Project 365

Decluttering...Continued

2010-03-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

March 18, 2010 – Day 77

Until I cleaned and decluttered it last night, this drawer was stuffed full of dish cloths, tea towels, aprons, oven mitts, etc. (the wrap and bags were in a separate drawer). I realize now that it’s going to take quite a while to declutter every square inch of my house but the results are rewarding enough to keep me going! Less is more!

Ashley's Birthday Invitations

2010-03-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

March 17, 2010 – Day 76

I designed chocolate bar wrapper birthday invitations for my granddaughter Ashley this year. I sent the electronic version for Christine and Ashley to review and I was thrilled when Ashley phoned to tell me she loved them! The chocolate bar wrapper was one of Christine’s creative ideas – it’s part of an entire chocolate themed birthday party she is going to throw for Ashley’s sweet sixteenth birthday next month.

On The Horizon

2010-03-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

March 16, 2010 – Day 75

From my work station today, I noticed that the Epcor building is peeking up a wee bit above the Sutton Place hotel. Our offices are scheduled to move into that new building in the later part of 2011.

Bathroom #1 Decluttered

2010-03-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

March 15, 2010 – Day 74

The main bathroom upstairs is completely decluttered and cleaned, including everything inside the cupboard under the sink and the cabinet above the toilet. We plan to keep it this way by giving the toilet a quick once-a-day swish and the shower/tub, the sink and tap a quick wipe down after each use. I’ll also give those items an official weekly cleaning, even if they still look clean.

Rubba Scrubba Brush

2010-03-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

March 14, 2010 – Day 73

Ken brushed Little Bear with the Flylady Rubba Scrubba for the first time today. Little Bear really seemed to enjoy it and that’s saying a lot because he doesn’t normally like to be brushed.

My Kitchen

2010-03-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

March 13, 2010 – Day 72

My new coffee pot is quite a bit narrower than the old one so it just didn’t look right in the same spot. I started moving things around on my countertops to try to find the “right” place for it and that led to a kitchen-cleaning marathon that lasted several hours. I decluttered and thoroughly cleaned some of my upper cupboards and one drawer but it was too much to do all of them in one day.

I love antiques and it has taken me years to find all the things I have displayed on the top of my kitchen cupboards. I know it’s junk to some. I also know it’s clutter but it’s clutter that I love and I don’t know if I’m ready to part with it. My friend Jen and granddaughter Ashley vote “NO WAY” when I’ve mentioned to them that I may get rid of it.

I also like a bit of clutter on my countertops. I wonder what Flylady would have to say about that. lol

New Coffee Pot

2010-03-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

March 12, 2010 – Day 71

Out with the old (on the right) and in with the new.

I’ve been looking for a new coffee pot for a while but the ones I’ve seen that I liked were around $100 so I haven’t bought one; however, I saw one today at Costco that I liked and it was only $38 and change so I bought it.

Stuff from Flylady!

2010-03-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

March 11, 2010 – Day 70

I ordered the Flylady duster and Rubba Scrubba on February 23rd and they arrived on Tuesday! This is THE softest, fluffiest duster I’ve had in my life! Besides trying a new (healthy) recipe and getting more decluttering done, guess what I’ll be having fun doing this weekend?! :-)

I love the little sticker included with my order – but isn’t that “clutter”? :-)

Pretty Flowers

2010-03-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

March 10, 2010 – Day 69

At work this afternoon, my coworker/friend, Apryl, brought her adorable little baby for a visit. I was busy and didn’t get much of a chance to visit while Apryl was in the office but when she was ready to leave, I was just getting off work and she generously offered me a ride home. As we walked to Apryl’s car, we passed Artworks, a unique flower shop downtown – and they had these pretty flowers displayed outside. We were surprised to see the flowers outdoors because it’s still a little chilly out.

We have been fortunate to have had unseasonably warm weather the last few weeks though and seeing these flowers made it feel like spring is right around the corner!

After I took my photos, Apryl and I continued on our way and had a nice visit on our way home.

I Won!

2010-03-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

March 9, 2010 – Day 68

At work this morning, James bought me a “Tim’s” coffee - and I won a free coffee! (I started to tear the rim off before I thought to take the picture) It’s so much fun winning things!

A Nice Visit

2010-03-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

March 8, 2010 – Day 67

My cousins Valerie and Lauretta had an appointment in the city today and I had the pleasure of having them over for supper and a very nice visit this evening.

Went to Church

2010-03-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

March 7, 2010 – Day 66

I used to attend church regularly but haven’t been to a service for many years. However, my son Adam wants to start attending church so I went with him this morning. We went to North Pointe, a church that’s not more than a five-minute drive from my house. It felt so good to be in church again; I came out of the service feeling “clean” and refreshed.

The church is quite large, there are two morning services and a lot of people attend. There are 2 large parking lots for people who attend but between services the traffic is crazy-busy. So busy that they have a traffic cop directing the traffic coming out of the church lot and onto 167th Ave.

Alligator Meat

2010-03-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

March 6, 2010 - Day 65

Ken went snowboarding today and Adam drove me to a few places I wanted to shop that are outside my driving comfort zone. We went to Spinelli’s (an Italian grocery store my friend Jen introduced me to a few years ago), Tree Stone Bakery (a bread bakery I discovered online recently when looking for rustic/artesian breads in Edmonton), the Strathcona Farmer’s Market, Buffalo Valley (a meat shop one of the lawyers at work recommended to me on Thursday) and Sun Bake Pita (close to home but I wanted to pick up some things for our movie/snack night tonight). We also stopped at Canadian Tire on the way home and I bought some storage containers that I need as I continue to declutter and organize my house.

Adam and I had fun shopping at these unique places. Buffalo Valley was the most unusual meat shop I’ve ever been to. I bought some buffalo jerky, buffalo salami and ground buffalo meat. I also bought an elk roast to try one day when I’m feeling adventurous. Besides these types of meat, the store also sold cuts of: rabbit, wild boar, llama, ostrich, kangaroo, musk-ox, alligator – and even horse meat!

Workin' Man Boots

2010-03-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

March 4, 2010 – Day 63

Ken has been part of the sheet metal union for almost 25 years. Every few years, as with most trades, he gets laid off when things get slow at work. We’re used to the lay offs by now and thankfully, for the most part, he’s not laid off for more than a couple of months max.

Although a week before Christmas isn’t the ideal time for one of those layoffs to happen, that’s what happened in December – Ken was laid off on December 18, 2009. He was out of work for just over two months but started a new job, at a new sheet metal union shop, on Monday. This was the last day of his first week there.

Ken was going to get new work boots before he started the new job on Monday but didn’t get around to it. I imagine he’ll go out and buy new boots this weekend but I love the look of these old, worn, workin’ man boots and wanted a picture before they get tossed.
I didn’t “pose” Ken’s boots – this is exactly how he left them when he took them off at the end of the day.

Closing a File Party

2010-03-05T18:17:00.000-08:00

March 4, 2010 – Day 63

At work today, to celebrate a file that has recently been complete (after ten years), our senior paralegal (Brenda) brought in homemade cupcakes and one of the lawyers brought in Tim Horton’s coffee for everyone. It was so thoughtful of Brenda to make the cupcakes for us – and they looked delicious – but I love the feeling of getting healthier (down 23 pounds now!) so I chose not to indulge.

These are the few cupcakes that were left after our little “party” this afternoon.

Decluttering...Continued

2010-03-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

March 3, 2010 – Day 62

I spent a 15-minute (with my timer) decluttering session in my computer room today. In that amount of time I was able to empty 5 binders of materials (printed previews of almost every scrapbook kit I ever purchased, printed scrapbook layouts I liked and planned to scraplift someday, outdated photoshop materials, etc.) that I decided are not important enough to keep, especially considering the amount of space they take up. I also took apart 2 factums that I did for class assignments when I was taking legal training about 12 years ago. I’ll sell the empty binders in the garage sale we’re going to have in the summer and I’ll recycle this stack of papers. Decluttering feels great!

Mom's Perfume

2010-03-05T18:07:00.000-08:00

March 2, 2010 – Day 61

I bought this bottle of Alfred Sung perfume for a birthday or Christmas gift for mom many years ago; she loved it and wore it often. Shortly after mom died, just over 7 ½ years ago, Ross let me take this nearly empty bottle of perfume and it’s been sitting on my bedroom dresser ever since. I never use it – but because mom loved it, I didn’t have the heart to throw it away. I have a lot of things that mom either gave me while she was alive or I was given by Ross after she was gone, yet none of those things are as precious or as important as the time I spent with her and the memories I have of her.

A few months before mom died, she did a huge decluttering of her house. She said if something happened to her, she didn’t want anyone to have to go through “all this junk”. I don’t think I’m going “anywhere” just yet but I think mom would be pleased that I’m decluttering now. If I could tell her that I’ve been keeping this old, almost empty bottle of perfume just because it once was hers, I’m sure she’d just chuckle and say, “Go ahead Julie Ann, you throw it away”.

Now that I have this picture and bit of journaling to go along with it, I feel like I can keep this memory alive without having to keep the nearly empty bottle of perfume and it’s liberating to have the freedom to be able to actually throw it away.

