, but yet inside me, I feel like a storm is definitely brewing.

My boys are growing up. I think that has hit me really hard this summer. With one going into highschool, and the other into grade seven, the reality that my grip on them is slipping, that the days of them needing me to hold them in my lap and make them feel better are gone, I feel sad.

I am so happy for them for all of the exciting adventures ahead, and I am so proud of the little men I have raised, but the mama bear in me, well she is not having such an easy time of it.

And, in typical Julie fashion, the realization of them becoming men, reminds me of my own age, and of all the things in my life that I set aside so that I could be mom first and foremost. It leaves me taking a good hard look at myself, and not necessarily liking what I see.

So, I resolve to myself that its time to change - that there is really no reason in the world for me not to be the person I always felt I was meant to, that the excuses are running out and there is no one else to hide behind.

Problem is, I feel like underneath it all there is the ball of emotions that I have buried and stuffed down, and now I feel like they are all coming to the surface at once and I'm not sure how to deal with them. When you carry something for so long that you can't remember why or how you picked it up in the first place it is physically and emotionally crippling to try to put it down.

But the freedom is there - I can feel it. I think it scares me really...the not knowing what will happen when I finally break free of these chains that have held me down for so long. Afraid I will get hurt, afraid I will hurt someone else, unsure of who I am, and who I am supposed to be.

I suppose that is the caveat of change, that we just really never know, we only know that its time...and that we cannot run from change, it always finds us - whether we think we are ready not.

New Recipe : Souvlaki and Spanokopita Orzo

2011-05-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

So, my little sister introduced me to the new Rachael Ray cookbook "Look and Cook". I loved it so much, that I bought it....twice!

Ha, the first time I gave it to my mom for mother's day, since she seemed to be enjoying all the lovely pictures too ;)

So, anyway, as I try some of the recipes I will review them and post them here for you.

This, as usual is tweaked by Julie (and Epicure)

Souvlaki

4 or 5 chicken breasts
olive oil
lemon juice
VE Souvlaki seasoning
VE Greek seasoning
Sea Salt and Pepper

I mixed this all together - I never measure, just till it looks well coated ;)

I marinated it over night, which I recommend.

Then as my youngest son put the chicken on little skewers, I boiled up about two cups of orzo pasta, and made the spinach sauce.

To do this, I sauteed about 1/2 cup of onions in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, for about six minutes.

Then I added some fresh spinach I had pureed in my vitamix. I also added a few sprigs of fresh dill, just cuz that's how I roll ;) then I added about half a cup of chicken stock. (I would recommend using a low sodium one)

This part was not so appetizing ;)

After the orzo was done (oh and my souvlaki is at this point on the grill) I added it to the spinach sauce, and then melted in about 1/4 cup of fresh feta, and another cup of spinach leaves.

Then, served the souvlaki on top of the orzo concoction. It was VERY good. Even the boys ate it, minus the onions (they picked that out, fussy buggers ;))

For those of you who need a more detailed recipe (since this would be a pain to print) here is
Rachel's recipe.

Free Membership

2011-04-06T05:48:00.000-07:00

Want to win a bottle of VIVIX?

2011-03-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

Most of you who still read here, likely know how much I love this product.
While it is a costly supplement, it has changed my life dramatically, and the lives of others!

Please take a moment to read about some of the testimonials I have posted on my website.

So, how do you win?

Well, head on over to my brand spanking new FB page, click "Like" and then fill out the submission form (if you can't find it, it is under contest on the left hand side)

You do however have to be from the US or Canada!

Good luck! Contest ends April 01, 2011!

P.S - because of the formatting of the contest (through fb) I can't offer extra ballots for sharing this contest, I can however, give away something else to those who share! So, if you post here that you have tweeted, posted on your blog, or facebooked, I will enter you in for a FULL bottle of Basic H! (post in the comments for each time you have shared the contest)

Recipe- Italian Wedding Soup

2011-01-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had this soup at East Side Mario's? It is a long time favorite of mine, but as I don't get out to restaurants very often, I thought I would recreate it at home. I have been making this recipe for months now, and I LOVE it. It freezes well, so I always make a big batch and use smaller batches for lunches for myself and my husband.

Italian Wedding Soup - my recipe.

As Julie recipes go, this is very dependent on your own tastes. I don't measure my broth so this is just a "guestimate" add more or less depending on how you like your soup.

First thing I do is fill a LARGE stockpot 1/3 full with water. Here is what my stockpot looks like to give you an idea.

Then, I add my chicken stock. I use Epicure chicken stock because I think it has amazing flavour and very little sodium. In this case I used about 1/8 cup.

Then I added about 1 cup of chopped carrots, I use my vitamix for this and just whirl up my carrots, onions and some stock. Note: After I have used the epicure chicken stock, I also use No name liquid chicken stock to turn the remainder of my water into stock. I add this throughout the soup making process until I get the flavour I want. Add to the stock and bring to a rapid boil.

Then its time to make the meatballs! I put my pound of ground chicken into a bowl, and add about a cup of breadcrumbs. I always make my own, and in this case I had half a pita sitting around so that was what I used. I also use about 1 tbsp of Epicure Pesto seasoning for this. It flavours the meatballs amazingly! Add an egg, mix well, and that is your meatball mix :)

Then I use my handy dandy meatballer (from pampered chef, yes, I support a lot of home businesses ;)) to drop the mix into the boiling soup on the stove.

Then I add 1 bag of spinach, and more stock to taste and let it simmer for an hour or so.

It all bubbles happily away on the stove :)

Then about an hour before I plan to serve I add about 1- 1.5 cups of pasta. I use the one pictured below.

Then serve with some nice garlic bread or breadsticks and enjoy!!!

Shaklee testimonial newsletter

2011-01-21T13:00:00.001-08:00

I know I constantly rave about my experience with Shaklee products, but don't just take my word for it, here is a newsletter FILLED with great stories and testimonials!

Shaklee testimonial newsletter

View more documents from Sudbury Clean and Green.

Cinch success story - Tasha Starr

2011-01-20T07:22:00.000-08:00

This Cinch testimonial is very dear to my heart. My very good friend Tasha and I are fortunate enough to share our lives in many ways. Friends to begin with, I began working for her about two years ago as a contractor. She joined Shaklee with me shortly after I did, less than six months ago.

Tasha is an inspiration to me in so many ways, but a few things that have always stuck out to me is her drive to succeed in all things, and her compassion for others and love of her family. So naturally Shaklee was a great fit for her!

Tasha and I also started Cinch together around the same time, with the small difference that she actually stuck to it over the holidays and I didn't. I am however back on track now!

Here are her amazing before and after shots!

New Year - New Me?

2011-01-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

2011 is here, and as the beginning of a new year starts I wanted to take a look back a moment on 2010 and write down at least five positive things that happened to me last year.

I tend to be the type that focuses on what I DIDN'T accomplish instead of what I did, so I want to begin turning around my thinking to the things that are positive instead!

1- I managed to branch out my retouching and design business to a few new clients of my own. This was a big accomplishment for me becuase for the most part I do consulting work for another (magnificently talented) Photographer who consistently checks my work, thus creating a bit of a safety blanket. So it was nice to know that someone else loved my work based only on what I myself had done. I would love to continue growing in this area this year.

2-I lost 28 pounds- I also gained around 20 (from earlier in the year) leaving me only down 8 since 2009, but I still managed to lose 28 pounds in one session so I am pretty happy with that :) Again, this year, my goal is to lose 50 pounds. Very doable, so I am going to plan to succeed. I also want to walk/run in a half marathon in my 35th year, so as I am now 34, I want to begin training for that!

3-I practiced driving- While it is true that darned drivers license is STILL taunting me, I DID get out of my comfort zone several times and get behind the wheel, so this year, I am going to get it. It is my NUMBER one goal for 2011.

4-I joined Shaklee and started another business!- This one was particularly exciting for me since I wasn't looking for it, and it just sort of fell in my lap. That's always the best kind of opportunity.
I have been using their supplements and weight loss products as well as their amazing beauty line and I can honestly say that it has made a great impact. So goal for 2011 is to keep growing my team, and become more confident in myself when it comes to following up with my customers, and really be an example of how well these products work (which requires a bit more diligence on my part to stick to it, especially Cinch)

5-I spent lots of time rediscovering my sons- To be honest, I suppose it should really be my oldest son, but something happened when he became a teen, and all of a sudden he just GREW up in front of my eyes. This led to many conversations, tears and questions, and I find myself so much closer to him having gone through it all. It also prompted me to begin working on my relationship with my younger son knowing it won't be much longer until he is a teen too! So 2011, I want to really focus on my relationships. All of them, not just with my sons, but my husband, my family and my close friends. Take time....

So in addition to those things I really want to be more active this year. Less time on the couch/computer and more in the world. (Didn't do so well at that last year ;))

I hope you all have a wonderful year! I am back on track with tracking my food and using the great Cinch products to help with my weight loss. They have a great promo this month so if anyone is interested in doing this with me, here are the details! If you decide to try it let me know and I will help you get set up!

Everyone who joins Shaklee in January can experience the Shaklee Difference™ with Cinch!

Anyone who signs up as a new Member or Distributor (with a minimum $70 order) or as a new GOLD Ambassador (with the purchase of a GOLD or Super GOLD Mission Pack) will also get a Cinch Sampler Pack at no additional cost. This new pack includes:

1 canister of Vanilla Cinch® Shake Mix (soy protein blend)

1 box of Cinch® Snack Bars, Peanut Butter Crunch flavour

1 box of Cinch® Energy Tea Mix, Pomegranate flavour

1 Cinch® Program Guide

1 Cinch® Pedometer (while supplies last)

CinchWellness.com – three free months of introductory membership (charges apply in fourth and subsequent months)

#59718 Cinch® Sampler Pack | $110

*Limited-time offer ends January 31, 2011.

Shampoo, a health hazard?

2010-12-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

I was looking over health articles as I do so often now, and I read this one on hair products, I found it interesting so I thought I would share.

Do You Know What's in Your Shampoo?

By jmercola

It takes just a minute or two to give your hair a thorough washing, but when you multiply that by every day, or at least a few times a week, for a lifetime, it adds up to many minutes -- and loads of exposure to the chemicals in your shampoo.

During that time, you want to be sure that the shampoo you're putting onto your scalp is safe and non-toxic for your body, and this will take a bit of due diligence on your part because the majority of shampoos on the market are actually quite toxic.

There are no federal regulations for beauty products, including shampoo, so it's really a buyer beware market.

Just what might you find in your favorite brand?

5 Common -- and Toxic -- Shampoo Ingredients

(1) Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (SLS/SLES)

Sodium lauryl sulfate [1] is a surfactant, detergent and emulsifier used in thousands of cosmetic products, as well as in industrial cleaners. It is present in nearly all shampoos, scalp treatments, hair color and bleaching agents, toothpastes, body washes and cleansers, make-up foundations, liquid hand soaps, laundry detergents and bath oils/bath salts.

Although SLS originates from coconuts, the chemical is anything but natural.

The real problem with SLES/SLS is that the manufacturing process (ethoxylation) results in SLES/SLS being contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, a carcinogenic byproduct.

SLS is the sodium salt of lauryl sulfate, and is classified by the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) Skin Deep Cosmetics Database as a "denaturant, surfactant cleansing agent, emulsifier and foamer," rated as a "moderate hazard."

Research studies on SLS have shown links to:

* Irritation of the skin and eyes
* Organ toxicity
* Developmental/reproductive toxicity
* Neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicology, and biochemical or cellular changes
* Possible mutations and cancer

(2) Dioxane

1,4 dioxane, a byproduct of ethylene oxide, received a "high hazard" rating from EWG's Skin Deep [2], and it is commonly found in shampoo and other personal care products. Even baby shampoo [3] often contains this cancer-causing toxin.

On the CDC site, 1,4 dioxane is described as "probably carcinogenic to humans," toxic to the brain and central nervous system, kidneys and liver. It is also a leading groundwater contaminant.

(3) Diethanolamine or DEA

In a recent FDA report, approximately 42% of all cosmetics were contaminated with NDEA, with shampoos having the highest concentrations. DEA also readily reacts with nitrite preservatives and contaminants to create nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA), a known and potent carcinogen.

This is a big problem because DEA seems to block absorption of the nutrient choline, which is vital to brain development. Pregnant women actually require extra choline so they can pass it on to their fetus.

An associate dean for research at the UNC School of Public Health mentioned that choline is necessary to help provide proper nutrients for a healthy baby; stating that, "At this point it is a caution. But it would probably be prudent to look at labels and try to limit exposure until we know more."

(4) Propylene Glycol

This active ingredient is found in engine coolants and antifreeze, airplane de-icers, tire sealants, rubber cleaners, polyurethane cushions, paints, adhesives, enamels and varnishes, and in many products as a solvent or surfactant.

And guess what? Despite the fact the material safety data sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as it is a strong skin irritant and can also cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage, it's more than likely in your shampoo.

