There is a saying in martial arts that my kids repeat over and over each time they grade. My husband knows it too. I am paraphrasing a bit but it’s a little like this – I come to you with empty hands. If I should be forced to use them. These are my weapons: my empty hands. It’s the end of 2014 and so everyone is wrapping up their year with little red bows and packaging it away to start fresh on January 1st. There is beauty and peace in that. We are building our resolutions, hopes and plans. We…
In 2014, as always, I had great intentions to boost my fitness routine and become even stronger. And I did for half the year. Then I swam laps every day in our pool during the months where the weather permitted and I felt great about that. But when September hit somehow school meant that my workload increase also impacted my fitness level. That has to change this year. That will be a goal for me to sustain my routine throughout all of 2015. Despite the rocky exercise routine and the peaks and valleys of fitness and health issues this year,…
Gluten free eating can be tough as it is, but trying to stay away from gluten during the holidays can seem impossible! With all of the sweet treats everywhere you turn, you might be tempted to just give in and eat them. The good news is that you don’t have to! These gluten free holiday treats are fantastic and will keep you feeling just as good as you normally would. Do you have any favourite gluten free treats? Do you eat gluten free? I would try this paleo banana bread any time. By the way I have several other great…
Shutterstock photo by Olga Kovalenko Fire Safety It’s the busiest time of the year. As soon as the snow falls the kids start building their Christmas wish lists and everyone rushes around trying to make the season magical. It’s a given, a tradition, and a blessing too to be able to share time with family, even to be able to afford to entertain, to create moments that are memorable and last for a lifetime. Everyone should be able to share the season with their family. With so much riding on the holidays every year it’s not hard to understand how…
This is my Wordless Wednesday for today. I hope some of you have read the posts over the last few months about meaningful Christmas gifts and the importance of choosing gifts that give back to children and families globally. I choose to support World Vision Canada in 2014, 2015 and for as long as I am able. I have seen so much good done with a simple gift from the World Vision holiday gift catalogue. I have shared many posts and tweets about this great charity. I believe wholeheartedly in the organization because I have seen the difference these meaningful Christmas…
This is a check in along the way to tackling my high blood pressure issue that developed just this past year. High blood pressure is not something to be taken lightly and out can be deadly. I am committed to fixing the problem as I need to stick around longterm and be healthy for myself and my family. Follow along as I try to change this growing health concern. At the start of 2014, I was busy, getting ready for a major move to our new house, managing multiple accounts and a growing business and parenting some wonderful, but challenging…
Meet Heather and Hunter Pelz. Mom and Baby couldn’t be happier or healthier. He’s a bit of a miracle and at 11 months, like many babies he is growing fast, exploring and socializing slowly when safely in presence of his Mom or Dad. So what’s so unusual about this story? Well, Hunter was born when Mom was 44 which speaks to a trend that is not entirely uncommon in Canada. Moms across Canada, are often older when they begin trying to conceive. It’s a demographic reality that is also partly related to social expectations and the fact that a huge…
Mint body scrub is a great refresher for any time you need it. It is particularly energizing in the morning when you need a natural boost. This mint body scrub makes a great gift for someone special and is so easy to make. There are just three simple ingredients and it meets the thrifty criteria for sure. Make it and package it up with some pretty adornments. Perfect for gifting! Mint is a great way to perk up both your mood and skin, so this easy to make body scrubs proves to be rejuvenating for mind and body. When skin…
Meet Anna and Marlon Kashani. In January of 2014 Anna, 29 years old, engaged to Marlon, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The Vancouver couple were devastated of course. But they were even more shocked to hear that treatment had to start immediately. Anna’s family history of breast cancer meant specialists wanted to begin aggressive treatment right away. The situation was urgent. There was no talk of fertility preservation, or what might happen, until Anna brought it up. “The cancer clinic told us we would never have kids,” Anna said recently in Vancouver. “We weren’t satisfied with that answer. We did some…
It’s time for fresh starts. December 1st. What could be a better time? I’m not waiting for New Year’s resolutions this year because I need to tackle this new health challenge head on. I have high blood pressure and it’s not going away. It started in September and I assumed it was because I was hyper about taking a trip with World Vision Canada and I assumed that the high reading was a one off. But in October it was high again and then this past weekend when we went for flu shots it was astronomical. So it’s time to…