One Room Decluttered

2010-03-05T18:05:00.000-08:00

March 1, 2010 – Day 60

Other than a lamp or an ornament for the magazine rack beside the big chair, my living room is completely decluttered and redecorated! I’m anticipating that it’s going to be much quicker and easier to clean considering how much “stuff” (small ornaments, framed pictures (I'll scrapbook them) and junk out of the coffee table and end table drawers) I packed up to get rid of. I was going to donate everything to the Cerebral Palsy Association (CPAA) on Friday but Ken suggested we have a garage sale this summer and make some of our money back that we’ve spent on all this stuff over the years – so that’s what we’ve decided to do. I donated a garbage bag full of clothes to CPAA but we kept the boxes of stuff to sell. Including some decluttering I’ve done in other rooms as well, I have a total of six boxes filled to put towards a garage sale and I'll have many more by the time I'm done going through the rest of my house.

I’m not following flylady’s zone-cleaning schedule yet but I’ve totally been inspired by her philosophy of getting rid of the clutter - without having to get it all done in one day! Flylady recommends working in 15-minute blocks of time, take breaks, keep your kitchen sink clean and shiny, and give the bathroom a daily 5-minute “swish and swipe” to keep it company-clean at all times. I’ve been doing those things for the most part. I have one bathroom completely decluttered, swish and swipe ready but I still have 2 more bathrooms to declutter before they're ready for the 5-minute daily swish and swipe. But I'm beginning to feel like I’m on top of the housework – and I love that feeling!

Cleaning house like this reminds me of my aunt Joan. She has always kept a spotless house – I think “flying” just comes natural to her. :-)

First BBQ and Way to go Canada!!

2010-03-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

February 28, 2010 – Day 59

Our weather has been incredibly warm and spring like for the past week or two. There’s nothing quite like a bar-b-que to celebrate the arrival of spring (I’m hopeful) so Ken and I decided to have our first BBQ of the season tonight.

Ken had just finished watching the Canadian men’s hockey team win the Olympic gold medal game before he barbequed the burgers. I think he was feeling proud and patriotic because he ran upstairs to get a Canadian flag to hold for this picture.

Chicken Dinner

2010-03-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

February 27, 2010 – Day 58

For supper tonight, I cooked chicken number two (of five) that I bought from the Hutterites earlier this month. Ken and I both love the new rice/pine nut/raisin stuffing recipe I tried for the first time the last time I roasted a chicken so I made it again.

Ballerinas

2010-03-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

February 26, 2010 – Day 57

When I was ten years old I wanted to be a ballerina or a figure skater when I grew up. I didn’t become either :-) – but there’s something about ballet and figure skating that still strike a cord with my soul. So I absolutely fell in love with this artistic rendering of ballerinas the moment I saw it while out shopping today. I wish I could say that I bought it, but I was only looking for a few new, easy-to-dust things to replace all the stuff I’m getting rid of in my decluttering process (buying stuff to replace stuff!) and I simply don’t have a place in my home where this painting would fit in so I left it in the store.

Basement Renos Update

2010-03-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

February 25, 2010 – Day 56

Ken has to buy light fixtures to finish up the lights in the basement but he painted the basement floor today. The paint was still wet when I took this picture so I had to take it from the bottom step and I wasn’t able to get much of the room in the view.

We plan to use the basement in part for storage, in part as a space to do our hobbies – and especially for extra sleeping space when my out-of-town children and grandchildren come to visit. For now we plan to buy a couple large area carpets but no extra furniture (we have air mattresses); however, it’ll be interesting to see how the space evolves over time. If I continue to declutter and get rid of enough of my “stuff”, perhaps this space could one day be a TV room and/or a play area as well as extra sleeping space.

Basement Renos Update

2010-03-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

February 24, 2010 – Day 55

Ken has been working away steadily on the basement. He put as many of the ceiling tiles in as he could today (he had the framing for the ceiling done before today). The spaces that are not enclosed yet are where he has to do some work with lighting and vents. I am very excited to see the work coming along so well!

Saying my Goodbyes

2010-03-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

February 23, 2010 – Day 54

My sister Darlene bought me this ornament for Christmas many, many years ago. I was probably in my early to mid twenties when she bought it and at first I didn’t particularly care for it. Eventually however, this woman and her dog grew on me – and ultimately became one of my favourite things. I cared for the woman so much that even when she fell and broke her arm right off, I couldn’t bear to part with her. I’m pretty sure it was Ken who did the repairs (the best he could, considering the severity of the break) and the woman and her dog stuck with me for many more years.

But now that I’m doing some serious decluttering of my house, I would like to lay the woman and her dog to rest. They’ve been with me for so long that my heart is torn but it is exactly this sentimental attachment to things that keeps me hanging on to too much for too long - and unless my sister wants the ornament back, I’m going to sever my heart strings and let it go. And now I have this picture to help me remember the woman and her dog forever.

8 Days Old

2010-03-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

February 22, 2010 – Day 53

I walked over and had a wonderful visit with my coworker/friend Apryl this afternoon – and had the privilege of meeting her new baby! Little Helayna was born on Valentine’s Day. She is so cute, so tiny, so soft and so precious.

Apryl doesn’t live far from me so I walked over for my exercise today – 19 minutes one way but on my way home I detoured to Save On and it probably took about 10 minutes longer. The walk was refreshing and it was so pretty outside with the hoarfrost on the trees.

Clutter

2010-02-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

February 21, 2010 – Day 52

Today’s decluttering “session” was this pile of stuff I took out from the hall tree. Ken went through it with me and between the two of us, three-quarters of this pile is now in a box to be given away on Friday when the folks from the Cerebral Palsy Association come by to pick up donations. The things that went back into the hall tree went back organized. Little Bear’s tennis balls are in a small plastic container, his leashes in another, and the few gloves, toques, scarves, etc. that we kept are in neatly folded piles. I love decluttering – I love organization – I love flylady! :-) www.flylady.com

A Shiny Sink

2010-02-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

February 20, 2010 – Day 51

Since Tuesday, I’ve been practicing the flylady 15-minute/day declutter “sessions”, and also making sure my dishes were done and my sink empty, clean and dry at the end of each day. However, I delayed cleaning my sink as well as flylady suggests we start with on day one of the babysteps: http://www.flylady.com/pages/FlightPlan_Missions.asp because Ken has been painting the basement walls and cleaning up in the kitchen sink. He’s finished painting now, so I spent some time to really clean the sink today. It’s surprising how much clutter I’ve already been able to sort through in 5 days. Flylady is just awesome! And I had a call today from the Cerebral Palsy Association – they will be in our area on February 26th to pick up donations of clothing and small household items – perfect timing!

Gunky

2010-02-22T10:09:00.000-08:00

February 19, 2010 – Day 50

Last week a coworker (Stacey) brought a lunch that looked delicious. I asked her what it was called and if she would mind sharing the recipe with me. Stacey said a member of her family called it “Gunky” one day and the name stuck so that’s what she calls it – and she shared the recipe with me. I made it last night for supper and it was as delicious as I thought it would be! I don’t know the “real” name of it, so “Gunky” it is.

If you want to try Gunky: sauté an onion, 2 (I used 4) minced cloves of garlic, 2 chopped green peppers and 1 ½ cups chopped mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil. After about 10 minutes, add ½ cup water, 1 large can of tomatoes, 1 can of drained and rinsed kidney beans (Stacey used black beans and so did I), ¾ cup uncooked wild rice (I used a brown/wild rice blend), 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, ¼ teaspoon cayenne or pepper flakes (I used both). Stacey added about 1 cup frozen corn so I did as well; I added the corn about 10 minutes before the dish was finished. When everything is cooked, sprinkle cheese over and warm in oven until melted. I cooked this in a large frying pan and just added cheese to the top a few minutes before serving. Stacey said this can be eaten with plain yogurt or sour cream. Ken and I ate it without either but we both thought it would be delicious with tacos, sour cream (or yogurt) and salsa.

Spring?

2010-02-18T23:34:00.000-08:00

February 18, 2010 – Day 49

We’ve been experiencing spring-like weather all week. It’s been wonderful but since it’s only February 18th, I imagine there’ll be more of winter before spring is here to stay.

Another Good Book

2010-02-18T23:29:00.000-08:00

February 17, 2010 – Day 48

My granddaughter, Ashley, bought me this book for Christmas. I finished reading it on my bus ride home after work today. It’s the first of a trilogy so I have to hurry and find the next book in the set because I LOVED this one!

Ready to Fly!

2010-02-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

February 16, 2010 – Day 47

I normally do the majority of my housework every couple of months and when I do, I clean so thoroughly that it takes me a couple of days to complete. I don’t particularly enjoy cleaning that way – in fact, I guess if I were to be honest, I’d have to admit that I dread it – but I never really thought about doing it differently. It’s not so much that I hate doing housework because I really don’t (and I love having a clean house) but what I do dread is the feeling of being overwhelmed with housework and that’s how I feel every time I do those big cleans.

