in celebration

30 days in a row. You bet I am celebrating! NabloPoMo has been such a good experience for me. I was surprised to discover that I learned a lot this month. I am proud that I made a commitment to myself and kept it. I feel like I can take this experience and apply it to other areas of my life. I am hoping to make December NaExYoBoMo (National Exercise Your Booty Month). How good would I feel if I excercised everyday for an entire month?

Another important thing that I will take away from this month is the concept of honouring people. In writing my blog I had to be conscious of others and try to honour our relationships even when they don’t know I have a blog. There are a lot of things I would have liked to have written about but some things are just not meant for a public forum. Thanks to Karen over at Chookooloonks for her compelling example.

Thank you Mrs. Kennedy. You have done a really good thing by sharing your idea with blogindom.

it’s warm

The weather is breaking! This morning it was -45 degrees celcius with windchill (that’s -49 fahrenheit for my American friends) when we woke up and now it is an almost balmy -18C (about 0). We can start walking the dog again and sending the kids outside to play. Believe me, we all need it!

So, on this the second last day of NaBloPoMo, that is what I am celebrating! Here’s to Canadian winters and the next Chinook.

my favourite things

Oprah has her list. This is mine.

1. Ginger citrus sugar scrub from Arbonne International. This stuff smells good enough to eat and leaves your skin amazingly soft. Even better, it does double duty and you don’t have to moisturize after using it. While you are at it, the entire Arbonne line is pretty special. It’s a Swiss skin care line that is totally natural. It is the only line that I can use on my skin. I should mention their anti-aging skincare line. It works!

2. Bernard Callebeaut chocolate. I like me some chocolate and this is some of the best I’ve eaten. Their truffles are unbelievable. They have a dark chocolate bar with almonds that is truly a treat. The baking chocolate and cocoa seriously transform your recipes. Their hot chocolate… let’s just say I dreamed about it when I was pregnant.

3. Vanilla croissant from a little Belgian patisserie downtown. A few years ago my boss brought these delights in for a Christmas treat. I could not believe how amazing they were, especially considering they don’t contain chocolate! The croissant is light, flaky and buttery. It has a perfect crispness matched with a delicate softness. The vanilla custard filling is made with real vanilla bean. I consider these speical treats one of the only good things I took away from that job!

4. iphoto. I love this program! It is so easy to edit, manage and customize your digital photos. It also has built in calendars and photo albums that apple will print for you! Christmas is easy this year! This program is only better when used on this.

5. Stow’n go seating. Auto sliding doors. Remote start. Beautiful!

6. Granite mortar and pestal. This heavy bowl is georgeous and functional. You can really get into smashing your curry spices. Making dinner and destressing, what a beautiful thing!

7. The New Living Translation of the Bible. This is the most readable version of the Bible. It has brought the Word to life for me.

8. Corelle Hearthstone Square Stonewear line in Chili Red (Don’t know what’s up with the price on the Corelle website. They are $37.87 CND at Walmart). Cheap, good looking and the exact colour of my kitchen!

9. Wüsthof Classic Hollow-Ground Santoku, Paring and 8″ Chef Knives. These knives are brillant. They have a perfect weight, hold a very sharp edge and are fun to use!

To be continued…

overheard

Did you just poop?
Yup (in a very happy sounding voice)!
Sooooo, how ’bout if you don’t wipe your bum with your fingers?
Oh, ok.

Relaxed and refreshed

I had the most wonderful weekend away. The retreat centre I was at was incredibly beautiful and relaxing. I feel so blessed to have been there and to spend time with my Creator. I feel totally relaxed and centered. I am so, so glad that I went. It was an excellent birthday gift. The only thing better than my experience in the mountains was to come home and know how much I was missed by my family. It is good to be appreciated.

best banana bread

This recipe was given to my Mom by one of her friend Linda a long time ago. It’s dead easy and makes a very moist loaf with a crispy outside.

3 banana’s mashed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Cream the margarine and sugar together. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add dry ingredients alternately with banana to butter mixture (ie. add 1/3 of dry then 1/3 of banana etc) until well mixed. Mix in chocolate chips, if using. Pour into buttered loaf pan. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Alternatives:
Replace 1/2 cup of flour with 1/2 cup oats.

away

I am going away for the weekend to a retreat center in the mountains. I can’t wait! My children and dog have made me look all the more forward to it today with their unbelievable behaviour. Generally, I wouldn’t change my life but I do need a break from it now and then. I need a few days where people don’t need me. Where my efforts are actually noticed and even appreciated. Where I put something down and it is still there when I return for it. Where the Christmas decorations stay on the tree and are not eaten by the dog or smashed by the kids. Where I have adult conversation and don’t have to wipe anyone’s bum. Where I get to be me instead of Mommy or wife. I miss me.

So, happy birthday to me.

Yeah, I’m feeling sorry for myself.

there is not room for all of us

This city has gotten too big and too busy. It is impossible to get anywhere at any time of the day without getting stuck in traffic. Today it took me over an hour to drive a few kilometers in the middle of the day. I am so sick of sitting in “traffich”, as my kids call it. I’m sick of missing music class because no matter how hard I try we CAN’T GET THERE. I hate that I can’t find a parking spot at Walmart even after 9:00PM because there are so many people there. This city is killing me.

On a lighter note, Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends.

christmas lights and exterior paint

With the Christmas (and I do mean Christmas!) season quickly approaching, our neighbourhood is alight with thousands of twinkling lights. We really enjoy walking around our community after dark, checking out the various light displays. Most of our neighbours get into the spirit of the season and put, at very least, a string of lights across their eaves. Ikea would be pleased with the number of strings of star lights visible on our street alone! The result of everyone’s hard work is an almost magical effect that should warm even the Scroogiest of hearts.

When it comes to any kind of decor, I know we all have personal preferences. In terms of lights, I prefer to keep it simple with small white lights. Simple and elegant, so so like me! I admit that I don’t really care for all red or all blue displays but I still enjoy the overall effect on the night sky. Here’s the thing, there is such a thing as overkill. Cramming as many lights as you possibily can onto any surface that will hold one is, quite simply, WRONG! Your exterior should never look like an elf or worse, community of elves threw up all over it! Please, for the sake of city’s electricity supply and my eyes, less is really more.

While I am on the subject of exteriors, I would like to add that electric blue, pink of any shade, lime green and mauve are simply not colours that are meant to adorn the outside of any home (barring coastal cities where the general population participates). If I ever become mayor, my first objective will be to institue architectural control and ban such shades.

Thanks in advance for your kind co-operation!

currently #1 on my list of people I want to punch

What is wrong with people? Seriously. This is out of hand. Is it just me or are we about to welcome 2007? There is no excuse.