(5) Parabens

Parabens, which are used as preservatives, may be listed on the label as methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, butyl paraben, isobutyl paraben or E216. They have shown particularly troubling links to cancer.

Studies have shown that parabens can affect your body much like estrogens, which can lead to diminished muscle mass, extra fat storage, and male gynecomastia (breast growth). Other studies have also linked parabens to breast cancer [4], as researchers found traces of parabens in every sample of tissue taken from 20 different breast tumors.

The EPA has linked methyl parabens in particular to metabolic, developmental, hormonal, and neurological disorders, as well as various cancers.

Your Skin Readily Absorbs Shampoo Toxins

When you put shampoo or conditioner onto your scalp, the 20 blood vessels, 650 sweat glands, and 1,000 nerve endings soak in the toxins.

The truth is, while you wouldn't ever eat your shampoo, you may actually absorb fewer toxins when you eat something than you do when you apply it to your skin!

According to evidence presented at 1978 Congressional hearings, the absorption of the carcinogen nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA), which is commonly found in shampoo products, was shown to be more than 100 times greater when exposure came through your skin than via your mouth.

The truth is, when you consume toxins in foods, such as pesticides in fruit and vegetables, the enzymes in your saliva and stomach often break them down and flush them out of your body. Food also passes through your liver and kidneys, so the toxins that make it through are detoxified to varying degrees by enzymes before they reach the remainder of your body.

However, when toxins are absorbed through your skin, they bypass your liver and enter your bloodstream and tissues -- with absolutely no protection whatsoever.

Even "Organic" Shampoos May be Toxic

Cosmetics and their ingredients do not have to undergo any type of approval process before hitting store shelves, and the terms "natural" and "organic" have no definitions. In other words, when it comes to cosmetics labeling, it's a free for all.

Some products may include a few organic ingredients along with several chemical ones -- and still claim to be natural or organic on the label.

In fact, in a report released in 2008, the Organic Consumers Association found at least one toxic, cancer-linked chemical in over 40 percent of products [5] that call themselves "natural."

What are Your Safer Shampoo Options?

Daily use of ordinary, seemingly benign personal care products like shampoo, toothpaste and shower gel can easily result in exposure to thousands of chemicals, and many will make their way into your body and become "stuck" there, since you lack the means to break them down.

So you will want to seek out pure and natural cosmetic products, and choose them carefully. One of the easiest ways to do this is to make your own personal care products using simple all-natural ingredients that you may already have in your home.

Finding recipes for your own homemade beauty products is simple if you have access to the Internet -- just Google "homemade cosmetics" for more than 400,000 pages of recipes and instructions.

If you'd rather not make your own, the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database [6] is an excellent resource to help you find safe natural personal care products. A newer site called Good Guide [7] is also helpful in finding and evaluating healthful, green products -- both personal care items and food.

Finally, if you're perusing your local health food store (or Shaklee website -inserted by me) for some safe, natural options, here are my top guidelines to keep in mind:

* If you can't pronounce it, you probably don't want to put it on your body. Ask yourself, "Would I eat this?"

* Look for products that are fragrance-free. One artificial fragrance [8] can contain hundreds—even thousands—of chemicals, and fragrances are a major cause of allergic reactions.

* Pay attention to the order in which the ingredients are listed. Manufacturers are required to list ingredients in descending order by volume, meaning the first few ingredients are the most prominent. If calendula extract is the last ingredient in a long list, your calendula body wash isn't very natural.

* Stick to the basics. Do you really need 20 products to prepare for your day? Simplify your life and rescue your bank account.

* Buy products that come in glass bottles rather than plastic, since chemicals can leach out of plastics and into the contents. Bisphenol A (BPA) [9] is a serious concern; make sure any plastic container is BPA free.

* Look for products that are made by companies that are earth-friendly, animal-friendly and green.

Vitamin D3 - To supplement, or not?

2010-12-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

Vitamin D has been in the news quite steadily over the past couple years, but recently there has been some hullaballo about whether or not we really need it.

Here is a video from one of our local Doctors and his take on Vitamin D.

Shaklee recently came out with its own Vitamin D, which as with all Shaklee vitamins is whole food based, and safe and effective at breaking down in our system.

Put a little "sunshine" in your day!!

Hello December!

2010-12-02T04:46:00.000-08:00

Well, November has passed by in a blur!

Those of you who know me, know that I do photo retouching, album design etc, etc, and November is by far the busiest time of the year for me.

Plus, with getting my Shaklee business off the ground, it was just a super busy (but very fulfilling) month!

I wanted to take a minute and update my Cinch journey, since its been 3 months since I started on it.

I will admit that the month of November was pretty lax for me, as I in the hustle and bustle didn't really follow the "plan" as well as I should have. I would say though, that I did keep up with the shakes at least 3 times a week, once a day.

My total weight loss is just over 25 pounds. Seeing as how I was pretty much at 20 after two months, It is apparent to me, that I could have done much better overall if I had stuck it out.

However it does still leave me positioned to hit my original goal of 30 pounds for Christmas, so, I need to really buckle down and do my shakes at least every day (except Sat/Sun) for breakfast, and take my supplements!

I love the Cinch pomegranate tea, its a great afternoon pick me up! Sometimes I drink it cold mixed with the Shaklee Performance lemon lime. This would be great for after a work out since performance rehydrates quicker than water and helps provide a great source of energy!

Overall, I am still very happy with the Cinch program. I find it easy to follow, and am able to continue weight loss even when I am not completely on track, which to me, is something I have never been able to do.

Shaklee is running a NEW YEAR, NEW YOU promo for December. Its a fantastic deal, and there is enough product there to last you a month (or two if you do it the way I do it) and you can choose from four flavors. My personal favorite is chocolate!

I think its a great way to PLAN for a better year next year! I'm looking forward to it.

What are your goals for 2011? Have you started to think about them yet? I am really excited about the possibility of a truly GREAT year! This is the best I have felt in a long time (and I honestly do attribute that to my Shaklee supplements, Cinch, and VIVIX) and so for me, feeling well, opens up so many doors of possibility!

Watch for my Goals for the new year post coming soon!

Im going to leave you with some festive spirit, one of my favorite christmas songs of all time.
It always gives me such a feeling of mixed joy and reflection...

May your December be filled with all the people you love, lots of joy and happiness, and health this holiday season!!

Get clean surface guide

2010-11-27T19:59:00.001-08:00

Want to know just SOME of the ways to use our products? Check it out!

Get clean surface guide

View more presentations from Sudbury Clean and Green.

My friend Angie has posted a giveaway!!

2010-11-12T05:21:00.000-08:00

Check out her blog for her review and giveaway details!

Thanks Angie!!

This contest is open to my readers too, so head on over there and get your name in!

Healthy Home for the Holidays

2010-11-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

Why not do something this holiday season you can feel really good about? Our Get Clean starter kit is a great gift for the mom's and daughters on your Christmas list this year! Or maybe if your like me, it would make a great gift for your pre-teen son who is all about helping the environment these days!

Know someone who could use a boost of energy over the holiday season? (who can't?!) Consider our energizing soy protein, energy chews, Shaklee Core energy, or VIVIX.

Join the Shaklee family free in November with a purchase of 70.00 or more! Its the gift that keeps on giving, a lifetime long!

Basic H2 -General use

2010-11-08T12:54:00.001-08:00

Basic H2- General Use

Basic h2 general use

View more presentations from Julie Hagglund.

Shaklee Cleaners- Expensive?!

2010-10-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

I had someone tell me the other day that they thought the purchase of Shaklee's Get Clean line was too costly, that when cleaners are on sale and they have a coupon they can get it super cheap or sometimes free.

As a couponer/frugaller I had to validate what they were saying because really, until months ago, I would have felt the exact same way!

When I lived in Manitoba, and was an active couponer/stacker/deal seeker extraordinaire I remember the days where I had literally hundreds of cleaning products in my basement. Those Lysol wipes I bought for 20 cents, or the myriad of smelly Glade products etc etc.

Since I started educating myself a bit more on what is in these products however, I realized there is more than one COST to a cleaning product.

I began to think about the cost of cleaning up our rivers, seas, land, landfills.
The cost of allergy medication every year for people who suffer from overly scented and toxic chemicals in their homes that they may not even REALIZE are affecting them.

The cost of asthma treatments, the cost of all the things that children are not able to participate in because they are not well enough.

The paperwork is there folks! There are clinical studies that PROVE that so many diseases and illnesses are linked to these things.

If you choose Shaklee's Get Clean cleaners, I can promise you that you will be saving money. WITHOUT having to build extra shelves in your basement to store all the stuff that by the time you get around to using it, you have no idea if it will even work anymore!

1 bottle of Basic H2 costs pennies per gallon and is the equivalent of 5,824 bottles of conventional glass cleaner.

You'd have to spend more than $3,400 to get the same amount of clean found in the Get Clean® Starter Kit!

And when you purchase the Get Clean Starter Kit you also make a positive impact on the planet:

* Keep (49 kilograms) 108 pounds of packaging waste from landfills
* Eliminate 113 kilograms (248 pounds) of greenhouse gases

I understand the excitement of getting something free, or cheap, but now even more than that I understand the amazing feeling I get knowing I am doing something that will leave a positive impact for years to come!

Purchase these products direct from my online store, HERE:

So why not get a "real" job?

2010-10-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

Ive had this question tossed at me a few times by people who wonder why I don't just go out like the rest of the world and find something day to day that is more stable than what I am doing now.

(and by right now, for those who don't know, I work from home as both a photo retoucher/designer, and recently I became a Shaklee Distributor)

Well, lets start with some background about me.

I had my first son when I was 20. (Just turned 20) and I never went to college. When people were figuring out what they wanted to be when they grew up, I was growing up. I had to. I learned all about what it meant to be responsible for another life, far before I ever really experienced my own.

I have never regretted that. Having my sons when I did has given me a very full and amazing life. In fact, I believe that I had my boys exactly when I was supposed to, because just after the birth of my youngest, I was diagnosed with BIH/PTC, and told I would not be able to have any more children.

Both my boys are now in school full time, and I can say proudly, that for the most part, I was fortunate enough to stay home and be around for them for the majority of their young life.

So, why keep not go find a career now?

Well, its pretty simple. In the past 13 years, I have had the opportunity to make my own hours. (Even though they often occured at 3 am nightmares, 1 am flu runs etc)

I have been spoiled by the absolute amazing feeling of knowing if the day gets too hard I can do it in my pajamas, or if I feel the need to be creative I can cook a three course meal in the middle of the day for my family.

I enjoy knowing that if one of my boys are sick, I am here at home for them to come home to.

I have had jobs I have loved out of my home. I have worked as a florist, a child and parent resource worker, and several other little jobs in my life and I have for the most part enjoyed them. I have always had great relationships with co-workers and I do know that I CAN work in a normal environment, I just CHOOSE not to.

So, why do I make that choice?

Let's talk about the joy of self-employment.

If I wanted to start a business of my own, I would need:

-capital/investment
-insurance
-a building (rent/lease)
-a viable business idea
-employees

Working for myself, with both my retouching and Shaklee, especially with Shaklee, for my small investment, I get ALL of these things.

I don't make a steady strong income. Not yet anyway. I do believe that it is possible though, and I do believe that at some point my decisions to persevere will be rewarded.

I could go work at another Tim Hortons and make the same money, but then...maybe Ill just continue to sit here and sip my homemade Gingerbread Latte in my pajamas while the wind gusts outside, and be thankful and glad that I am...

A Work at Home Mom.

Disclaimer:
I am so thankful for a husband that is understanding and supportive in my life decisions. I could not do this without him.

Here is a video of another "Mom" who is an inspiration to me in Shaklee, after 10 years of being just a mom, she decided to take a risk...

My new (old) treasure :)

2010-10-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

I used to LOVE garage sales, auctions, thrift store hunting, etc etc.
I still do, I just haven't had much time to devote to the hobby the past couple years.

When I lived in Manitoba, my BFF Michelle and I used to call ourselves the "Bandito's" We would scour the thrift shops, and stores for used treasures, and coupons, and deals to use our coupons. Oh how I miss those days! (and her)

Well yesterday I saw this candle stick at a second hand store. I LOVED its lines, but it was pretty badly beat up, and was covered in old wax, and dingy and gross. Ordinary I would have passed it by, but I thought "Ooooh a challenge!"

So, I brought it home and used my Shaklee Basic H2 Degreaser on it. Sprayed it on, let it sit for a few minutes and buffed it off. The change was pretty dramatic. It actually doesn't show up AS dramatic in the pics as it did in real life! I loooove it!

Fibromyalgia and Reservatrol

2010-10-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

I have been taking Shaklee VIVIX for two weeks now.

I have noticed a SUBSTANTIAL change in the way I feel. People who know me, know I have a LOT of pain in my muscles. My husband can barely touch my shoulders without me cringing in pain. I have migraines, insomnia, stomach problems, and I generally catch whatever is going around as soon as someone sneezes.