However, I think my method of doing housework is about to change. Christine introduced me to a great idea the other day: www.flylady.com – it’s basically organized housecleaning – bits and sections at a time! I think I’ll start with the baby steps here: http://www.flylady.com/pages/begin_babysteps.asp but with a few modifications of my own. The first step is to clean your sink and that’s it – but since I’m anxious to declutter my house, I’m going to follow fly lady’s idea to spend 15 minutes a day decluttering. I did my first 15 minutes today and yes, I set a timer!

Flylady is on facebook as well; as I type this tonight, there are 52,221 fans of the group!

I’m excited about this new project I’m going to take on so I went to the dollar store today and stocked up on a few new housecleaning supplies and pretty writing pads for grocery lists. I suppose finding a new home for this stuff should be part of my 15-minute declutter session tomorrow! :-)

I’m ready to FLY!

Am I a Hoarder?!

2010-02-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

February 15, 2010 – Day 46

OMG - I watched a couple episodes of Hoarders online last night and another episode this morning. The shows shocked and terrified me, because I’m afraid that I very well may have hoarder tendencies! One of my goals this year was to declutter but now declutter has taken on a whole new meaning for me. It now means that I desperately want to get rid of every single thing I don’t need, don’t use or don’t wear! Most of my house is clean and well organized but there are areas where I stash “stuff” – my computer room being the worst. It’s going to take me some time to go through everything I have tucked away in this room but I am determined to do it! I started this morning by going through a stack of papers from 2000 – 2004 and most of those papers are now shredded or in the recycle bag.

The binders on the table are filled with tutorials I’ve printed from the internet and they piled up there because the two shelves I have on the opposite wall in this room are full! I have more binders of printed tutorials (photography, scrapbooking, Photoshop and Illustrator), books, office supplies, boxes of photos, albums of photos and stacks of DVDs with more “stuff” saved on them!

I hope I’m finished organizing and decluttering my computer room, and can take an “after” picture, before this year is over.

From my Valentine

2010-02-14T22:40:00.000-08:00

February 14, 2010 – Day 45

This morning Ken gave me a dozen gorgeous red roses and a beautiful card.

For my Valentine

2010-02-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

February 13, 2010 – Day 44

This morning it dawned on me that tomorrow would be Valentine’s Day! I don’t know how I lost track of the days but I thought I still had next week to get Ken a card. I wanted to have something to give him tomorrow though so I walked to Save On and bought a card and a little Valentine treat. Ken was none the wiser since he was out snowboarding all morning.

Jalapenos

2010-02-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

February 12, 2010 – Day 43

I went out early this morning to do my weekly grocery shopping. I especially needed to buy a couple jalapeños for a new recipe (Mexican Bean and Rice Salad http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mexican-Bean-and-Rice-Salad/Detail.aspx) that I wanted to make for supper tonight. Ken and I went to Costco last night so I didn’t need many other things. I decided to go to Sobey’s for a change. It’s one of the smaller grocery stores in our neighbourhood and I thought I’d be in and out, and back home, in no time.

Once at the store, I put a few things in my cart but when I got to the jalapeño shelf, it was empty; there was not a single jalapeño in sight. I asked a store employee if they had any in the back but they didn’t.

Since I had to go to another store for jalapeños anyway, I put back the few items I had in my cart and decided to do all my shopping at Superstore. Even though I don’t buy jalapeños often, I notice that they always seem to be well-stocked. And sure enough - they had plenty. I picked out two, put them into a small plastic veggie/fruit bag and into my cart. Even if I would have left the store with nothing besides those two jalapeños, I’d have been happy – because they were the important item of the day.

But I did take the time to go around the store to gather the other items I would need for the upcoming week and returned home. After I’d put most of the groceries away and began to set aside ingredients for the new recipe I was going to try, I realized that I hadn’t seen the jalapeños. I was sure they must be in the last bag of groceries that I didn’t put away yet. I checked – and they weren’t there.

I double checked the other grocery bags in case I overlooked them when I put the groceries away but they weren’t there either. So I scanned my receipt. No jalapeños! I know, without a doubt, that I had them in my cart – but I think I had them in that upper part (where kids sit) and they must have fallen through the cracks at some point while I shopped.

In any event – I didn’t have jalapeños for the recipe. I knew I’d have to go out again to get some, even though I had no desire whatsoever to do so. It turned out that I didn’t have to – because Ken offered to go out and buy them! Hooray Ken!

Edmonton's Art Gallery

2010-02-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

February 11, 2010 – Day 42

On April 30, 2009, my picture of the day was of Edmonton’s Art Gallery which was under construction at that time. The work is complete and the Art Gallery opened to the public on January 31st.

Homemade Bread...to Come

2010-02-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

February 10, 2010 – Day 41

I want to learn how to make healthier breads such as: multigrain, whole wheat, seed breads and sourdough so I ordered a couple of bread cookbooks to help teach me. I’m also hoping to take a multigrain breadmaking class or two at the Bosch Kitchen Centre with one or two of my sisters in March or April. I would even like to learn to mill my own flour. One of the lawyers at work (on another team) does all that and she’s a great inspiration to me! She has both of these cookbooks, recommended them and even loaned me “Whole Grain Breads” over the weekend. I loved it so I ordered a copy (of both) for myself.

Snow "Moval"

2010-02-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

February 9, 2010 – Day 40

Our street was cleaned today. To be more accurate, the snow was scraped from the center of the road and pushed to the sides. I'm pretty sure this was the only time they scraped the road this winter, even through the worst snowfalls (and awful roads) in November and December.

Project 365 - 2009

2010-02-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

February 8, 2010 – Day 39

I spent many hours, over the last few days, working on my 2009 Project 365 album and finally finished today! My next goal is to catch up on these first few weeks of my 2010 Project 365 album.

Hard at Work

2010-02-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

February 7, 2010 – Day 38

Ken did some work on the car today.

Ready for the Oven

2010-02-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

February 6, 2010 – Day 37

Here’s my first Hutterite chicken all prepped for the oven. I tried a new recipe I found online for rice stuffing (with pine nuts and raisins). It was perfect! I also made Honey-glazed carrots with Rosemary, a new recipe from the Wholefoods Cookbook I ordered from Amazon last week. Everything was exceptionally delicious and I’ll be adding these new recipes to my list of favourites.

We ate supper with our movie tonight so I didn’t have to worry about finding healthy snacks.

Baseboards

2010-02-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

February 5, 2010 – Day 36

Ken bought baseboards for the basement today.

New Cookbooks

2010-02-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

February 4, 2010 – Day 35

When I got home from work today I was excited enough to clap my hands and shout hooray a few times when I saw that my book order had arrived! I’ve been collecting cookbooks for at least 30 years – and I knowwwww that I gave away an entire shelf full of cookbooks over the last couple years but, but, but… I justified this purchase by convincing myself I needed more healthy recipes for my new healthier lifestyle! Note to self: give away two cookbooks from the full shelf of cookbooks that I still own to make room for these two.

I love ordering from amazon.ca – they are so fast (I ordered late Sunday night) and they are far less expensive than any of the bookstores in the city.

Basement Renos Update

2010-02-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

February 3, 2010 – Day 34

Ken started priming the basement walls yesterday and finished today. It took a while for him to get to this stage but he did a perfect job of the drywall, taping, sanding and priming! It’s becoming easier to imagine that this is going to be a livable space one day.

Wonderful Step Parents

2010-02-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

February 2, 2010 – Day 33

Once my stepdad (Ross) knew I wanted some chickens and eggs from the Hutterites, he went right to work to get me some! A couple weeks ago, Ross contacted a guy he used to buy eggs from (years ago) at the colony outside Westlock and they arranged to have some ready for him to pick up today. Ross and his wife Marg drove out to the colony, picked up the chickens and eggs and brought them to me this afternoon! While they were visiting, I took this picture of them. What a wonderful family I have!

My sister Darlene, Marg and a couple of her kids decided to buy some chickens and eggs as well when they heard Ross was going to pick some up. In total he bought 20 chickens and 15 dozen eggs. I took 5 of the chickens and 3 dozen eggs. I’m so excited to cook a chicken on my next day off!

An interesting thing Ross told me was the guy he bought the chickens from told him that he has an order from a doctor in the city for 150 chickens. Ross asked him what a doctor does with so many chickens. The guy said he sells them to his patients - says he believes the meat is that much better than store bought that he goes to this effort on a regular basis for his patients!

Spinach Salad

2010-02-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

February 1, 2010 – Day 32

I had a spinach salad for lunch today. After I took this picture I drizzled the salad with a little of my current favorite dressing: Costco’s Oak Hill Farm’s Vidalia Onion (that my cousin Carol introduced me to through her Project 365 last year).

Healthy eating and exercise is paying off – I’ve been completely off my apo-triazide (water pill for borderline high blood pressure) for 9 days now. My blood pressure continues to be fine and I’ve lost 13 pounds (so far)!

Lush

2010-02-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

January 31, 2010 – Day 31

When I got home from my day out yesterday, I put away the things I bought from the Farmer’s Market and left the other things I bought on the bottom step to take upstairs the next time I went up. Ken went upstairs before I did so he picked up the things to take up with him. When he picked up the bag of Lush goodies, he said, “The things in this bag smell good!” I was quite impressed that he noticed. I wanted to take this picture before I used any of these smell-good treats but I can’t wait to use at least one of them tomorrow. In retrospect, there are a couple more things I’m wishing I would have bought as well – so I’ll have to make another trip one day. My cousin Shanda manages the store so if you go in, say hi from me.

I love the mission statement of the company. It’s printed on the back of the paper bag and these are my favourite parts:

“We believe

…in making effective products from fresh organic fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.

We believe in buying ingredients only from companies that do not conduct or commission tests on animals and in testing our products on humans.

We invent our own products and fragrances, we make them fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging, using only vegetarian ingredients and tell you when they were made.

We believe in happy people making happy soap…

We believe in long candelit baths, sharing showers, massage, filling the world with perfume and the right to make mistakes, lose everything and start again…”

Girls Day Out

2010-01-31T12:29:00.000-08:00

January 30, 2010 – Day 30

Today was girls day out! My sisters Darlene and Cathy, my niece Michelle and I spent most of the day together.

Our adventure began with a visit to the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market. I bought a lot of goodies including: 2 dozen free-range brown chicken eggs, organic chicken breasts, ground chicken, ground beef, a few roasts (beef, pork and bison), golden flaxseed, carrots (both fresh and pickled), 2 Jamaican patties, a loaf of fresh homemade multigrain bread, Ukranian buns filled cottage cheese and dill, organic mini spinach and caramelized onion pita breads, homemade tabouli salad and tzaziki.

After unloading our pull cart – and our arms – we walked a few blocks to visit my cousin Shanda at work. Shanda manages Lush, a unique shoppe along Whyte Ave. that specializes in handmade bath and body products. We spent some time in the store – getting hand massages and being shown some of the products. In this photo Shanda is showing us how well the bubble bath foams up! Her job looks more like fun than work to me! I was sold on the strawberry scented bubble bath and also bought a chocolate shower bar and a lemon hand cream. Everything in the store looks and smells “delicious”.

After the fun we had in the store, Shanda came out to lunch with us. We ate at Chianti, also along Whyte Ave. I thoroughly enjoyed my choice for lunch: a whole wheat fettucini dish with sundried tomatoes and peas, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.

Shanda had to return to work after lunch but the rest of us stopped at Chapters, where I picked up a book I wanted (and a beginner yoga DVD that caught my eye).

From Chapters, we went to see a matinee at South Common. We didn’t have a movie in mind beforehand but once we got to the theater we chose to see “When in Rome” – a lightheared girlie love story.

It was a wonderfully fun day!

Metis Status Application

2010-01-31T12:27:00.000-08:00

January 29, 2010 – Day 29

My sister Cathy (in this photo), her boys and I went to apply for Metis status today. This was our second attempt – our first being in the fall of 2008. Even though Cathy, her oldest son and I had Metis status (and our Metis cards) with us the first time, we learned that we needed our long-form birth certificates and a completed genealogical record dating back to the mid-1800s in order to reapply under the new guidelines (that have been in place for a few years). We had what we needed with us this time and, even though it took us about an hour and a half to fill out the applications and put our genealogical information into a chart, we were successful. The woman who helped us with our application took our photos and said our cards will arrive by mail but she couldn’t give us a time frame within which to expect to receive them.

New Things

2010-01-31T12:24:00.000-08:00

January 28, 2010 – Day 28

I bought myself a yoga mat and a couple water bottles today. I plan to continue to do the easy yoga DVD Christine bought me until I have it mastered and then I’ll try the Kathy Smith DVD again. One day I may even get brave enough to join a class! The water bottles are so I can take filtered water to work from home and save money buying bottled water from the stores downstairs when I’m at work.

Beware of Sodium Nitrites

2010-01-31T12:20:00.000-08:00

January 27, 2010 – Day 27

I have been buying Olympic bacon by the four-pack for years; I always thought it was the best bacon out there. However, the things I’m learning about what food processors put in some of the items we buy in the grocery stores has been, and continues to be, a real eye opener. I’ve read a lot of information recently that indicates sodium nitrites (and nitrates) are preservatives that may cause cancer. And I have yet to find out what sodium phophates and sodium erythorbates are (also ingredients listed on this package of bacon).

Every person has to decide for himself or herself what to eat or not eat – and whether or not to pay attention to ingredients on the packages of food they purchase but, now that I am becoming aware of these things, I choose to err on the side of caution and switch to healthier choices.

Ken and I both love bacon and I will continue to cook with it on occasion but it won’t be Olympic bacon, or any other brand of bacon that contains preservatives, that I’ll be cooking with. From now on, I will only buy bacon from a local butcher – one that doesn’t add preservatives and additives to the meat!

Eating Clean

2010-01-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

January 26, 2010 – Day 26

After having recently watched the documentary Food Inc., the movie Fast Food Nation and doing a lot of research on food, and superfoods in particular, I’ve decided to push my quest for good health up a notch. I have been shocked to learn how many unhealthy things are added to the foods that a lot of people in North America normally consume on a daily basis. Additives, preservatives, artificial flavours, artificial colours, ridiculous amounts of refined sugar, salt, and more. Why do we need all those things added to our food? Most other countries in the world don’t have such things added to their food – and most other countries in the world are healthier than we are!

I had already decided to look for a farmer who will sell us grass-fed beef. I want to buy my chickens and eggs from the Hutterites and find a farmer who sells bison. I want to start going to Farmer’s Markets regularly, buy more organic food, or even just good clean food that doesn’t have a list of ingredients that I can’t even pronounce! And thankfully, Ken is completely on board with me.

Little did I realize that there are already many people that are “into” clean eating! I’m discovering that there are a few people at work that eat this way and there is a lot of information online (all you have to do is google “eating clean” or similar search words) to find a plethora of information, recipes, success stories and so forth.

On Sunday, Christine phoned to tell me of book she found, and bought. The title was “Eat-Clean Diet” by Tosca Reno. It isn’t really a diet really; it’s more of a lifestyle choice based on eating good clean food, stuff that actually does your body some good.

So, today at lunch I went to Coles bookstore in the mall below the office tower I work in to see if they had the book in stock. They did – so I bought it. This may be a variation of the one Christine bought, because they had a couple on the shelf but it’s the same idea and written by the same author. When I went back upstairs, I realized Tosca Reno has also written a couple of cookbooks as well so I went back down to see if they had either stock. They had both in stock – so I bought one. I received a $25 gift certificate to the mall as part of the Christmas gifts my lawyers gave me at Christmas time and I used that towards my purchase – so a wonderful treat from them!

Hard to believe the author once weighed over 200 pounds! I am really excited about my new books and anxious to try some of the delicious-looking, clean-food recipes!

Yoga

2010-01-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

January 25, 2010 – Day 25

So this morning I was all gung-ho to try the Kathy Smith yoga DVD that Christine sent me last week. I put it in to play and tried my best to follow the moves; however, I was quickly lost and ended up completely frustrated and angry. It seemed so technical, I was afraid I was doing the moves wrong, my belly was in the way – and it seemed like they were moving through the workout so quickly!

It drives me crazy when I can’t do something even though I’m trying my best, but I also can’t stand giving up and walking away! Thankfully, Christine gave me another yoga DVD when they came down at Christmas time so I gave that one a try. It’s very basic, very simple and slow enough for the ultimate beginner like me to follow along. I managed to get through the entire workout, although I’m still not sure that I did a couple of the moves right. And my belly was still in the way but I did the best I could in spite of it, although thankfully appreciated being in the privacy of my own home! I thought I might take a yoga class but I am rethinking that idea. I don’t think I’m ready to stretch and bend and jiggle awkwardly in front of a room full of strangers!

At the end of the workout I felt energized and wanted to do it over again! I didn’t though. I opted instead for the familiarity of my recumbent stationary bike and rode for 40 minutes this evening - but I am looking forward to doing the easy yoga DVD again soon.

A Nice Visit

2010-01-24T19:22:00.001-08:00

January 24, 2010 – Day 24

Ken and I were generously treated to brunch today by my cousin Hazel and her significant other, John, who are visiting Edmonton from High Prairie. We went to Bonanza: a close-to-home restaurant that has good food – and plenty of it – to choose from. Ken and I don’t go out to eat very often so it was a very special treat! Thank you again Hazel and John – Ken and I both had a wonderful time!

Hazel is my first cousin once removed (her mom, Gladys, and my grandfather Leo were brother and sister). Hazel and John have been together for about four years but we don’t see them often and today was the first time we met John. I was quite excited to learn that John is a cousin of my dad’s brother-in-law (his sister Gladys' husband), Uncle Maurice!

Parking for Earthlings

2010-01-24T19:20:00.000-08:00

January 23, 2010 – Day 23

My son Adam and I went to Organic Planet this afternoon (first visit for both of us). Everything was expensive, as I expected it would be – but well worth the cost if you’re looking for natural, healthy, preservative free items. I took several pictures, both indoors and out, but thought this sign was unique so I chose it for my picture of the day.