Since I am doing supplements and immune boosters as well, it was difficult for me to be sure what it was that was helping me so much with the muscle pain. I used to have general soreness, as well as charlie horses every single night.

So, I set off to read more about the products I was using and WHY they may be helping me so much. I found this amazing blog (also set up by Shaklee Distributors) who have a WEALTH of information on Vivix.

So, I am going to repost with permission, her segment on Fibromyalgia and Vivix, since it has impacted me so much.

Is resveratrol a magic pill to cure what ails you, in this case, fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia Headache Pain
While not a magic pill—resveratrol is an amazing substance created by nature to protect the health of plants. Certain nutrients, such as resveratrol, are made within plants and are designed to help them thrive despite hostile conditions. Scientists made the incredible discovery that the same plant-made chemicals that nurture plants, can protect and revitalize the cells in our bodies as well.

Repairing damaged cells is the bottom line function of resveratrol. Disease, such as fibromyalgia, results from an increasing number of cells that are unhealthy and fail to function properly. The body is designed to accommodate a normal cell life cycle. When this cycle is compromised by damaged DNA, and the body can no longer reproduce healthy new cells, we begin to suffer from the effects of that imbalance. Adding pure resveratrol and other plant phytonutrients such as those found in the muscadine grape, elderberry and pomegranate, to our diets gives our body nutrients that are proven to repair and revitalize the cells.

As recognized in the last post, fibromyalgia is a condition recognized by the pain it produces. Even though the exact cause may not be known, the impact of the disease will be reduced as damaged cells within the affected part of the body are rejuvenated. To do that, cells need to receive a regular supply of critical, health producing nutrients. Whether low energy, damaged DNA, or other genetic regulators are involved, resveratrol in Vivix is perfectly suited to slow the damage and repair the affected cells and body systems.

Our bodies have amazing recuperative abilities, but complete recovery is only possible by providing everything the body needs at the cellular level to thrive. Recovery also may call for lifestyle changes as well as a healthier environment. Tomorrow, read how adding resveratrol found in Vivix eliminated pain from fibromyalgia suffered for years for a woman named Isabel.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be free of fibromyalgia pain after years of suffering? I can tell you that it will make you want to shout the good news to anyone who is suffers from the same condition. That is how Isabel felt. Read what Isabel had to say about her experience with Vivix, an anti-aging product that uses resveratrol and other plant chemicals to build healthy new cells.

I do not know where to begin on how Vivix has changed my life. I have been in constant pain for the last for years suffering with Fibromyalgia and Lupus. I was on all sorts of pain meds and nothing seemed to work. I also tried several prescriptions to help with the Fibromyalgia still a complete disappointment.

I heard guest speakers from Shaklee at our Wine Night speak about the benefits of Vivix. Of course I am very reluctant to try anything when the Doctors couldn't even prescribe anything to help me. I figured why not if it doesn't work I just won’t order it again. I was excited to hear the presentation, signed up that night and waited anxiously for my Vivix to come in. Deep down in my heart I thought this stuff isn't going to work - well I made my self a liar.

Within five days of taking Vivix I stopped hurting. I would get massaged three times a week before I took this just to keep functioning. I am on my second bottle and I can honestly say I am pain free when I went to the Doctors my blood pressure had dropped to 106 over 60 compared to 170 over 90 wow what a difference. I would recommend this to anyone that I meet that is in pain.

~ Isabel

Want to read other ways VIVIX is changing lives?
Kathryn has listed tons of testimonials over on her blog here.

If you suffer from any of these things, why not give it a try? Take it for a month, if you honestly notice no improvement, you get your MONEY BACK! Nothing to lose :)

I may seem overzealous in my efforts to share this information, but trust me, if you live with constant pain and someone offers you something that helps, you just want to tell everyone, so please know that my efforts here are genuine!

You can purchase VIVIX here:

Phthalates....What's the big deal?

2010-10-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

When I sat down with my coffee and began Shaklee University, I thought it would help educate me on the products I was selling.

What I didn't realize was it would educate me on life.

I got into Shaklee because I wanted to get healthy. After years and years of being obese, tired, cranky, depressed, sore, diagnosed with fibromyalgia, Benign Intercranial Hypertension and generally feeling like a hypochondriac.

I felt like SOMEWHERE in between my trip to Doctors, Chiropractors, Massage therapists, Physiotherapists, and Psychologists, I was missing something.

Turns out I was...

Did you know that we live in a TOXIC world? That every day we are breathing hundreds of chemicals? Did you know that we not only ingest chemicals, but we lather them on our skin?

When I really started to think about it, and research it, It was a HUGE wake-up call!

I have been reading the book "Green goes with Everything" by Sloan Barnett (who is also the wife of Roger Barnett, CEO of Shaklee) I would highly recommend it. In her book she writes"

"The total amount of chemicals and pollutants in one's body at any given time, is called one's "body burden." She had a lab in British Columbia - one of only four in the world, she writes, which does such testing - perform a body burden test on her and discovered that she had nearly four times the level of PCBs in her blood as the average U.S. level (even though PCBs, a probable carcinogen used in electrical devices, WERE BANNED 30 YEARS AGO!!!!), nearly twice as much triclosan - an antibacterial linked to thyroid problems, allergies and skin irritation - as the average U.S. level - and higher-than-average levels of organochlorine pesticides (used as insecticides and which can be possible hormone disruptors and neurotoxins).
She was stunned at the levels of chemicals in her blood and decided to make changes"

Seriously??? Chemicals that were BANNED 30 years ago, still in her blood at such dangerous levels...so scary!

So what exactly are Phthalates?

Phthalates are a class of widely used industrial compounds known technically as dialkyl or alkyl aryl esters of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid. There are many phthalates with many uses, and just as many toxicological properties.

Phthalates crept into widespread use over the last several decades because of their many beneficial chemical properties. Now they are ubiquitous, not just in the products in which they are intentionally used, but also as contaminants in just about anything. About a billion pounds per year are produced worldwide.

Intentional uses of phthalates include softeners of plastics, oily substances in perfumes, additives to hairsprays, lubricants and wood finishers. That new car smell, which becomes especially pungent after the car has been sitting in the sun for a few hours, is partly the pungent odor of phthalates volatilizing from a hot plastic dashboard. In the evening's cool they then condense out of the inside air of the car to form an oily coating on the inside of the windshield.

What are the health concerns?

I am going to paraphrase here, so if you want to see the actual article I am using as a reference I will link to it at the end, but basically, in high doses they are proven to cause cancer in many forms, but the new studies show that even at low doses they are affecting our unborn babies while in utero. They have been proven to "Produce dramatic changes in male sexual characteristics"

One line in the article really stood out to me too, "DEHP's ability to exacerbate allergic reactions to an allergen, providing a possible clue as to why allergy rates have gone up so much in the developed world"

We all know these statistics, Cancer is at an all time high, infertility, allergies, athsma, but maybe you were like me and didn't realize WHY, or what you could do to change it.

Ive included some links here if you want to further research this yourself.

Phthlates and Parabens

The Problem with Phthalates

The article I quoted above

If I can help just one person become aware of the dangers we have lurking under our kitchen sink, in our shower, in our kitchen cabinets, than I will be happy.

We cannot change the world all at once. We cannot undo all that has been done, but we can make small changes that added together WILL impact the rest of the world, for our children, and theirs.

Have a great night.
Julie

SOAK THE (EVEN MORE) IMPOSSIBLE

2010-10-18T14:34:00.001-07:00

My sweet husband (it was our 12 year anniversary yesterday by the way) decided he wanted to "challenge me" to see if my "Shaklee stuff" could beat HIS tests...

So he wanted to do some motor oil, which he gladly went and got from the lawn mower, and red wine. This is the results.

*Note- I can upon watching it on the video see a faint outline of the motor oil on the trim of the towel, however, I am washing it in my washing machine now to see if it all comes out. I am confident it will, but will post a picture when its done!

I LOVE how enthusiastic my husband was when doing this video, its nice to see a man get excited by cleaning products.

Thanks Darlin!

Purchase these products direct from my online store, HERE:

Soak the Impossible!!!

2010-10-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Everyone gets stains!

It happens...

Everytime I sit down to eat I drop stuff on my chest, its inevevitable. I am the girl who sits on the ketchup packet she accidently dropped when eating a burger at a fast food place, the girl who trips while she is carrying coffee, you get the picture.

So, for me, a decent stain remover is a godsend. One that is not riddled with chemicals is even better!

So, for your behalf, here is my blog video debut.

(and by the way, the camera DOES add 20 pounds ;) if I wasn't passionate about you getting the info, and helping you make clean and green choices, there is NO way I would publish this on the internet)

So here is me, in all my geeky glory, helping you make better choices!

Purchase these products direct from my online store, HERE:

One Paste to rule them all.....

2010-10-09T12:48:00.001-07:00

I don't enjoy cleaning. Never have.

I do however, find great joy in besting an opponent. This, everyone, is how I became a Shaklee Distributor.

Once upon a time there was a girl who moved across the country back to Ontario and moved into a nice new home. This home came with a fancy new stove from Maytag, that apparently was supposed to make her new life a culinary delight.

After the first week in her new home however she was already frustrated with the new stove because it would not come clean. It was one of those ceramic top stoves and it didn't matter WHAT she cooked with, EVERY time it would leave awful black marks and she would scrub and scrub to no avail.

She thought she had it beat when she used Magic Erasers, Razor Blades, Ceramabrite, Vim, Ajax etc etc, she even tried the PC Green cleaners but nothing worked!

So this sad new homeowner just decided it would remain this way.

ENTER SHAKLEE SCOUR OFF....

Like a hero from a book, this little cherry scented paste saved the homeowners sanity and worked not only on her stovetop but on her oven as well (its safe for self clean) It also cleans many other areas of her house too!

After falling in love with this product she set out to try the rest of the Get Clean line and then began to educate herself on the harmful chemicals and toxins in the stuff she had been using, and is now an advocate, trying to get the word out to others who like her, perhaps didn't realize how dangerous and harmful these things can be!

1 MONTH on Cinch!

2010-10-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here is the one month mug shot! I plan to update it every month ;) Eventually I will get to actual photos too, but this is just super easy with my webcam!

So, today is one month on Cinch....

I am proud to report I am down 9 and a half pounds with 12 inches GONE! The inches blow me away ;)

In case you care here is the breakdown!

waist- down 4 inches
hips- down 2 inches
bust- down 1 inch
Thigh-down 2 inches
Upper Arm-down 3 inches

So here are this months goals:

I need to start exercising. I did this without exercising at all really, a couple walks but that was it. So, this month I want to aim for at least 30 minutes of activity three days a week. Small goals, but now that I feel I have some more energy, I may increase that.

Also, I need to stick to the Cinch plan a bit more. I keep forgetting my vitamins, I guess that is why Vitalizer is a better option!

I LOVE the chocolate shakes (last month I did Vanilla, so this month I am trying the Chocolate) and a chocolate shake with frozen banana in it, tastes like a Frosty from Wendy's. No kidding!

Those of you who have been toying with trying the program, I really do recommend it. I have noticed a great change in the month. Shaklee has a money back guarantee so if you do try it and after a month really notice no difference, you really have nothing to lose! And the starter kit is 10 percent off (savings of 20.87) until October 15th!

Check out Cinch here:

Im feeling....

2010-09-26T19:59:00.001-07:00

Hopeful :)

I think that the word Hopeful, is an amazingly powerful word. Especially when it seems to be absent from your vocabulary for any amount of time.

Its amazing to me how much feeling better can effect your life. I have been generally unhealthy for so long that it makes even the smallest change noticeable right away.

I feel like someone turned on a light in a dark part of me. I can't really describe it in a way that would make sense to someone who has never been there, but for the first time in a very long time, I WANT better for myself. I used to write a lot, I sort of stopped for a long time, but this is something I wrote recently. Thought I would share.

(stock photo)

The Train

Picture sitting in a train, watching as the world passes all around you. You interact with the people on the train, and admire all the beauty of the world outside. You eat the meals provided for you daily, and have the stretch of the train to walk up and down, but you never actually go outside. You exist only in the safety of this train, your not really sure why, but its always been that way.

You watch as people continually board the train, some stay for awhile, some only ride for a day or two, and you admire them because they can leave, you daydream about what it would be like to be outside, to have no fear, but at the end of the day, you are just as glad to curl up on the chair of the train with a good book.

And then, one day, you decide to just step off for a moment. Just to get a breath of fresh air, and you realize maybe its not that scary, but you return to the train because you get all nervous and afraid. And then every few days you venture out again, and its always scary, but you have had a taste of it, and all of a sudden you realize the colors of the fall leaves are so much brighter when you can touch them, and that you are feeling angrier and angrier at how much time you have wasted riding the train.

So, you continue riding, trying to make your stops longer and longer in between while you gather the courage and strength to leave the train for good.

Because everyone deserves to feel the rain on their face, the warmth of the sun, and the grace to dance to their own music.

End of week 2

2010-09-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

So...

I have just completed my second week doing "Cinch".

Cinch is a Shaklee product, used to help us to maintain healthy weight, or lose weight.