B/P

2010-01-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2010 – Day 22

I am closely monitoring my blood pressure as I continue to wean myself off the water pill I’ve been taking for many years. My reading this morning was 116/80.

Encouraging Results

2010-01-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

January 21, 2010 – Day 21

In regard to my eating habits, I feel as though I’ve been wandering aimlessly in a nutrient-poor, processed/fast-food induced brain fog for many years. In the early 90s, my doctor put me on apo-triazide for borderline high blood pressure and I’ve mindlessly popped that water pill for the last 16 – 19 years. I knew, but I didn’t really know, or perhaps I didn’t believe that high blood pressure is most often caused by a poor diet. In any event, I just didn’t “get it”. Now, I’m getting it – and it feels positively wonderful to be waking from my poor-food induced haze. It feels invigorating and refreshing to be making healthy, fresh, delicious food choices for Ken and I!

I started making healthier choices and exercising back in November (minus the Christmas season) and I’m beginning to see some positive results. One of those positive results is that my blood pressure is great! In fact, it’s so great that I started weaning myself off the water pill two weeks ago. I have a blood pressure monitor at home and I’m careful to take my blood pressure reading once or twice a day to be sure all is well as I wean myself off the apo-traizide. And it has been!

I’ve also lost 11 pounds but since I started weaning myself off this pill my weight hasn’t gone down any, even though I continue to eat healthy. I’m sure my weight is at a plateau only because my body is confused and relearning how to process excess fluid on its own. It won’t be much longer – but I’m looking forward to the day when I’m completely free of this medication!

In The Mail Today...

2010-01-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

January 20, 2010 – Day 20

When I was 15 years old, I enjoyed doing yoga. I followed along from a book way back then and I haven’t really done it faithfully since. When I spoke with my doctor about my health in December, she thought I would enjoy doing yoga and suggested I either take classes or follow along with a DVD. I mentioned to my daughter that I’d like to try it – so she went out and bought me a yoga DVD, and another exercise video that she enjoys doing. I received them in the mail today and I’m excited to try them. I’ll probably start with the yoga DVD on Friday morning – the first day of my weekend.

Thank you so much Christine!

Exercise

2010-01-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

January 19, 2010 – Day 19

Since taking on the “Superfoods 365” challenge on January 1st, I’ve had no problem meeting my goal of adding five superfoods to my diet each day. I had some difficulty leaving behind the Christmas indulgence mentality during the first few days of January but I still included my five superfoods on those days. Today is the 19th day in to the Superfoods challenge and I’m finding that a wonderful thing is happening – I’m becoming more “aware” of what I’m actually putting into my body with every bite of food I eat. And as I continue to learn more about the benefits of superfoods, I’m finding that I want to include more than five superfoods in my diet each day and some days the majority of the food I eat in a day is a superfood – or at least a healthier choice than I otherwise would have made in the past. I find our movie/snack night on Saturday to be the most difficult time of the week for me, as far as knowing what to serve, because my old familiar snacks are junk but I’ll continue to look for healthier snack ideas.

My cousin Claudette recently sent me a movie called Food Inc. which I watched in fascination and shock and it has inspired me to include more natural foods in my diet as well. My stepdad, Ross, returned a call I made to his wife Marg yesterday; he told me he can get me some chickens and eggs from the Hutterite Colony out by Westlock and he may know someone who sells buffalo from a farm somewhere out that way as well. Come summer, I’ll be looking for farm fresh honey, flax seeds, farm-grown vegetables and fruit from B.C. as well.

I’ve always known that healthy food is good for you, that you can live a longer life if you’re in good health, and enjoy a better quality of life for the years you have, but somehow I just didn’t “get it”. However, something has finally “clicked” and now I know that I’d rather be the healthiest I can be and cure myself (blood pressure, cholesterol) with healthy food rather than synthetic medicines, which only mask the problem.

Although I’m not always as excited about exercise as I am about superfoods, I’m still persuading myself to go for a bike “ride” at least three times a week (although I got lazy over Christmas). Since I started riding my bike again in November, tonight was one of the few times that I actually craved that burst of energy, an exercise “high” that I get when I ride. I rode for 40 minutes, “went” 8.6 kms and burned 536.4 calories.

Aloo Gobi Masala

2010-01-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

January 18, 2010 – Day 18

I tried two new healthy recipes today. Ken and I thought they were both excellent but this one was my favourite. It may not look like much but I would rate this dish, Aloo Gobi Masala, a 10 out of 10! It’s time consuming to prepare the vegetables and measure out the spices in advance but well worth the effort. The recipe (including video clip instructions) is here: http://showmethecurry.com/subzis-vegetables/aloo-gobi-masala-spiced-cauliflower-and-potatoes.html Ken and I don’t like a lot of ginger so I only used ¼ teaspoon of minced ginger from a jar. I scrubbed my potatoes but didn’t peel them and I added one extra potato because my potatoes were a little small - and also because I love potatoes. :-)

Ethnic Food Store

2010-01-18T00:06:00.000-08:00

January 17, 2010 – Day 17

Ken and I both love East Indian food and since I’m looking for healthier recipes to try, I’ve decided to learn how to make more Indian food dishes since many of the recipes are both delicious and nutritious. Earlier this week I found a great website that has several wonderful recipes – and short video clips to show how each recipe is made. http://www.showmethecurry.com/

I printed out a couple of the recipes I want to try and made a list of vegetables and spices I would need. I went to Superstore today and found most of the ingredients. Although they have a good selection of East Indian spices, I was unable to find asafoetida powder. I asked an East Indian woman shopping for spices in the ethnic food section if she’s familiar with that spice. She said she knows it and took the time to help me look for it. She couldn’t find it either but we had a very nice chat. She asked what I was making and I told her that I need the spice for a spiced potato and cauliflower dish but I couldn’t remember the proper name of it at the time (it’s Aloo Gobi Masala). I told her how my husband and I love Indian food, mentioned the website I discovered and and how the website has videos to help take the mystery out of trying these new recipes. She seemed very interested and continued chatting with me so I also told her of the other dishes I’ve tried recently: a dish with peas, tomatoes and and paneer (I couldn’t remember the name of it at the time either but it’s “Matar Panir”) and Red Lentil Curry, which is “Daal”.

As we continued chatting, the woman told me there is an East Indian store on 144 Avenue. She couldn’t remember the street but gave me a few visual clues to help me find it. She said “he” would have the asafoetida powder. I had no idea there was an Indian store on the north side (within my driving comfort zone!) so I was thrilled with this new information! When I left Superstore, I drove right over to the store she recommended. I stopped at two wrong small strip malls on my way but I eventually found the right strip mall – and the store!

The moment I set foot inside I felt as though I had been transported to a foreign country. My senses were immersed with the heady smell of curry intermingled with incense, Indian music playing over the store intercom, shelves lined and crowded with every spice imaginable (and unimaginable), lentils, beans, rice, oils of all sorts, and so much more. Refrigerators were filled with paneer, roti, and many items I don't yet recognize. Adjacent to the food section of the store, through a narrow doorway, was the second part of the store. The walls were lined with silky fabric in every color of the rainbow and all shades between. I’m assuming the gorgeous fabric is mainly for saris.

I let the owner know that I loved his store and asked if he would allow me to take pictures. I felt honored to be allowed to do so – and now I know exactly where to go when I need more of the spices, lentils, oils, etc. to cook the East Indian dishes that are on my “to try” list!

Workin' Man

2010-01-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

January 16, 2010 – Day 16

Ken has been putting quite a few hours of work into finishing the basement lately. He cuts wood he needs in the garage and when I went into the garage to get something this afternoon, I saw this “display” of tools and wood. Of course I thought it would make a cool picture! I didn’t rearrange anything but tried lighting this a few different ways; this was my favourite.

A Hospital Visit

2010-01-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

January 15, 2010 – Day 15

My sister Darlene and I went to visit my cousins Valerie and Lauretta at the hospital today. Val is recovering from major surgery and considering it’s only been a few days, I was pleasantly surprised to see her looking well and in good spirits. I don’t see Val and Lauretta often but they are wonderful, down-to-earth people and when we get together we simply pick up where we left off. I absolutely enjoyed our time together and there’s no better way I could have spent the afternoon than visiting with them.

My prayers will continue to be with you for a full recovery Val.

The New Take Out

2010-01-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

January 14, 2010 – Day 14

Once in a while I like to go to the food court downstairs from the tower I work in and treat myself to “take out” for lunch; however, I’m committed to eating superfoods everyday and overall I’m trying to make healthier choices – so there are few options when it comes to finding a place that serves anything healthy.

The Canadian Soup and Sandwich Company is one of the few restaurants that has some wonderfully healthy lunch ideas. I love their vegetarian sandwich with a slice of Swiss cheese and light brush of mayo and mustard on multigrain bread. I pay $5.13 for this sandwich but I think it’s worth it with all those fresh veggies and no guilt attached – and I feel like I’ve had a treat!

A Whole Lot of Fun!