I purchased a starter kit that gave me the shakes, some snack bars, the Cinch vitamins, a pedometer and a measuring tape.

So it has been 14 days, I have lost almost six pounds, and 7 inches!!! The 7 inches part I am really, really excited about. Have you looked at how much 7 inches is? I am not a genius, but I have done a zillion diets, and so far I am really noticing a few things with this that totally stand out in my mind..

I have more energy-even though I'm not into superwoman mode, I can definitely feel a big difference.

My headaches are less frequent (I am a constant sufferer)

I NOTICE when I decide to substitute, let me explain...Sometimes as a woman, I want more variety so I say, Julie, you don't want a shake this morning you want a bagel. So I eat the bagel, and then, miraculously one hour later I am hungry, shaky, and generally feel crappy.

My appetite is less. With Cinch you can eat a full dinner, and while they recommend a very balanced, healthy meal, I don't ALWAYS manage that, but even when I don't I do not need nearly as much food to fill me up.

All these things aside, I have had a few struggles, unfortunately like last nights stressed out Oreo eating marathon, but, I just turn the page, and today is a new day! I know I could be losing faster if I was following it to a tee, but I am already sooo impressed by what I have accomplished so far! As a pretty much professional dieter I am feeling pretty optimistic!

The science behind Cinch is very compelling, and Shaklee has done a great job of putting together something that is easy to follow and that creates great results! If you want more info please feel free to contact me!

As with all Shaklee products, its backed by a 100 percent money back guarantee.

Check out Cinch here:

The dreaded closet!

2010-09-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

I truly think this closet keeps me up at night. One of these days I am going to paint it. I realize that painting cedar is a silly idea, BUT its TOO dark! I don't like it!

Now, you may wonder why I would let it get like this. Good question, but you see, I have this YOYO thing that goes on with my weight, about 20 pounds worth. I go up, I go down, I go up, you get the picture. So, I have a SUPER OVERABUNDANCE of clothing. It gets overwhelming.

So, I packed up all the stuff I am no longer wearing, anything that was in there for "when I fit into it again" and tossed anything that was crap. Leads to a much more ZEN like closet, wouldn't you agree? ;)

Next up...

THE DRESSER....duh duh duh.

Fall Cleanup!

2010-09-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

Ok guys! This is NOT my finest hour. If you know me, you probably know that I am a) a bit scattered/disorganized, b) procrastinate and c) have trouble sticking to a routine.

So, I have decided that starting today, Sept 16- till next week is FALL CLEANING WEEK!

So, I will attempt to post photos every day of my progress, but for today, I will show you the first thing I tackled. My work desk. I have two desks, but I only took a picture of the REALLY messy one, the one with my monitors stays quite tidy, but the one beside it sort of became a catch all.

Here is my before and after! Feels much better! Tomorrow I am tackling a BIGGIE, my closet. Shudder. You really have no idea. I feel like I could be on HOARDERS. Seriously, I have a clothing problem.

WINNER!!!

2010-09-10T05:15:00.000-07:00

Congrats Michelle! Must be a bonus since its your birthday!!

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-09-06T17:12:00.001-07:00

Ok folks, to kick off my new venture into Shaklee products I am going to give away, one free membership to Shaklee (15 dollar value) and SCOUR OFF, my FAVORITE cleaning product! The membership does not expire, and allows you a fifteen percent discount on all Shaklee products, a shipping discount, and access to all kinds of monthly and promotional specials!

To enter you must be a Canadian or American, and not currently a Shaklee member.

To win: simply comment on my blog (make sure you leave your email, or that it is in your profile.

To get an extra entry, post this on your facebook page and let me know you did!

I will draw for the winner Wednesday the 8th at 8 am!

GOOD LUCK!!!

Julie goes.....Green? ;)

2010-09-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

I just recently became an Independent Shaklee Distributor. Have you heard of Shaklee? I had heard of it, mostly because I already run in home party circles ;), but also I had heard that Oprah had endorsed it a couple years ago, in her "My favorite things" show.

Which to be honest, didn't exactly make me want to run out and try it, haha.

So, how did I, someone who really knew nothing about this company, go from that to now being a Global Ambassador with the company?

Well, its kind of funny, actually, it all started at the Green Living show in Toronto....

I was RUNNING to go another booth (because Colin Firth was speaking, and I wanted to get back to him, since I knew he would miss that I was gone) and literally stopped in my tracks and did a double take. This woman at the booth looked a lot like a friend of mine, so I naturally swooped in for a closer look!

And then, the inevitable happened, she sold me stuff! ;)

I purchased the Shaklee Scour off, and the Laundry set (detergent, fabric softener, brightener) and off I went, sort of wondering how I just parted with my money without intending to (I am sure we all do that sometimes)

Included with my purchase that day was a membership, so shortly after I got home I received an email from the company and some more information on Shaklee, and its products.

The first thing I wanted to do was try the Scour off, on my ceramic stove cook top. If you know me, you know that I HATE that thing. I had literally used EVERY cleaner, razor blade, etc etc to get that sucker clean and short of my friend Stacey scrubbing it for an hour with the aid of razors, I had never been able to get it clean.

So, I opened the Scour off, and rubbed it on (and at the same time marvelled that it smells like Twizzlers) and to my SHOCK, it rubbed right off. All that baked on grime and crud, I was SOLD!

I knew right then and there, that I would peddle this stuff on the street corner...Anything that made my life that much easier, and my stove shine was good in my books.

What I didn't know, was that when I tried the Laundry products, I would have similar results. My whites, often dulled by my well water, were bright! My clothes smelled great and the stuff went a lot longer than the original 32 loads it was supposed to make.

So, I naturally started to think these would be products I would both use, and promote. I did some research on the company, and asked the poor girl I bought everything from literally a zillion questions, and decided that a company that produces such amazing products was a great investment!

So, I have now ventured into the world of Shaklee, and its a great world! Let me tell you why!

Shaklee is the first Climate Neutral Certified company with the achievement of a net zero impact on the Earth's climate.

Shaklee's products are eco friendly, and good for you! They don't have all of the chemicals that most of the products we are currently using do!

Anyway, I have rambled enough for now, but I do plan on sharing more as I discover the many uses for the products and also as I get started with my supplements and the Cinch plan. I have a lot of weight to lose, and am excited to give Shaklee a chance to help me accomplish that.

If anyone would like more information, or would like to try these products, I will offer them at my discount so that you can try them. You can view the products on my website, or contact me via sudburycleanandgreen@gmail.com

Today I am grateful for...

2010-06-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

The birds chirping outside my window and the nice cool breeze gently flowing in. AAAAHHHH, so beautiful.

You know, as I was walking this morning with Wesley (this is a new thing, he gets me up every weekday morning for 6:30 so we can go for a walk, to which I try to convince him that its tooooo early, or I am sick, or I'm too tired, to which he proceeds to quietly sit on my bed and stare at me, until I give in and go walk with him, cute kid, I think he is aspiring to be Bob Harper, ok I digress forgive the spiderwebbing (you know a story within a story, oh boy here I go, what is this three branches now?) anyhooooo...

I was thinking about my Gratitude challenge this morning, and realizing that when I first started it, it was almost difficult to think of things, just that I found it harder to put myself constantly into that frame of mind. I don't know if it is easier now because I have really connected my Gratitude to my thankfulness to God, or if I am just becoming a less self centered person, but really either way its pretty great.

This was a FANTASTIC weekend. Let me be clear though, there were moments in which I would *not* have said were great, such as when I was literally crawling UNDER the pool while trying to manually pull the wrinkles out of the liner, while enjoying the creepy crawly bugs living in the sand using my arms as a possible new home. Not special.

Or, pumping water in from the lake to fill the pool and realizing THAT was not a great idea (and quickly working to filter out the ickies) or having an intense migraine, and poor dave with a pulled shoulder that made him so hard to take seriously because he couldn't quite look at you straight, hehe.

But, you know, if it hadn't been for those moments I wouldn't have had the chance to feel so grateful for when we managed to get those wrinkles out, and there wouldn't have been the moment when we threw our boys in the pool so they could vacuum out said ickies, and I wouldn't have had that moment of sheer bliss after the headache passed where I could remember just how amazing the gift of health is. And well, Dave's shoulder is still bugging him, but if it hadn't been for his head being offset when he was talking to me, he wouldn't have the chance to read here that every time I looked at him like that, I felt sad that he was hurt, but I also giggled a bit to myself and fell in love with him all over again....

We got to take the boys to a fantastic concert this weekend (the Newsboys) where I was inspired and awed, and as usual reminded how good our God is. I sang my heart out with my little man beside me (who knew all the words to some of the new songs) and truly was grateful the whole time for that moment.

We had a barbecue with my parents to celebrate David's birthday, sunshine, fantastic food, a crazy puppy and an old doggie trying to run from the over-enthusiastic puppy, lots of laughter, a few splashes in the pool (and my dad getting hit in the head by the long pool cleaner rod by Dave, that was pretty funny) a bunch of great memories, and cherished "grateful" moments for me to carry into my new week.

Im including a clip from the newsboys concert (I didn't have a video camera so this is actually from another concert, but I thought it was worth posting anyway) this was how they started it, I LOVED the mix of Black Eyed Peas "I gotta feeling, and Life is Beautiful"

I hope you enjoy your week, and that you have some things you are very grateful for today!

Well....

2010-05-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

One week became two, and so on, so forth.

I have dreaded writing on here at all, as sometimes the sadness in my heart over what seems to be my special talent of never finishing anything was wearing on me pretty deeply.

Over the past 30 (something ;)) years, I have spent so much time looking at all the things I am not...All the things I need to change about myself so that I can be truly happy. Spent years trying to force myself to make new habits, develop skills that frustrate me, get my "act together" so to speak.

The past couple months have been a real growth experience for me. I recently returned to church and God after many, many, many months away. I truly did not think I would ever go back. But, I have discovered in life there are a few constants...and Thankfully, God is one of them.

I think I am (slowly) beginning to realize, that I was CREATED the way I am. For a reason. What a thought that is! I may be scattered sometimes, messy, cluttered, unable to do anything regimented, BUT....

I am creative beyond words, I SEE things others cannot. I can revel in the breeze on a hot day, and I can truly embrace the beauty that God creates everyday. I can empathize with others, and am generous and kind. I have STRENGTH. I have endurance. I am beautiful, even if its not always in the ways I want.

I am gifted with a voice that can sing and express my feelings in ways that most cannot. I can look through the lens of a camera and see beyond the snapshot. I can look at a plain photograph and see its potential. I can create meals that are different and daring, just because its ME. I am quirky, and witty, funny, and a bit eccentric at times. I take joy in the small things, and really my GREATEST frustration, the things that make me unhappy, are constantly trying to be what I am not.

And, so while I have fallen away from posting my gratitudes EVERY DAY....I will still post them when I get to it. Because ultimately, I am grateful. EVERY DAY. It just doesn't mean that I need to share that every day....

oops, busy week!

2010-04-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

9/365- Thursday's with Mom

I love Thursday's! I spend the day with my mom. Sometimes we do the mundane things like grocery shopping, sometimes we do fun things like craft shows, or deal hunting at a favorite store, but ALWAYS it is a special day that I look forward to every week! This pic is our fav greek lunch we sometimes go to.

From Making Lemonade

10/365-Good Friday

I am thankful for this day...
Not just because my kids don't have to go to school, but because it is a reminder to me that no matter where I am in my life, no matter what struggles or awful things I am facing, someone else had to face much worse. So, today, I am grateful for the ultimate of sacrifices, and that SUNDAY is coming. This pic I did up last year but thought it deserved a replay :)

From Making Lemonade

11/365-Hail the conquering hero

The family went for a hike. It was a beautiful day, and I am glad to have spent it with them. I am grateful that I made it up and down this crazy "rock chasm of doom"

From Making Lemonade

12/365-Easter Sunday and great Worship

Today I am putting up a video instead of a picture (I know, I am a rebel) but I loved this song so much, and this is why I am grateful today.

13/365- Vita top Muffins

Love these things! Full of fiber and healthy stuff, but delicious with a smidgen of ice cream...like a low cal/fat brownie sundae :)

From Making Lemonade

14/365- Date night

Tuesday nights Dave takes me out to do groceries or any errands, and sometimes we just go have fun and watch a movie. I love that my boys are old enough to allow us this evening...

From Making Lemonade

15/365- Ice breaker Sours

As some of you know, I spend a lot of time on my computer- with work, and with my insane addiction to all things facebook/blogger. These little sugar free candies are constantly on my desk. Just be careful you don't eat the whole thing. Then you won't be quite as grateful, ask me how I know this...I dare you!

From Making Lemonade

16/356- Split pea soup with Ham

I'm grateful for the left over Easter ham bone from my wonderful dinner with my parents, and for the soup I get to eat! YUM!

From Making Lemonade

8/365

2010-03-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

8/365- The "Paul Bunyan"

Ok, seriously. This is the world's best sandwich. Comes from a little store next to one of our best deli's here in Sudbury. Cara's is the store, and Torini's is the Deli.