2010-01-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

January 13, 2010 – Day 13

Our office is competing with the other Department of Justice offices in the Prairie Region in a fitness challenge this week. Events are coordinated over our lunch to encourage people to participate in getting active. Today the activity was a scavenger hunt. Three coworker friends and I formed a team. We had 30 minutes to go out and get information and items from a list. We had to walk fast and jog to get everything done within the half hour and even so, we were four minutes late returning to our designated spot back at the office. But we had a blast!! And we won! The prize is a $5 gift certificate to Tim Hortons each (and we are encouraged to spend it on something like a low fat muffin). :-)

The information we needed here was the name of the clock tower in Churhill Square and the year it was built. I didn’t know the name of the clock tower before today but it’s “Friendship Tower” and I think it was built in 1992 (will have to confirm that with one of the other girls who wrote down the information though). We also needed a picture of some of the members of the group at this location.

Bubble Bath

2010-01-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

January 12, 2010 – Day 12

I usually take showers rather than baths but tonight I was in the mood for a hot bubble bath. I started reading a new book yesterday – one that Ashley bought me for Christmas, so it was a nice to soak, relax and read.

Saffron

2010-01-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

January 11, 2010 – Day 11

I think saffron is likely the most expensive spice in the world. I buy a bottle of it once or twice a year because Ken and I both love Saffron Rice (I use Basmati rice to make it) – and we have also enjoyed my attempts at other East Indian dishes that I make to go along with the rice. I opened a new jar of saffron tonight and this is the amount you get for about $14.00. The saffron is wrapped and folded in one cellophane kind of envelope inside another paper envelope that is tightly sealed, which are both folded up and sealed in the jar. You’d almost think it was illegal! :-)

To accompany my Saffron Rice tonight was my first ever, and so delicious, attempt at daal. I found the recipe on youtube. Yes, you can find pretty much anything on youtube! The recipe is called Red Lentil Curry and you can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1lQH8C6g1E

Ten Years

2010-01-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

January 10, 2010 – Day 10

It was ten years ago this month that I began working in the legal field. In January of 2000, I was hired on at Wilson & Hurlburt, a small law firm with three lawyers and one other assistant. The senior partner’s wife, Donna, would come to the office to do the books once or twice a week. Donna was also selling Creative Memories supplies at the time – and introduced me to scrapbooking!

I was at Wilson & Hurlburt until the firm dissolved in July 2001. From there I went to Emery Jameson but I left that firm after a few weeks. Then, through a temping agency, I was hired at Bryan & Company, a large firm with approximately 80 lawyers, and mostly enjoyed my work at that firm. Although I was offered full-time employment when my temping assignment was complete, I didn’t accept because I was going through the process of (hopefully) being hired on with the federal Department of Justice. It worked out as I had hoped and I was began working for Justice on June 3, 2002.

I kept this denim shirt I received while at Wilson & Hurlburt as a memento of my time there. I don’t remember what the occasion was but all employees of the firm got the same shirt. I had a good time and learned a lot while working with Wilson & Hurlburt. I haven’t completely lost touch with a couple of the people I worked with there. Donna Wilson is a friend of mine on Facebook and I run into Kate Hurlburt once in a while on my way to work or in a food court downtown; she’s now a partner with Emery Jameson.

Reading and Riding

2010-01-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

January 9, 2010 – Day 9

I rode my bike for 40 minutes today, “went” 8.9 kms and burned 459.9 calories. An excellent way to make the ride enjoyable is to have a good book to read. Redeeming Love is a book I borrowed from Christine – it’s an absolutely wonderful love story!

After many years of not reading often and only reading true stories when I did read, I am enjoying novels again.

Superfoods

2010-01-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

January 8, 2010 – Day 8

I’m feeling great about adding superfoods to my diet everyday! This was my lunch today – along with an orange and a cup of green tea. It was delicious!

Commissioner For Oaths

2010-01-07T18:44:00.000-08:00

January 7, 2010 – Day 7

I’ve been a Commissioner for Oaths in and for the Province of Alberta for 9 or 10 years. I did the exam with one of the lawyers I worked for when I was working at Wilson & Hurlburt in 2000 or 2001.

Commissions expire, and have to be renewed, every three years (it wasn’t always three years but I forget what it used to be). I could get my commission renewed through work but I want to be able to use it for purposes outside work if necessary so I pay for my own renewals.

Undecorating the Office

2010-01-06T17:49:00.000-08:00

January 6, 2010 – Day 6

We took down the office Christmas decorations at work this morning. Two members on our team (Sherri and Dale) are Ukrainians and will leave their personal offices decorated until Friday.

2010

2010-01-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

January 5, 2010 – Day 5

The calendars I like generally cost about $22.00. I don’t like to pay that much money for a calendar so I never buy my new one until the first or second week in January when I can get one at half price. I’ve even waited until the third week in January to get my calendar at 75% off but by then the selection is well picked over. I found one at Calendar Club in the City Center Mall today that I love and it was half price; I bought it because I didn’t want to risk it being sold out by the third week in January.

The packrat part of me wants to keep the 2009 calendar because I love the pictures – and I’ve done that in the past. I’ve packed many beautiful old calendars into boxes never to be seen again. The rational part of me that wants to declutter this year wins – the old calendar is in the recycle bag!

Rabbit

2010-01-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

January 4, 2010 – Day 4

I thought I noticed fewer rabbits in the neighbourhood lately – they’re selling them at Save On Foods! Just kidding – we still have plenty of rabbits in the neighbourhood :-) but I was surprised to see rabbits for sale in the store today when I went out to buy some fresh “superfoods”.

My New Pen

2010-01-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

January 3, 2010 – Day 3

I absolutely love my new metallic purple pen. It was the one purchase I made at regular price on Boxing Day but it was only $5.99 so I’m glad I bought it even though it wasn’t on sale. I love the shape of it and the thickness to it. I love that it is personalized. The only thing I don’t like about it is that the ink is black. I’m hoping I can find a new refill for it that has blue ink, maybe a pretty steel blue.

Broken

2010-01-02T16:05:00.000-08:00

January 2, 2010 – Day 2

The last of the Christmas ornaments, except for this glass ball from the tree that didn’t make it through the season, are all packed up and put away until next year.

New Year/New Projects

2010-01-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2010 – Day 1

I’ve decided to do Project 365 for another year! I must admit that it’s rather intimidating to be right back at “Day 1” but I’ve had a lot of fun with this project in 2009 and I’m not ready to quit. I’m excited that my sister Darlene is going to do P365 for another year as well and that my sister Cathy is going to join us in this adventure this year! I’m also excited to have 2 coworkers joining me in P365 this year!

Today is the also the beginning of a new project I’ve come up with in an attempt to get healthier this year. I've named it "Superfoods 365".

Dr. Steven Pratt and Dr. Oz have lists of nutrient-dense food they call “superfoods” and I compiled a list to use based mainly on their recommendations; however, a few of the items on my list come from other sources. Without making any other changes to my diet, I'm planning to add 5 superfoods per day. I can have as many more superfoods as I want on any given day - but not less.

A few family members and coworkers are going to join me in this project but I've suggested to each that the number of superfoods a person chooses to add to their diet each day should be a personal thing. The number should be high enough to be a bit of a challenge but low enough to be realistic to stick to for an entire year. If you already eat 3 or 4 superfoods each day, 5 won't be much of a challenge, but if you're like me and eat little or no superfoods on most days, I'm thinking 5 will be enough of a challenge. If I follow this through, I'm thinking that I may choose to do 7 next year, but now, in my excitement, I'm getting ahead of myself.

I will choose (and record my choices (not weights or measurements) in this journal that I bought and “decorated” for my project) any 5 each day from this list of superfoods:

SUPER FOODS:

green tea, water, red wine

artichokes, asparagus, avocado, beans (string), beets, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cabbage (red), cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, corn, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, peas, peppers, peppers (hot), radishes, radishes (daikon), rhubarb, sauerkraut, scallions, soy, spinach, squash, sweet potato, tomatoes, turnips

acai, apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, honeydew, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, pomegranates, prunes, pineapple, pumpkin, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, watermelon

cod, crabs, eggs, flounder, lobster, salmon (wild), sardines turkey

barley, beans, buckwheat, lentils, nuts, oats, quinoa, seeds, spelt, walnuts

black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, honey, horseradish, olives, olive oil (extra virgin, "cold pressed"), oregano, kefir, parsley, sea salt, turmeric, yogurt

irish moss, miso, sea vegetables, seaweed, umeboshi plums, wheat grass

dark chocolates

http://www.superfoodsrx.com/superfoods/
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/omagazine/201001-omag-superfoods
http://ezinearticles.com/?Superfoods-List&id=2896813
http://ezinearticles.com/?Complete-List-of-the-Super-Foods&id=2481665

Project Complete!

2009-12-31T15:46:00.000-08:00

December 31, 2009 – Day 365!!!

I finished up the puzzle I started late on December 26th today. I can’t take all the credit though. Ken, who admits he doesn’t have any patience to do a puzzle, helped me. He put together 4 or 5 pieces of the puzzle. :-)

I love the picture on this puzzle; I would love to live there - if I didn't work in the concrete jungle.