Look at that thing! Seriously YUM! All made on homemade bread and homemade pickle!
I don't eat it all, I can barely tackle half!

From Making Lemonade

7/365

2010-03-30T04:48:00.000-07:00

7/365-My fireplace and my painting.

This is one of my favorite areas in my home. A cozy fireplace that keeps me company when I am downstairs working on the computer, and a beautiful painting that reminds me of both my Grandfather, and my dad. My parents and my grandfather both had this picture, so now that I have one, it reminds me of them both, and I am so grateful for anything that makes me think of them ;)

From Making Lemonade

6/365

2010-03-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

6/365- My *pink* cellphone.

Ok, I know that everyone and their brother has a cell phone. I also know that I sort of never really got into it, since I am so prone to forgetting them at home anyway. Although a few months ago, my sweet husband took me to get a new phone that was a little bit more user friendly. So, I got my LG dare, with a PINK case, that I love so much.

I love this phone! It has a calendar feature, I use it as an alarm clock, It has all the bells and whistles, and I can browse online, (which annoys the aforementioned husband since I have a slight facebook addiction)

Nevertheless, I am grateful for this little bit of technology that makes my life a little easier, and definitely a bit more pink ;)

Oh...P.S. Tasha if you are reading this, that is a 1.5 TB external hardrive in the background ;)

From Making Lemonade

3,4,5/365

2010-03-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, busy weekend :)

Still did up my photos for my gratitude project though!

3/365- New decor for my living room, and the story behind it.

Well, my little sister took me out shopping for some stuff to "spruce" up my living room. I spent an obscene amount of money on a cushion, but just like she said, it has become the focal point of my room and I LOVE it. It is so ME :) So, grateful for the beautiful springy inspiration in my living room, and for the time I got to spend with my sister. Can't wait to see you again soon!

4/365-Mr Snoop Dog

My dog Snoopy was a rescue. Some people know that but some do not. He came to us as a skinny little foster dog who wouldn't even walk up the stairs, we had to carry him since he was so frightened. He has been with us for five years now, and we sure love him a lot. Here is an artsy photo I took of him that I just love.

5/365-My egg and tomato sammy.

I LOVE everything about this sandwich. Seriously. It is to die for. It starts with the world's best bread (well, only if you toast it) it comes from costco and its old fashioned breakfast bread or something like that. Anyway, I toast it up, add a half a slice of ham each, half a cheese slice, some egg whites done up with Epicure 3 onion, some fresh ripe tomatoes and some salt and pepper. It is so good. You need to try it. Oh, and yes, thats a *smidge* of light mayo on there.

2/365

2010-03-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

Day 2 was an easy pick.

Some of you may know that I had an unwanted house guest (or guests) this winter. A couple of field mice decided they wanted to live in my pantry. Well...this led to me having a serious case of the heebee jeebies, and a lot of thrown out food and frustration. My loving husband and wonderful daddy decided to build me a shiny new pantry. I LOOOOOOOOOVE it. It is the sexiest darn pantry I have ever seen. It has rounded shelves to make great use of space and I can actually step into it to see what I have. THANKS to my special men...even my boys helped! VERY grateful :)

From Making Lemonade

Gratitude 365

2010-03-24T05:26:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to get back into blogging for some time now. I used to do it all the time, but have found myself either lacking material, or motivation.

So, upon reflection of how I have been sort of miserable a lot lately, I decided I needed to focus on the things that are great in my life. The many wonderful things that I love and am so thankful for every single day.

I heard of Project 365 years ago....its basically a way of documenting your life with a photo, one day at a time. So, I am going to combine that with my "Gratitude" journal, thus the idea of "Gratitude 365"

Here is Day 1:

I am so thankful for my Keurig Coffee maker. Seriously. Its art. And isn't my mug just the cutest?! In fact, I love my whole coffee bar area. Those Sugar grinders....to die for. Yup. Awesome!

The annual year end post

2009-12-28T07:52:00.000-08:00

I have had thoughts and reflections of the past year and hopes and dreams for the next, swirling around in my head for days. I have experienced moments of true clarity when thinking about what I want to accomplish this next year, and honest recognition of the things I have not managed to square away this past year.

I had great hopes for real change this year, and as I reflect, I am not so sure I was overly successful. Although, I have such a feeling of overwhelming joy and excitement for 2010, that maybe I was far more successful than I give myself credit for.

I have felt for years that underneath my exterior and the person that I allow people to see is the real me. I have never really been able to put this into words, except maybe to say that I have spent my whole life hiding. Those who know me may laugh at this and not be able to reconcile the thought of the exuberant and passionate side of me as someone who hides, but the truth is those who know me the most, know that I spend the majority of my life controlled by fear.

I have spent some serious time thinking about why that is, what EXACTLY it is I am afraid of, and while I feel I am making some progress, I also know that I have a lot to learn about who I am, and why I am this way.

I know that I allow other people's thoughts about me, and my life, and my choices affect my decision making on a daily basis. I will purposely not pursue things I am interested in because I am afraid it will cause conflict in my life.

So, one of my new years resolutions, or whatever you would choose to call them, is to trust ME. To Believe in myself, to know that I am strong enough, smart enough, whatever, to make the decisions that are best for me. To stop hiding, to allow myself to shine despite how it may affect others around me.

I think the reality that in order for me to love myself, I have to be true to who I am is finally setting in. How can I possibly believe others when they tell me they love me, when I cannot say the same for myself. What kind of relationships can I really have with people if they do not really see ME.

2010 is my brand new start. I know that I often come out with these sentiments of grandure and cannot possibly measure up...but this time, I am not going to shove it all into a sentence like I will lose weight, or I will get my drivers license finally, or I will work on becoming more financially responsible, keep a cleaner home, be more organized, but this year, I will simply say, I will work on me, and those other things will fall into place if they are meant to.

I feel excited today. Hopeful for a fantastic new year.

CBC radio blurb

2009-05-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

for those, like me, who are barely up at 7 am, let alone listening to the radio ;)

http://www.cbc.ca/video/popup_audio.html?http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/8752/sudbury/ondemand/audio/feature2.wma

if you can't hear it there, go here and scroll down to features on the side bar.

:)

A Blog worthy story

2009-04-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

As usual, my poor blog is abandoned for a time...

But yesterday was the kind of day that warranted me taking the time to post about it.
I don't know about you, but I am an avid movie/tv show watcher, and I am not always proud to admit the amount of time I spend absorbed in the wonderful stories and heroic antics of other people's manufactured false lives.

But in the movies, things always go a certain way. For the most part anyway, the typical and cherished formula of A+B=C leads to many wonderful feelings, and sappy stories that warm our hearts.

What happens however, when in real life, something right out of a movie happens and you can barely breathe from the shock that something so awesome and terrifying at the same time could happen right under your nose? What happens when you reach out for help and there is no one willing to step up, rush in and save the day? Would you take it upon yourself to be the hero, or would you shamefully walk away and do nothing and deem it "not your problem".

Yesterday, we were presented with a situation just like that. My whole family is together right now, for the first time since Christmas, and we were enjoying a beautiful sunny spring day. We heard a dog barking behind my parents house, in fact, my mother had mentioned it the day before that she thought maybe there was a dog in trouble back there. The rest of us brushed it off that it was probably another new yappy dog in the neighborhood. As the barking continued, we decided that my mom and sister and I would take a walk behind the house just to check it out. There is a huge cliff-face behind my parents house so we don't go back often, but it is beautiful for walking. So, off we went and were about to turn around to come home after not hearing anything else, when my mother spotted the dogs. Two of them. Stuck. On a cliff. For two days. In the pouring rain.

The site of those dogs is not something I will forget in my life time. I am an animal lover, and so my heart absolutely broke knowing they were stuck and couldn't get down. This was not a small cliff, this was certainly not going to be an easy situation to fix. To give you an idea, here is a photo of the dogs on the cliff, I have highlighted them.

As far as we could tell, the second dog had followed the first when it got injured falling part way down the cliff, and couldn't reach the other dog. So, The next forty minutes consisted of calling all the various avenues (police, vet, animal control) NONE of which offered any kind of assistance. So, our options were, either turn a blind eye and let these dogs die, or attempt to save these poor dogs ourselves.

With the help of the owners of the property and another neighbour these ordinary people became extraordinary heroes. And thankfully, despite the many things stacked against us (no help, a shaky rockface, very basic equipment (ya, we had a rope), and two tired and very afraid dogs) we found our happy movie ending. My husband was the one who climbed up the cliff to save them, and though I was incredibley afraid for him (did I ever mention he fell off a 50 foot cliff when he was a kid) I was so very proud of him for his big heart and willingness to not accept that nothing could be done. It was not easy by any means, and could have ended much differently, but the teamwork of all involved brought the dogs safely to the ground. It was nothing short of a miracle.

I couldn't believe that these institutions that are supposed to be in place to make sure that we are safe and cared for all failed us yesterday. I understand that these were just dogs, but they still deserve the common courtesy of our love and care. If we cannot help the helpless what is the point? Without having seen it yourself, there is no way to know just how heartbreaking and hopeless this scene was, and though pictures will never do it justice. here is a storyboard I did up with pictures of the rescue.

Um, trying my hand at artwork?

2009-03-03T17:01:00.001-08:00

I was trying to make my own scrap booking paper for fun, and it ended up like this. More an easter screensaver I guess?? Anyway, I like it :)

The cross I got from a free stock photo site.

I call it Amazing Grace.

Lent

2009-02-26T03:49:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a really long time since my fingers have graced the keys in order to share with you the goings on of my life.

I get distracted. I suppose that happens to all of us to a degree.

You can imagine my surprise this early morning when I heard a still small voice breath into my ear and remind me that I am too distracted.

I found faith at the age of fifteen in an anglican church. I have since changed denominations many times, and my faith has always remained the same, and yet, traditions have changed. God to me is not about what we do, or how we worship in service to Him, but its all about the personal relationship. But...

I can remember the beauty of the cross in that little Anglican church. I remember the reverence I felt when I would drink from the silver chalice during communion. The pride I felt when I would robe up as a server of my Christ. I remember the feeling of standing together with fellow believers and speaking the common prayers that were traditional for a service. I remember the beautiful rich fabrics that we would change on the altar and the gorgeous banners we hung from the various ends of the church. I remember how the sun came through the beautiful stained glass windows and gave me a sense of the divine.

I used to clean that church on the weekends, and had plenty of time there alone. I found Jesus everywhere within that tiny church sanctuary and loved the safety I felt within its walls.

One of the traditions we observed in the Anglican denomination was Lent. I have since been in some churches that do, and some that don't, but it has been years since I gave it a second thought.

So again, in the early hours of my morning, I felt God tell me that Lent was upon me and that he wanted me to surrender something to him. Seeing as I haven't been really hearing much at all lately, this was a start and so I gave it my full attention. So I started rhyming off all of the standards....

Ok God, um, junk food?? Chocolate specifically? How about laundry? hehe, ok so maybe not. Well...I started to sweat a little bit at this point, um...my computer God, is that it??

I paused. Reminding myself to breath. Gah. Nothing....Uh, my computer AND my TV? No. Phew....ok, so THATS good.

and then I heard it....clear as day (and thats saying something) your lazy my daughter. Its not that I mind the computer, or the tv, or the junk food, or the chocolate, or any of it. What I mind is that you put it all before the other things you should be doing.

Now, this is not my any means a new idea. I have known it forever. And, I have tried a million times to get it under control. I think all my struggles seem to stem from it. So...in an odd and bizarre offering to God for lent, I am giving up laziness. Ok, so this one is going to be tough. But since when do I do anything that is remotely normal anyway.

Thankfully, I have this still small voice that whispers to me when I know I am purposely being lazy and I am counting on him (and my husband and kids) to remind me when I am in fact being lazy.

So, I am signing OFF the computer now, and going to go help my boys get ready for school.

snapped this today...

2009-01-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

My little man wasn't feelin so great. Down, and sniffly, and he was sitting there talkin with his nanook. So I snapped this.

How quickly they grow...

2009-01-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

You know, as part of this trying to figure out my camera business, I have been using my sons as subjects a lot. I snapped this pic of Drew playing the guitar (or trying to anyway) and while technically it is a terrible picture, I absolutely love it. It is one where I see a glimpse into the man that he will be one day soon. Like the blink of an eye perhaps?

My first manual shots ever..not too bad, I don't think??

2009-01-03T20:53:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T07:36:00.000-08:00

Well...Christmas was fantastic.

After six years in Manitoba without my family around (luckily for a couple we were fortunate enough to have Dave's parents with us) we had the chance to spend the holidays with my parents and my sister.

As is typical, us girls sure had some great laughs. We overdid the stockings to a huge degree which led to some almost hysteric laughter at 1:30 in the morning on Christmas day as we saw the fruits of our shopping...(We all decided to get "a couple things" for each stocking) I really wish I had a picture but its on my mom's camera, but you can bet I will post it here when I get my hands on it.

Mom, Lisa and I went to see "4 Christmas's" as a celebration of the Holidays and my birthday and it was a really fun Holiday movie. It is so nice to be able to enjoy stuff like that with them. Many times throughout the Christmas season I closed my eyes and said Thank you for the opportunity to be together.

Although, all my gushing wouldn't be accurate if I didn't mention that my first holidays in quite some time without my friends was also very noticeable. I hope my Manitoban friends know that they are missed always...

I received lots of fantastic gifts this year, but of course the one that made me cry was the camera my sister and husband got for me. My sister gave me a card encouraging me to follow my new passions...I got a Nikon D60, and while I am thoroughly enjoying playing with it, I must say I am quickly humbled. Sure made me appreciate the talents of my friend and mentor Tasha who is an incredibly gifted photographer. Apparently retouching photos is much easier than taking them! But, all joking aside, I am very excited to learn and spend more time than I really should reading up about photography online. I have already started a "piggy bank" to save up for a new lens (it is a fantastic digital counting one from my mom for Christmas, the readout says I have 6.35 saved up already!! WOOOHHHOOO...hehehe)

Other gifts that I totally love are my Cuisinart griddle/grill and mandolin. (that's two separate things) Helps me with my other passion- cooking!

My boys both got me beautiful gifts, a crystal angel with a beautiful poem about mothers from Drew, and a gorgeous bag from Wesley. He has some great taste!!

I am hoping to start a new blog this year. I have been hemming and hawing, because I have been with blogger forever and I would hate to lose it, but I kind of want something a bit more customizable. I want to post photos as I am learning, and be more involved in writing and sharing recipes etc. So we will see!

So, on the dawn of 2009 I am feeling better than I have in a while. I have a job I love, living close to family, a new hobby, drew is now old enough to babysit...Aaaahhhh, so many possibilities!

To top off all the ooey goeey awesomeness, Michelle is coming for a visit in Feb, and I am just so excited to see her!

Anyway, here are a few shots from over the holidays. The boys games for there DS, which was pretty much there favorite gift, although, they are pretty excited about the hockey sticks from papa too :) Anyway, if you click on the pics it will lead to my flickr site and there will be more there as well. Comments are always welcomed :)

Much love to all of you for 2009. I think its gonna be a great one!!

Winter Collage

2008-12-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas post to follow after I get myself a cup of coffee...

LOL.

If you click on it, you can view it bigger I think...

Another year...

2008-12-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

It was my birthday yesterday. I turned 32. The first part of the day I sort of sat around and hrrumphed about all the things I didn't do last year - but then you know what I started to think about all I HAD done, and it became a very nice reflection.

I spent half last year in Manitoba, continuing to grow very important friendships, work at a job I loved, build up a huge stockpile of "coupon deals" just in time to give it all away, and most of all, I spent some time alone with my kids when we were preparing for a move...That was a biggie for me. It wasn't easy but I got through it "with a little help from my friends"

Our family moved back "home" to Northern Ontario. I have since developed some new habits that I can say are a vast improvement from my time in Manitoba. I have made some new friends and found a new church home. My boys are happily adjusted and best of all, I have mom and dad around the corner so to speak!

I also started a new job, which I love, that has enabled me to tap into a peice of myself I didn't really know existed. Those of you who have known me awhile tend to know that I am a certain kind of personality. I tend to latch onto an idea and get all excited and throw myself into it with everything I have and love it for about a month. Then I get bored and throw in the towel. I have always been this way, until....well, now I guess! It is so exciting to me to find something that I feel passionate about. (I do photo retouching in case people are thinking what the heck is she yammering on about) It isn't necessarily the retouching that I love so much, but the idea of taking something and making it "extra special". I love learning more about it, and trying different techniques and fun processing of photos. I am sure that sometime in the future I would like to take a Photography course and start heading down that path too. It makes me smile every single day...I also get to talk almost daily to a great friend that I miss so much as she is my boss, and someone I admire so much for her talent and dedication.

So, in essence, new job, new house, new city, new province, new friends, new church....etc. Not bad for a year ;)

I think that when I look at my 32nd year there is one thing I want to improve. I always make this big long list for myself and never manage it. So, this year, I want to improve just this one thing...

I want to be less lazy. Now, I know that there are SO many things under that heading but basically I want to be able to go to bed and say to myself "I was less lazy today!" Simple to many, but something I always struggle with.

for example:
-I was less lazy when I decided to make a healthy meal for the family instead of going out.
-I was less lazy when I stopped procrastinating and got all my work done quickly (ahem, boss lady, you need to pretend you didn't read that)
-I was less lazy when I made sure I spent 30 minutes in the sun.
-I was less lazy when I walked on the treadmill instead of eating chips with my shows last night

You get the idea. So that is the goal for my 32nd year. I have a great feeling that its going to be a wonderful one.

My BFF is coming to visit in February and I am sooooo excited! Look out world, Julie and Michelle are on the loose!

Well, I have rambled enough for today!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

So I suppose I should update

2008-11-04T04:10:00.000-08:00

Since my last post was kind of depressing and out there.
In the interest of being positive I will tell you what I have managed to accomplish in the week since my last post.

I am getting up earlier. I get up, and see my husband off to work. We pray together and it has been good. I prepare my kids lunches either the night before or in the morning and make sure they get a nice healthy breakfast.

I have made dinner more often than not, and we have started doing an hour afterschool for "free time" that has nothing to do with a screen...this is a big accomplishment.

I have been working hard to try to catch up with my work, but I think I am just going to have to get used to the fact that I might not *ever* catch up totally and just do the best I can.

I have been listening to some new music and find that inspiring....I am very much enjoying the new church and looking forward to some great new relationships there. I am looking forward to hopefully feeling a little less like visitors one day, I tend to have trouble with feeling awkward and out of place sometimes. My better half on the other hand has never had a problem with socializing with strangers. I feel lame sometimes feeling like I need him beside me or everyone will be able to tell how uncomfortable I am. I try to remember if I was always like this, I don't think so. I don't know when I became so introverted in social settings because I feel like I am more of an extrovert so the whole thing is a bit of a conundrum. Well, I won't try to figure me out today...

I loved Thanksgiving and Halloween being in the same place as my parents. It has been SO long since we had family to share with. Even Dave's parents were away for stuff like that more often than they were around when we lived in Manitoba (which was a shame) so I loved being able to share that with family!

Let me see if I can drum up some pics for ya ;) My boys went for the gory this year, but wanted to make sure I knew they were "friendly" ghouls...

* picture made using - elements from two great freebies bld_sassept_el10, and shandyvogt. Which, I am a goof for not writing down the actual creators because this is my first time so I hope they forgive me.

Change?

2008-10-27T21:01:00.001-07:00

I find myself sitting up late again tonight. Too much on my mind I guess.
Do you ever get the urge to make a real change in your life? I do, all the time. Sometimes I even do it, like moving across the country a couple times. Those are kind of the drastic kinds of change, but is there something in your life, that you KNOW you need to change, and yet, try as you might, you never seem to be able to grasp it?

I try not to be too hard on myself in life, but I always feel like I am coming up short. The dreaded "What if" monster is always banging at my door and I seem to be so afraid all the time. It is always the same things I seem to run away from, and I can't ever seem to get a handle on it.

I am a believer in God. I have been since I was a teenager. God tells me not to fear. I should be secure in him, and yet...I still walk my life in fear. Fear of failure mostly. Fear of what I don't necessary understand, or fear of rejection.

I need to lose weight. Not just because my clothes don't fit, or because I feel fat (which I am) but because I am not healthy...I am so sick, all the time. I can't play with my kids the way they want, and I die inside at the thought of how ashamed my son is. He jokes around a lot, but I know how he really feels. Its heartbreaking...and yet, WHY OH WHY, can't I seem to get it right? Why is that damn chocolate covered granola bar, or those stupid chips, or the greasy fries more important to me than getting healthy? Why can't I keep up with myself when I get doing well?

I know that laziness is a biggie for me. I am honestly probably the most lazy person I know. However in some defense, you try carrying around an extra 120 pounds and see how easy it is to do day to day tasks. It kinda sucks. But really, its the choices you need to make everyday that should carry me through this. Apparently I am just not making the right ones.

I still don't have my drivers license, I can give you approx a million excuses why (trust me I have counted) but when the day is done and its late and here I sit in front of my computer and I get really honest, its just me...Just me and my fears. Just the humiliation of not passing over and over and the nagging anxiety of not wanting to do the work to get me there.

I typed up this new schedule tonight, about how I can suddenly manage my time well, and get up at 5:45 am and read my bible. How I can make time to do all the things I so know I need to do, like be a good mom to my kids and make sure they are doing their homework or, actually sitting down to a meal together everyday. Yep, typed it all out pretty and it sure looks nice on paper. Showed it to the hubby and he smiled and said how nice it was, but I know what he is thinking. Another one of Julie's little plans to make things better that will work for about a week...

He's probably right. 10 years together and I am pretty sure he hasn't seen me finish much of anything.

They say that Change has to begin somewhere...and I know where it has to start, I never have trouble with that part, its the making it last part I stink at. The follow through...

Someday's I wonder why I bother. Why oh Why do I keep trying?? Why do I care so much about trying to be better, get healthier, be cleaner, more organized? I mean I know I have my strengths, I am not completely down on myself, but I feel, no, I KNOW there is more to me. I see it sometimes, and I am not sure if its those glimpses of me that make me want to do it, or if its what makes me want to run away? Could I really be that afraid of succeeding? I mean wouldn't that be silly?

Wow, you poor souls who came here for a nice cheery update...I feel better though. I guess just getting real with you helps me get real with me.

So...I guess when it comes down to it - I never really quit until I stop trying. So, here is to trying again, and again, and probably again...until hopefully one day, I get it right.

My little navy leaguers

2008-10-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Don't mind the pics, taken with a crappy camera and desperately tried to jazz em up a bit ;)

Mawwwwaaaaggge.....

2008-10-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a.....

Uh oops, forgot myself a minute...Princess Bride, one of the best movies ever...

Dave and I just celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. A couple years ago, I wanted to do something extravagant to celebrate it, but with the move and all that has been going on, we just aren't going to have the finances or time to take a trip this year. So, alas that will go on the back burner.

I decided to mark our 10 years together I would write about 10 of my favorite memories from my wedding day and honeymoon.

My wedding day
I have various memories that stand out about that day, but here are a couple that were on my mind recently:
* the breakfast before the service in which my mother, my sister, and my bridesmaid laura insisted that since nerves were at an all time high we should have fruit and cereal (we were at a restaurant) to which me and Cherie (another bridesmaid and my high school best friend) looked at each other, shrugged and ordered bacon and eggs and the whole schabang...
* Cherie telling a joke during photos about a peanut that came out sounding an awful lot like another name for men's genitals and having to retrack and tell it all over again while we all killed ourselves laughing, and my sister using that same joke at dinner during speeches to stop herself from crying.
* Walking down the aisle and trying to get a good look at my groom to be which was incredibly difficult because I was crying too hard
* Dancing with my dad to Butterfly Kisses (before the song was done to death)

and last but not least:

*Going to the beautiful chalet for my first night of married bliss in which my husband spent hours doing wonderful things to me (uh huh, by wonderful I mean picking out 5 million bobby pins out of my hair while I cried and had mascara all over my face making me look like a raccoon)

The honeymoon

* The first couple nights we spent at a chalet drinking the Maneshevitz from our wedding communion and playing bridge. Which by the way I learned to please my sweet new husband and I am pretty sure we haven't played since then ;)

* Niagara falls there are a few great memories from that trip! Most prominent HAS to be my husband deciding to eat shrimp and getting food poisoning ending up at the hospital on IV's and generally puking and all that good stuff in our beautiful room while I sat in the heart shaped jacuzzi alone.

* Alien Encounters - ok some kitschy little tourist trap, you go in, an alien "gets loose" and you run through this little haunted house kinda thing. I was soooooo scared, really...honest. Poor Dave, he had to calm me down. I mean it was NOT scary, but you all know me...

* Losing 3 of my fake nails playing whomp it! We must have spent like 50 dollars on that stupid game in order to win Drew a little souvenir that we than lost.

* Singing Karaoke and having a lady from Fox Broadcasting give me her card (that I lost :()

*Seeing the falls at night all lit up and feeling the cool mist on our faces

and lastly....my absolute favorite memory from my wedding/honeymoon...

Dancing with my new husband to our wedding song and knowing that this was the beginning of something wonderful...

And even though there have been tough times, I would still do it again today.

I love you David!
Here is to 10 more....

Note: this is the song we danced to; the video is from the movie "love's enduring promise" so not related to me at all ;)
Great movies though! I reccomend.

Day 5 of no sleep

2008-10-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

And I am beyond exhausted. Worst part is, my spirit is down. I think I have had a combined total of maybe 8 hours in the past 5 nights, and I am just not cutting it. My kids need me, my house is a total mess, and I am feeling awfully run down.

I am supposed to be going away this weekend, and am hoping that this clears up soon.