And this is it – my 365th photo of 365…the last day of Project 365! When I began this project one year ago, I was apprehensive about taking it on because I wasn’t sure that I could take a picture a day, every single day for an entire year. But it’s thrilling to have completed this project! I don’t have a desire to quit yet though, so I’m going to try doing it for another year.

The Cookbook

2009-12-30T15:50:00.000-08:00

December 30, 2009 – Day 364

About 2 ½ years ago, I decided to type out my favourite recipes so I could pass them down to my children and grandchildren. That was the beginning of a once-in-a-lifetime project and little did I know that it would take me so long to complete! I spent countless hours typing and proofreading my work.

I’ve enjoyed cooking, baking and trying new recipes since I was a teenager so I have accumulated many favourites over the years. Once in a while I would put this project aside because it seemed like an enormous undertaking that may never be finished, or I’d simply lose interest in typing recipes – but I always kept coming back to it because I never lost the desire to pass along a copy of my favourite recipes.

After more than two years, I finally finished typing every single one of my favourite recipes! Once I reached that goal, I decided it would be great to include any others that my kids may wish to include – and I’m glad I asked because a couple of them did have recipes to contribute. Once I added their recipes, I then thought it would be interesting to include favourites from other family members as well, and I began to collect and type up recipes from aunts and cousins.

As I continued to collect recipes from my family members and add new favourites when I would try a new recipe that was fabulous, I realized that this was a project that could very well never have an “end”. So early this year, I set a goal to finish the collection of recipes in time to give to my kids for Christmas gifts this year and that’s what I’ve done.

Although this cookbook is finished, Christine is going to take over and start a new cookbook of our future favourites! I will submit to her any new recipes I try that I would consider a new favourite or any recipes I collect from family members.

I had planned to print a copy of the cookbook for each of my children, put the pages in plastic sleeves and add them to a binder; however, my sister Darlene had a much better idea. She went to Staples not more than a couple weeks before Christmas to see how much it would cost to have the cookbook printed and coil bound. Each was only $32 and change to be printed on cardstock – and could be done in time for Christmas! Darlene ordered four cookbooks for herself and I asked her to order five for me (one for each of my kids and one for myself). It turned out that Staples made an error on the first printing. Instead of printing the heading pages single-sided, they double-sided everything other than the first page of the cookbook. They redid the job as we originally requested it be done and we still had the cookbooks in time for Christmas! My sisters Marilyn and Cathy and my aunt Joan bought the first set of misprinted cookbooks at cost – I guess they didn’t mind some of the headings being on the left hand side of the pages.

Including the index and category heading pages, the cookbook is 271 pages long and is about 1 ¾” thick after being printed and bound. Creating this cookbook truly was a labor of love and feels thrilling to have it done and see it in “print”!

Puzzle Mania

2009-12-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

December 29, 2009 – Day 363

Adam, Michael, Christine and Ian worked on a puzzle on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I love doing puzzles but, even though my kids took turns helping me in the kitchen, I didn’t get a chance to participate because I was busy preparing a bounty of snacks on Christmas Eve and a turkey dinner with all the trimmings on Christmas Day.

However, on Boxing Day, Christine brought out a box of ten puzzles that she received as a gift from Claire (Ashley’s step mom). Ian, Christine and I each chose a puzzle. Christine chose a 750 piece puzzle (the mailboxes); Ian chose a 500 piece puzzle (the waterfall) and I chose a 750 piece puzzle (the barn/farm house), and we began putting our puzzle pieces together. It was shortly after midnight when we got started: I didn’t get much done because I went to bed around 1:00 a.m., Christine turned in around 3:00 a.m., but Ian was up until 5:20 a.m. – just to finish his puzzle!

Ian started – and finished – a second 500 piece puzzle (the wolf) the next day!

Christine had breakfast plans with friends this morning so she let Ashley take over her puzzle after she left. Ashley was sure she’d be able to finish before it was time for them to leave for home early this afternoon but in the end she ran out of time and had to ask Ian to help her with the last 20 pieces or so. They (barely) finished the puzzle before they had to pick up Christine and head for home! Ian and Ashley gave me a couple minutes to take a picture of the puzzle once it was finished (which wasn’t the picture I chose for P365 because the puzzles Ian had put together had already been taken apart and packed away in Ziploc bags) – then they proceeded to take it apart, pack it up with the others and take it home with them (all of which I took pictures of)!

I don’t have my puzzle finished but Christine let me keep it here to finish. Once I’m done, I’ll take a picture, then take it apart to give back to Christine next time I see her.

It’s always so much fun to have my children, in-law children, and grandchildren come to visit but I feel overwhelming sadness and anxiety when it’s time to say goodbye. Even though Christine and her family only live 3 hours away, I had to choke back tears and fight a panic attack when they left today. I immediately turned my focus to cleaning house and went out to get a few groceries to keep myself from losing control of my emotions.

Girls' Night

2009-12-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

December 28, 2009 – Day 362

Christine, Ashley, Hope and I had a fun evening together tonight. We used the hand and foot moisturizer treatments that Christine and I bought at XS Cargo on Boxing Day; gave each other back and foot massages and talked about saving our money to go to a spa together one day, and maybe on a trip together to New York City when Ashley graduates in 2 ½ years. We also talked about yoga, being healthier – and shared our excitement about starting Superfoods 365 on January 1st.

Project 365 wasn’t my idea. I think the originator’s site is this one: http://photojojo.com/content/tutorials/project-365-take-a-photo-a-day/ but Superfoods 365 is an idea I came up with based on the 365-day goal. We’ll simply add nutrient dense foods to our diet each day. Dr. Steven Pratt and Dr. Oz have lists of superfoods and I’ve compiled a list for us to use based mainly on their lists. Each of us will decide how many superfoods from the list to add to our diet each day (without obligation to change anything else about the way we eat) but I think the four of us have decided to add 5 superfoods per day. We can have more whenever we want, but not less.

Sleeping Beauties

2009-12-30T12:36:00.000-08:00

December 27, 2009 – Day 361

Christine, Ian and Austin sleep in our guest room when they come to visit. Ashley and Hope either sleep on a queen size air mattress or on the couches in our bonus room. On this visit the girls have been sleeping on the couches. I snuck in this morning and took a few pictures of the girls while they slept. The noise of my camera and the light from the flash woke Ashley up but Hope continued to sleep – although she later told me she was dreaming that I was taking pictures.

Boxing Day Shopping

2009-12-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

December 26, 2009 – Day 360

I usually stay clear of stores on Boxing Day but this year I went out and even had fun shopping with Christine and Ian for a few hours.

Ian wandered off to the electronics section while Christine and I were shopping at London Drugs. When we finished our shopping, we found Ian playing the Xbox 360 NHL 2K10 hockey game. He was quite happy to let us know that his team (Calgary Flames) beat the Edmonton Oilers 9-5.

If I could post more pictures for Project 365, I’d photograph the purchases I made today but since I limit myself to one picture a day for this project, I’ll just write about them, more for my own record than because I think anyone is actually interested. :-)

London Drugs had a beautiful set of cutlery (for eight settings) on sale for $24.99 from $60.00 so I bought the last three sets that were on the shelf, ten boxes of icicles at 60% off the regular price of $1.49 each, a green olive oil bottle for $1.99 that was marked down from $9.99 and a package of 12 AA batteries for $6.99. I also bought myself a new shiny purple metallic pen with my name on it at London Drugs but it wasn’t on sale. I paid $5.99 for it. At XS Cargo I bought the Guitar Hero Aerosmith game for PS2, that comes with 2 guitars, for $29.99, a set of Revlon hot rollers for $10.00, a hand moisturizing kit and a foot moisturizing kit for $3.99 each. At Michael’s I bought two rolls of wrapping paper; both were 60% off the regular price of $10.00 each.

Christmas Day

2009-12-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

December 25, 2009 – Day 359

This is the group of us that spent Christmas Day together this year. Back row: me, Michael, Adam, Ian and Hope. Front row: Ken, Little Bear, Christine and Austin. Travis and his family went to Amanda’s mom and dad’s (in Grande Prairie) for Christmas and Ashley was at her dad’s.

We had a wonderful day together.

Tim Tam Slam

2009-12-30T12:11:00.000-08:00

December 24, 2009 – Day 358

Christine and Ian introduced us to the Tim Tam Slam tonight. Ian demonstrated as Christine explained, then we all gave it a try. To enjoy a Tim Tam Slam: bite off diagonal corners of Tim Tam cookies and suck coffee through one of the bitten ends. The cookie melts from the inside out and you quickly eat it before it dissolves completely. Fun! The Tim Tam Slam is an Australian tradition.

Ashley

2009-12-30T12:10:00.000-08:00

December 23, 2009 – Day 357

Christine, Ian and the kids arrived today! Ashley is leaving for her dad’s tomorrow to spend Christmas with him so I wanted to get a picture of her before she left. She’ll return on the evening of Boxing Day.

Wrapping Gifts

2009-12-30T12:04:00.000-08:00

December 22, 2009 – Day 356

I usually take vacation time to have the week before Christmas off work so that I have time to prepare for the big day but this year I took the week after Christmas off instead. I thought it would be nice to have time to relax after Christmas but having had to work this week has really made my days hectic. I had errands to run tonight and last-minute groceries to buy before Ian and Christine arrive tomorrow. I also started wrapping my gifts before heading to bed around midnight.

Santa

2009-12-30T11:57:00.000-08:00

December 21, 2009 – Day 355

I like a well-made Santa. This is the face of one I own; he stands about 18” high.

Christmas Music

2009-12-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

December 20, 2009 – Day 354

Adam came over for a visit today and brought one of his guitars with him. He was practicing some Christmas songs that he and Michael are learning.

I used to want to learn how to play the guitar and even took lessons but it just never “clicked” for me but I’m thrilled that Adam, Michael and my granddaughter Ashley play. I love guitar music and Adam did a great job of the Christmas songs he was playing today.

Christmas Baking

2009-12-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

December 19, 2009 – Day 353

I got a little more baking done for the freezer today – a dozen banana chocolate chip muffins and a batch of (33) Old Fashioned Raisin Cookies. I used the recipe I got from my friend Jen earlier this year for the cookies.

Glow Domes!

2009-12-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

December 18, 2009 – Day 352

Before I even left the house this morning, I phoned around to see if any stores had the Glow Dome in stock, or got any in with their overnight shipments. I wasn’t surprised when every place I called said “no”, “no” and “no”. I was disappointed but not surprised after my luck, or lack of it, yesterday. I asked the person who took my call at one of the Toys R Us stores that I phoned if they had an Easy Bake oven and they were sold out of that as well. I was beginning to wonder if an Easy Bake oven was going to be as difficult to find as the Glow Dome!

I went to several stores and all I found was a spoon rest, salt and pepper grinder, a couple candles and a frame for myself :-) before I ended up at Superstore to do my grocery shopping. When I got to the store, I headed straight for the toy department just to check if they might have the Glow Dome in stock but I didn’t see any on the shelves. Before leaving the toys to shop for groceries, I saw a girl stocking shelves and asked her if they had the Glow Dome in stock (in case I overlooked it). No, she didn’t think so but remembered that she may have seen “something”. She hurried a couple aisles over and down to a stack of unopened cardboard boxes of toys. As she rummaged through the boxes I was thinking, “Oh please, please, please” but no luck. “Hang on” she said as she rushed away, down another aisle and around another corner to a second stack of unopened boxes. It took me a couple minutes but I caught up to her and watched as she rummaged through that stack as well. Nothing, nothing, nothing – but then she found the box she was looking for and pulled it out from the stack. She sliced it open with her exacto knife and showed me, as if revealing a newborn baby, or should I say babies – it was twins – two brand new packages of GLOW DOMES in all their glory!! I was ecstatic and took them both! Even though Christine found me a Glow Dome at the Walmart in Cold Lake last night, I was sure someone else could use one – and after the stark realization of how difficult it was to find a Glow Dome in Edmonton, I just couldn’t leave the second one behind.

It turned out well because Travis and Amanda want to buy the extra one for someone else they’re buying for!

Great marketing Crayola!

Barbie

2009-12-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

December 17, 2009 – Day 351

At Christmas time I only buy a gift for my 6 grandchildren and give my two youngest boys money (and will until they are married). Ken and I don’t usually bother with gifts for one another but this year I found a couple small things that I picked up for him. And this year I have even less shopping than usual to do because I’m only buying gifts for 4 of my grandchildren; instead of buying for Ashley and Hope, we’ll give them money to put towards a Christian concert (YC) they want to go to in the spring.

Christine usually helps me buy the gifts for my grandchildren but she wasn’t in Edmonton to help me this year and I’m kicking myself for leaving this so long – but I did go to a few stores after work tonight. I was in search of two Crayola Glow Domes, one for Hannah and one for Faith but the stores I went to were completely sold out. One of the stores I stopped at was Toys R Us and even though I wasn’t looking for Barbie products, it’s my favourite aisle in any toy store so I took a quick look at all the beautiful Barbies that I would have loved to own when I was a child.

When I got home I phoned several stores to see if anyone might have the Glow Domes in stock but every place I phoned was sold out. The guy I spoke to at Walmart in St. Albert said they did receive a shipment of 150 but sold every one of them in two days!

Christine and Ian were in Walmart in Cold Lake tonight and found one Glow Dome so they picked it up for me. If I don’t find another one for Hannah, I may look for an Easy Bake oven for her because that’s something else she’d like to have.
I did find gifts for Austin and Owen tonight though so that felt good.

Team Photo

2009-12-18T18:10:00.000-08:00

December 16, 2009 – Day 350

Each year after our Christmas potluck at work I like to get a picture of our team. Everyone is used to me bringing in my camera and they willingly let me line them up for what reminds me of a school “class” photo. My team co-workers are all good sports; some even “know” their places and get in formation before I even start posing them. We always have a few good laughs while setting up and taking the pictures. I also bring my camera to work whenever we’re doing anything out of the ordinary and print off some of the pictures which I keep in an album at work. It’s interesting to look back to see the changes that have taken place over the years: people come and go - and we all change as time passes.

The women from left to right are: me, Sherri, Sheila, Brenda, Holly, Shirley and Apryl. The guys from left to right are: James, Dale, Jim and Shaun. There is usually a person or two that is unable to attend the potluck and this year was no exception; Stacey, Lana and Ellen are missing from the team photo today.

Perogies to Go

2009-12-15T20:48:00.000-08:00

December 15, 2009 – Day 349

Perogies to Go

When I got home from work today, I spent a couple hours in the kitchen getting ready for our team’s Christmas potluck at work tomorrow. I cooked (from my freezer) 50 perogies – Ken got three of them and looks are deceiving but there are 47 in this bag. I also chopped and sautéed an onion and fried a pound of bacon, which I whirred into bits in the food processor. Then I had to clean up the big mess I made. I took one of my crock pots in to work today which I’ll use to heat the perogies and I won’t have so much to carry on the bus tomorrow.

I’m exhausted tonight and ready for bed early.

Cookie Dough

2009-12-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

December 14, 2009 – Day 348

I’m not planning to do a whole lot of baking for Christmas but I do want to do some. I started today by baking a batch of 56 good-sized chocolate chip cookies. I took quite a few pictures of the process from beginning to end but I kind of like this one of the cookie dough.

Homemade Perogies - the Finals!

2009-12-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

December 13, 2009 – Day 347

I made 132 potato/cottage cheese filled perogies today - and I’m very happy to say that (unless something unexpected comes up) this is the last batch I’ll have to make until sometime next year!

A Favourite

2009-12-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

December 12, 2009 – Day 346

About ten years ago Ken and I saw this nativity set displayed in the window of a quaint little shop on (or just off) Whyte Avenue. I loved it the moment I saw it so we went in to have a closer look. The set in the window was the last one and even though it was $150 (which was a lot for us at the time), we bought it. It represents what Christmas is really all about to me – and it’s one of my favourite things.

The Annual Physical

2009-12-11T19:55:00.000-08:00

December 11, 2009 – Day 345

I had an appointment to see my doctor this morning - time once again for my annual physical checkup. I went out in last Friday’s snowstorm to get my routine blood and urine tests done in preparation for today’s visit.

The bad news is that my cholesterol is up again. Blech. It was much better when I last had it tested in 2006 but I really haven’t been eating healthy so it shouldn’t be a surprise to me. However, I thought the salmon oil (omega 3) pills I’ve been taking faithfully every day would negate the effects of my unhealthy diet. I was wrong. But I have started making some changes: I’ve been riding my bike (3-5 times/week) for exactly a month now and I’ve also started eating healthier. A few of us (family and co-workers) are going to do a super foods 365 project that I came up with after having completed almost a year of Project 365 with my photos. Essentially, it’s a commitment to add nutrient dense foods to our diet for an entire year. The list of daily choices I created is mostly based on Dr. Steven Pratt’s and Dr. Oz’s lists of super foods. My doctor was very excited about our project and she wants me to come back at the end of April so she can monitor my progress. Eventually I know she’s going to want to put me on meds if I can’t get my cholesterol under control on my own – and I don’t want that.

On a positive note, the worst part of the annual physical checkup for women didn’t happen for me today! My doctor said that “we” (I think she made reference to doctors in Alberta) are only going to do pap tests once every three years for women who have had normal test results in the past! I had one last year so I won’t have to go through that again for another two years.

More of Christmas from Work

2009-12-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

December 10, 2009 – Day 344

Another picture from work today; this one captures a co-worker’s decorated station. Sherri went all out with Christmas decorations and I hope she wins the first place prize in the individual category for her effort. As another co-worker said, “It looks like a winter wonderland”!

Decorating the Office

2009-12-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

December 9, 2009 – Day 343

We put up our Christmas decorations at work this morning. The tree goes in our small boardroom but we also decorate the walls on both sides of the hallways. It all looks so pretty but since I’m limited to only one picture per day for Project 365, I chose this one of Lana and Apryl (two of our lawyers) decorating the tree. James brought in donuts and the mood was festive. What a fun morning to be at work!