Blah.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-10-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

I thought as my first new blog post in a million years, it would be appropriate to post about the things that make me thankful...

We just moved across the country recently, so I am enjoying being home in the North ;)

I am thankful to be close enough to my parents to have impromptu sleepovers, coffee dates, movie nights, campfires, and shopping trips! To be able to cultivate and enjoy a new found relationship with both of my parents...

I am thankful that my boys are glad to go to school everyday, and neither has any trouble with bullies this year.

that the boys have friends that live down the street and call our house constantly and are always stopping in.

I am thankful that I live in a house I love, take pride in, and isn't falling apart every week.

I am thankful for my new job that not only keeps some money coming in, but also gives me the opportunity to be creative, learn new skills, and keep in daily contact with a good friend!
I am also thankful it allows me to be at home and do the things I want to do, when I want to do them.

I am thankful for my new church and the relationships that are forming there. I am excited to feel so part of something so quickly and be blessed so richly by all of the wonderful things God provides for me.

I am thankful for new friends, crazy and funny and tons of fun to be with....and old ones that I miss everyday and wish I could spend more time with.

I am thankful for my doggie Snoops, who keeps me on my toes. He has come out of his shell to a huge degree, and is happy and energetic and has free reign of our yard.

I am thankful that I live on a street where I can commune with the birds, walk among nature, and enjoy a campfire in the yard.

I am thankful for my husband's job that doesn't leave him so stressed out at the end of the day, and that he can finally say he is enjoying life...

I am thankful for my marriage, despite its difficulties, twists and turns...Where it has been, and where it is going, I am so very thankful....

Why I blog (or why I don't)

2008-10-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

Read the blog yesterday. Start to finish. Crazy how much has happened in the past few years. It made me sad that I have stopped blogging, almost like there in no longer something for me to reflect back on in a few years from now.

Seems a waste to throw it all away, so stay tuned for some new stuff coming to a blog near you ;)

fun photos

2008-07-28T10:05:00.001-07:00

2008-07-25T04:44:00.001-07:00

2008-07-25T04:39:00.001-07:00

Volunteer Firefighters Rodeo

2008-07-25T04:36:00.001-07:00

Memories

2008-07-17T11:24:00.001-07:00

Back when I was still in Selkirk, I started making this video. It has taken me a loooong time to finish, and I apologize profusley that it is so blurry! I tried for days literally to shrink it enough to put it on the net, and will see if there is anyway I can figure out a better way of compressing it. I just wanted to share.

Home sweet home

2008-07-08T14:22:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been a long time coming, but we are finally in our new home. This is probably the first time I have sat down to think in about a month. Everything seemed to happen so fast, and I am finally coming out of vacation mode I think. (as in, this felt so much like I was here visiting until now)

That has brought some wonderful feelings of contentment, and also the odd twinge of sadness missing those I love in Selkirk. I suppose that is normal.

But, I have to gush a bit. I get to have coffee with the finches every morning. I sit in my bright living room looking out at all the trees and watching the birds come to visit my feeder. I love it.

The other day a horse drawn carriage went by my kitchen window. I love the country feel of my home, and aside from the gargantuan mosquitoes that I have had the pleasure of encountering in the past week, I am totally in awe of the beauty surrounding me.

My parents came for Sunday dinner a couple nights ago. I cannot tell you what that means to me, to be able to watch my sons interact with them, and enjoy there company again. I feel very blessed.

I have promised some pictures, so even though we are far from done yet, I will take a couple teasers ;)

Technorati Tags: new house

5 days

2008-06-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

5 days till the big move.
Its kind of surreal somehow.

Its been almost six years since that fateful day we set foot on Manitoban ground. Which in itself is a funny story. On our trip, I asked why there was no customs at the Ontario/Manitoba border. Ya, goes to show the state of my naiveity. Poor Dave. Apparantly there is more to Canada than Ontario.

I remember the effect the prairies had on me at first. I felt the vertigo from the contrast of tall buildings and flat lands. The musky smell of the earth and the constant quiet that seemed to surround us all the time. I really did fall in love with this beautiful place.

I was so fortunate over the years to make some amazing friends that I am sure will be part of my heart and soul forever. They will be missed every day. I have no doubt of that.

My heart is somewhat sad to leave. Saying Goodbye has never been easy for me. I have always had to work hard to protect my heart and it has affected me greatly when people have moved away, so it feels somewhat odd to be the one leaving this time.

I am excited to go home. It feels very much that way for me. Back to the hilly, lush, and northern towns of my childhood. Back to my family and old friendships that I have missed and hopefully back to a peice of myself I seem to have left behind.

I have learned so much in the time here, I would not change it for the world. Although there was some painful times, there was so many miracles that happened too. I have grown so much, and have come into myself in a lot of ways, and I cannot wait to begin another chapter.

So, I suppose I should get back to work. That's one thing that hasn't changed, lol, still a procrastinator.

At war with the washer

2008-06-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

I am not a very hands on kinda gal. In fact, when I think back to all the moves I have had in the past, they were mostly done for me - by friends, my husband, family...

I have come to the conclusion that this past six weeks has been one heck of a reason for me to change certain aspects of my personality.

I nearly had a mental breakdown today. I got so upset that I literally threw something across my lawn, screaming at the top of my lungs, all while my poor boys watched there mom having a tissy fit.

You see, my dear sweet husband who seems to have more faith in me than I have in myself- never told me that you are required to shut off the water when you disconnect a washing machine. YES, this should be common sense. Apparently I am lacking. So imagine my surprise and displeasure when water starts gushing out of my washing machine, WHILE my dryer is still running.

So, panic to unplug dryer, get a bowl under the water...see the valve, shut it off....Water STILL gushing...All over my kitchen floor at this point.

A few expletives later and I am downstairs shutting of the main water, that will fix it! Cept it doesnt...more water. What the HECK?!?!?

So, I finally get it to stop, or so I think and go turn the main water on....I can hear my sons SCREAMING from upstairs. Water is everywhere. Shut off main water again.

Truck pulls up. Ok, great, people are here to buy washer and dryer, hold it together. I walk out there, soaking wet, can't look them in the eye and start to explain the situation.

After I give them the whole speil, the woman pipes up, well Ill look at it in a second, but I would like a hug first....that got my attention. A couple of my friends I hadn't seen in a couple years stopped in on there way to a wedding. Well, that set me off alright. I started to bawl. Told them everything that happened, and luckily they were able to help me figure it out.

Turns out there are TWO valves, one for hot, one for cold. Only the handle was missing from one which was why I didn't see it.

So, there that is my rant. A rant at myself for not being able to handle things, and a vow to change the way I let others do everything for me.

What a day....

Oh forgot to add, in all the chaos I totally forgot that all my dress clothes were still in the dryer which is now on its way to the new owners in another city.
Nice.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

2007-11-07T09:58:00.001-08:00

About the post below...

I wrote it because all around me I see people struggling with marriage. Myself included. I needed a way to express what I was feeling and so that was what came out of it.

The same night I bought some songs from Kendall Payne's new album Paper Skin. The song you hear when you come to the blog is her song titled "Fail". The song spoke to me in huge volumes that night, and paired so well with my writing that I wanted to put it here for you to hear.

I hope it speaks to you too.

Julie

Got Marriage?

2007-11-05T19:07:00.001-08:00

I need to breathe
When the day gets a bit too long
And I am left shaken

Love is so fragile
Like a flower
With petals to gently protect
Yet so easily lifted away

Why is it so easy to give up?
Don’t we realize its fragility?
Don’t we value that which is most sacred anymore?

Strength is in the trying
When you have nothing left to try for
When you are empty and broken
But you hold on anyway
Because you have

Faith
In things that you cannot see
In someone bigger than yourself
In a love that is so much more than what we feel

Complicated
Difficult
Its not supposed to be easy
Because easy makes us lazy
And selfish
And the truest form of love is in the surrender
The giving of who we are
And sharing of what we can become

Sacrifice
Is a man who loves a child not his own by blood
But would fight with his life to protect him
Is a woman who feels lost in her own body
But believes that at the end of the day
Her family is all that matters

Mistakes
Are easily made
Frequent and fleeting
But forgiven in the end
Because of the relationship
Because of the promise of unlimited beginnings
Vows spoken easily, yet also easily forgotten
Do not uphold themselves
We must remind ourselves always
Of that which is most important

That the grass on this side of the fence…..

Needs to be taken care of.

2007-08-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

2007-08-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Vacation and all that good stuff...

2007-08-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Well, It has been a long time.

I have been in Ontario for a month. I have visited freinds, family, stores...oh ya did I mention I like to shop? Oye. Good thing we have the van for going home.

It has been a wonderful time and I am so thankful for family and renewing of friendships long past due.

I am however ready to go home. That statement seems a bit strange to me today, I think I thought that I would return here and the idea of leaving would kill a part of me the same way it does everytime. An unexpected shift has come however and I find myself longing for my prairies...and of course my family and friends there.

This is not to say that I don't want to someday be living back here in the north, I think it is just an opening of my heart to say that I will be ok for awhile to enjoy the life I have now.

Here are some pictures (only a sampling of the many I have from the trip)

Chel, I miss ya my friend. I look forward to seeing you soon. Oh and thanks so much for taking good care of my furbaby :)

Been neglectful I know...

2007-05-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

I have been over on my weightloss blog far more often. I am pretty focused on that these days so..

Update on the Hagglund Family:

We are all ok. Drew has started soccer again, and Wesley just finished Beavers and will be moving to Cubs next year.

We are enjoying the warm weather, and all the fun sounds and smells of summer.

I have been pretty ill this past bit, and am waiting on some tests to find out whats going on. Hopefully it is nothing too serious.

We are anxiously awaiting Dave's sisters for the weekend imported from the US of A. Its always a good time to visit with them, and Dave is excited to see his neices. (not that I am not, just that he gets surprisingly gushy about it all)

Not much else is new, we went to Dave's TKD tournament last weekend, Dave got two silver medals :) Way to go Dave!

I will leave with you with some funny pictures. This is all my sons work. They took these themselves!

Time to update

2007-04-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

For lack of a better title I will use that :)

I have had so much going on in the past few months, that it was honestly overwhelming to try to write about it all.

So, here is what I call, glimpses of spring...

The first batch is photos from my trip to BC for my first Epicure Conference. In case I have not been very clear, I now am selling these products via catalogs and home parties. (Which I can by the way have shipped anywhere in Canada, hint hint)Loving to cook, this has been a no-brainer for me. Offering a wide range of healthy, low sodium, low cal and low fat, blends, spices, dressings, and more was a bandwagon I was more than willing to jump on.

I have also made some amazing friendships, and ability to develop my confidences and strengths in business.

Secondly, some highlights of my absolutely wonderful trip to my parents on the train. While the train ended up running 17 hours behind schedule, they made it up to us by giving us free chocolate cake and a lovely dinner. :) The boys seemed to enjoy this very much.

It was wonderful to spend time with my parents, and the boys had a blast.

Then it was back to home, and real life, and the simple things that make my life joyful. Fun times with good friends, the fun of Easter and the celebration of our Salvation, and the thankfulness that our home was spared from the flood. You can check out pics here at my friend Colin and Tasha's blog.

Then, here is a picture of Wes with his school project, a windchime he made himself (with a bit of help from mom and dad)

It is my intention to try to keep this updated a tad bit more :)

Hope you enjoyed the update!

home...for a minute.

2007-03-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

I cannot even begin to describe how I feel. I suppose like someone woke me up from a really long time sleeping. My recent trip to the beautiful province of British Columbia has renewed and refreshed me, and left me wanting more. First of all, Jen, I am completly envious of where you live! Oh to see the flowers, and the fresh spring air before August!

But all kidding aside, I was truthfully awed by the many sites of beauty, and the wonderful company that I am so honored to be a part of. As many of you know, I am an independant Epicure consultant, and I was just down in Victoria for my first conference. I knew that the company was very generous and giving, and health concious, but I had no idea the impact of the morals and values of this company would have on me.

I have been working on a very special and dear to my heart project for some time, and to realize that the very dreams and goals I saw for my life, were so perfectly echoed in the people that work behind the scenes at Epicure was an instant affirmation that I am doing what I was meant to do.

I will talk more about this, I am being a bit vague right now because the company has not yet released some of this information yet, but when they do, you can be sure that I will be telling you all of the many reasons I am proud to be an Epicure consultant.

Here is a video of some of the highlights of my trip.

I chose this song purposefully because one of the themes of the conference was "Love is the Answer" and I can honsetly say, I saw a very large outpouring of compassion, love, and giving that I will remember always...

VIDEO REMOVED, I will email it if anyone wants to see it.

Update-

2007-03-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, its been a rough bit. I have avoided all things blogger. I am tired, and a bit warn down. Those that know me well know that I am in the middle of med adjustments etc, and am just feeling generally blah. But...

Here are some of the good things:

I am off to Victoria BC, my first time ever in BC, and I get to meet a new friend well I am there. Also, I am attending the Epicure conference, and am extremely excited about that.

I then am off to Sudbury to visit with my Mom and Dad. I am so beyond excited for that, I miss them so much lately, and am just looking forward to some quality time with them.

My marriage is good, and my hubby is my best friend. Thank you Dave for being there lately, I know I am not easy right now.

I won a contest, and that makes me happy :)

Ok, so thats my update for now.

Take care
ME

Today's FAV song!!!

2007-02-27T06:19:00.001-08:00

Thanks to chel for pointing it out to me :)

Dancin around in my pyjamas!!!

Whats Cooking Wednesday- Cheesy Stuffed Chicken Meatballs

2007-02-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

So, this week for WCW, I made another Rachael Ray recipe. This was super simple, VERY delicious, and highly enjoyed. Even my kids loved it! This recipe has been tweaked by me (of course)

Cheesy Stuffed Chicken Meatballs

1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped, divided
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, crushed with your hands or back of a wooden spoon
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp VE Margherita Seasoning
1 pound ground all-white meat chicken
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup (a couple of generous handfuls) bread crumbs
3/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 4-ounce piece mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, add a generous handful of salt along with the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.

Place a medium-size sauce pan over medium-high heat, add EVOO. Add half of the garlic and cook until it starts to get lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, cook for 8-10 minutes and season with Margherita Seasoning.

While sauce is simmering, place the ground chicken in a medium-size mixing bowl and add the egg, milk, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of grated cheese, the other half of the garlic and the parsley.

Season the chicken mixture with salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together and roll into 12 medium-size meatballs, each about 2 inches round.

Place a piece of cheese into the center of each meatball and maneuver the meat around the cheese to seal it in the middle. Place the meatballs in the tomato sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

Pour meatballs and sauce over the cooked pasta, sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese,and serve.

Yields 4 servings

What's Cooking Wednesday -Homemade Soba Bowls

2007-02-07T08:04:00.000-08:00

Modified from Racheal Ray...

Soba Bowls

1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 handfuls shredded carrots *I used stir fry mix (carrots broccoli and peapods)

10 mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 large zucchini or 2 small, cut into half moons and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large bok choy, cored and chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup fresh bean sprouts, optional * I did not use these
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander *didn't have this.
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
Cayenne pepper, a pinch
Tamari (dark soy sauce) *I just used regular

I chose to add about half a pound of pork strips, thinly sliced for the carnivores in my family.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to a boil to cook the spaghetti. Once boiling, add some salt and the spaghetti and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and toss with a little bit of vegetable oil.

While the water is coming up to a boil to cook the spaghetti, place a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add 2 turns of the pan of vegetable oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add the onion, garlic and shredded carrots and cook until the onions start to get tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, zucchini and bok choy and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add stock, bring up to a bubble then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the bean sprouts the last minute.

In a small bowl, combine the toasted sesame seeds, ground coriander, chili powder and cayenne pepper and reserve for garnishing the soup.

To serve, place some of the spaghetti in a soup bowl and season it with a couple of splashes of tamari.

Ladle the veggies and soup over the noodles. Sprinkle the sesame mixture on top and serve.

This served at least 6 for us. Although the recipe says it serves four. I did not exactly measure my vegetables going in, so that could be why. I also used a whole small package of whole wheat spaghetti.

REVIEWS: We had some mixed opinions on this one. All of us enjoyed it (3 adults, no kids, lol) However my hubby wanted more meat. I am just trying to get accustomed to actually eating vegetables, so while I enjoyed it, I was not in love with it.

Over all 4/5 stars!

Happy Birthday Bud!

2007-01-31T15:17:00.001-08:00

What's Cooking Wednesday - Mama's Cabbage Rolls

2007-01-26T12:33:00.000-08:00

My mom makes the best cabbage rolls. I have had many rolls in my time, but I prefer my mom's hands down. They are definitley a bit finicky to prepare but worth it in my opinion.

Cabbage Rolls

* I always freeze the cabbage prior, and soak in hot water, MUCH easier than boiling them.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
5 hot italian sausages (out of their skins)
3 slices of bacon (chopped fine) (I used ready cook bacon)
1 large onion (chopped fine)
2 fresh cloves of garlic
2 cups of uncooked minute rice
2 tbsp of tomato paste
salt and pepper to season
a lot of paprika (enough to cover the meat)
dash of worceshire sauce

Place all of these ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Place a small amount (about 2 tbsp) into a cabbage leaf and roll. Place seam down in a Dutch Oven.

Continue until they are all rolled. Fill the Dutch Oven with water and begin simmerring. Simmer until the water is about an inch from the bottom of the pan and add tomato juice. Keep adding tomato juice as it cooks down. You will simmer it for about 5 hours total. Add extra tomato paste if needed.

Yummm! I give this recipe 5 stars but I am biased :)

Traditions...

2007-01-22T06:35:00.000-08:00

One of the things that make me happiest in life are family traditions.
I have friends that laugh a bit at how many my family seems to have, and I am sure they often wonder why they are so important to me.

Our family has a few traditions, some that have come and gone over the years, and new ones that we have started recently. The longest standing one would have to be family movie night.

Every Friday in the Hagglund home, we do Family Movie Night. This consists of pizza, and a family friendly movie, and all of us camping out in the living room to watch and eat together. After that is done, the boys get into their Pj's and go downstairs for "their" movie, and Dave and I settle in for our date movie.

I am very anal about not missing it. So much so, that we have often bypassed other opportunities and activities, but it is just one of those things that make our family, the family it is.

Even when Dave and I were seperated there for awhile, we still did FMN. It is the one constant thing in my boys lives, and so it ranks as one of the highest important things for our family.

I even made it a stipulation when the boys went to visit my sister, and my parents over the summer. They had 3 FMN's with them, and my mom was very interested in how I can eat pizza EVERY friday without getting sick of it. I live with 3 boys...what do you think??? LOL.

A newer family tradition is our family walk on Sundays at the Dog Park. This is Snoopy's time to frolic and play, and socialize with other dogs, and its a time of "Who can throw each other into the snow the most"

Its great exercise, a lot of fun, and just a really feel good, happy, family time.

Michelle and Finn have been joining us a few times, and that has been wonderful!

Here are some pics:

Feelin...well...great!

2007-01-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

I know, bizzare isn't it.

Who knew that Julie could feel great? I sure didn't.

Well, ok that is exagerating. Really though, I am feeling brightly optimistic about life these days.

I think it is a culmination of many things. Stress surrounding some major issues in my life have now resolved themselves, I am eating healthier, moving more, breathing more, meeting new online friends, growing friendships with older ones, and reconnecting with my family.

I suppose you could say that I see the light at the end of the ever talked about tunnel.

So...this is me stretching out my shoulders, and trying to make the tension that has lived there for years roll away....

Julie

What's Cooking Wednesday - Deanne's Taco Soup

2007-01-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

Here is this week's recipe!
Comes together super easy, and is incredibly delicious and filling!

Servings: 8
WW Points: 3 or 5.5 with "extras"

1 pound lean ground beef (I use extra lean)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cans of tomato soup
4 cans of water
1 1/2 cups of salsa
1/8 cup reduced sodium taco seasoning

Mix these all together and bring to a boil.

Add broken tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream, and 2 tsp of grated cheddar cheese as extras.

YUMMM..... 5/5 stars! Thanks Deanne :)

the dust bunny...

2007-01-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

When Lisa was home visiting...She was so kind to be understanding of the insane amounts of dust that accumulate in my house.

There was one particular "gathering" of dirt and hair and dust that had taken up permanent residence in my hallway.

I kept meaning to sweep it up, but strangely enough, I had seemed to grow quite fond of it. Kind of like a bizzare little pet.

Lisa and I joked about it, and I promised her that I would leave it there till she comes back to visit.

So, here is a pic Lisa....look, hasn't she grown since you saw her last???

:)

Glad for the white stuff....

2007-01-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

While I know that most of you are enjoying the "snowless" winter, I thought I would post some of the reasons why I am thankful for it :)

I love this picture!

and even the dogs get in on it!

My first edition of "What's Cooking Wednesday"

2007-01-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

Borrowed from my friend Shannon, I thought that with the new year, I would try this out. Not guaranteeing it will last very long though, but we will try it out!

I thought that it would be a great way to get my boys involved in the kitchen, and spend some quality family time together. We had been doing something similar, but I wanted to just stick to one day a week.

So, last night we made our first attempt!

Spinach and Cheese Frittata

2 large egg(s)
2 large egg white(s)
1 cup spinach, fresh, baby leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp scallion(s), finely chopped ( I used 1 1/2 tbsp of Epicure's 3 onion dip mix instead)
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
cooking spray
1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I used cheddar and mozz)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Beat together eggs and egg whites in large bowl. Stir in spinach, scallion, salt and pepper.

Coat a 12-inch in ovenproof, nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into skillet and cook 5 minutes or until partially set.

Sprinkle cheese over eggs. Bake until cheese softens and eggs firm up, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 1 minute before cutting in 8 wedges. Yields 2 pieces per serving.

This is also 4 points per serving. (I am back on my need to lose weight kick again)

Overall, I give this recipe 4/5 stars. My boys ate it, which AMAZED me!! Served it up with some bacon and toast on the side, and it was very well received.

So Success for our first attempt! Thanks for the idea Shan!

insomnia again...

2007-01-02T03:21:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since the big I-Monster has shown its face for me, but when he does, it is always a tough one to overcome.

It think that truthfully, I bring it on myself when I am stressed or confused, and cannot seem to find peace enough for my head and heart to slow down and allow me to sleep.

As a Christian, I have struggled with this for years. I know that I am supposed to cast away all fears, and not worry. I know that I am supposed to be able to have peace in my heavenly Father, but truthfully, I have never quite mastered that. I can sometimes, but not nearly as often as I would like.

My heart is heavy as we begin the year 2007. I have so much hope for this year. I want to believe it will be the best yet, but so far I have been saddened by goodbyes.

I think that my heart does things to protect itself on a regular basis. I think that being such an emotional person, I have had to "shut-off" where a lot of my family and friends are concerned. I keep them at a safe distance so as to allow myself to enjoy my life where I am, and not hurt at the thought of them being so far away all the time.

Unfortunatley, sometimes when I am face to face with this reality, it truly seems too much to bare. People I love with all my heart are struggling with so many things, and I feel so helpless.

One of my dearest friends lost her child at the beginning of this year. My heart is so broken for her. How can I, someone who believes in a just God, offer her any kind of hope or answers, when I myself wonder how God could allow such a horrible thing? I know that bad things happen, I know in my heart that these things can happen at any time, but it seems so useless and cruel. I am angry. I am sad. I wish I could be there for her. I wish I could make it all better. Again, I am helpless...

I do not mean for my first post of the year to be so depressing. I am hopeful for good things to come, but I also need to allow myself and others to feel the sadness of things that have come this year.

To those of you near and far, I am sorry I am not stronger. I may seem shut off sometimes, and uncaring. The truth is, I care too much. So, in case you need to hear it again, in the passing of the old, and beginning of the new. I love you...may the new year be a happy one filled with many blessings - and may we grow stronger with our trials, and build our relationships through our losses.

Julie

Super "Dubbya" strikes again

2006-12-28T15:47:00.001-08:00

2006-12-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas 041

2006-12-28T15:23:00.001-08:00

Christmas 041, originally uploaded by Julie Julie Bo Bulie.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 021

2006-12-28T15:22:00.003-08:00

Christmas 021, originally uploaded by Julie Julie Bo Bulie.

Christmas Walk

Christmas 012

2006-12-28T15:22:00.001-08:00

Christmas 012, originally uploaded by Julie Julie Bo Bulie.

Tia and her boys

Christmas 007

2006-12-28T15:21:00.003-08:00

Christmas 007, originally uploaded by Julie Julie Bo Bulie.

"sisters"

Christmas 2 001

2006-12-28T15:21:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2 001, originally uploaded by Julie Julie Bo Bulie.

Super "Dubbya"

Christmas 2 012

2006-12-28T15:19:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2 012, originally uploaded by Julie Julie Bo Bulie.

Tia and the boys

Merry Christmas.

2006-12-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

I have not posted over the holidays. Been too busy sharing in some wonderful times with my family and my little sister.

I am so glad you came Lisa. I will remember our visit forever :)

I am short on words, I suppose the heart is still a bit heavy with the goodbye's so instead.....

Here are some wonderful photos and videos of our time!

havin a blast!

2006-12-18T07:30:00.001-08:00

havin a blast!, originally uploaded by Julie Julie Bo Bulie.

Havin fun :) (one of the rare times they are ON the sleigh)

BFF!

2006-12-18T07:29:00.001-08:00

BFF!, originally uploaded by Julie Julie Bo Bulie.

He, He, yeah its a bit blurry, but what do you expect, Dave took it while running next to the sleigh

friends!

2006-12-18T07:28:00.003-08:00

friends!, originally uploaded by Julie Julie Bo Bulie.

Lorena, Tasha, Deanne and Michelle