Turn the BLEEPING cell phone off!!

My thoughts are all over the map on this topic I am wanting to write about. I find there are so many situations rolling around in my brain that it's hard to make it all come together, so I apologise if it's a bit disjointed.
Without fail my husband will walk in the house after being at work all day and his phone goes off, another text. I find as times goes on, and this continues happening I am bothered at my very core.
We have had many and conversation about this, sometimes a heated one, that when he walks through the door I want his work day to be O.V.E.R. He works alot so when he's home I want him here, with us.
My husband is a business owner so the buck stops with him as he tells me often and I understand that. I have no issue with him being contacted if there is an emergency. As far as I know there has not been too many of those and yet the texting continues.
I often wonder if all this new technology is all it's cracked up to be. To be accessible whenever and where ever bothers me, alot. I often will ask my husband if a certain employee, who is quite text happy, would use a little more discretion if she had to contact him via telephone( yes, it's the odd looking thing with a cord attached to it) to relay her messages. It feels like any boundaries are blurred or not really in place.
If texting wasn't in place I know this employee would think twice before interrupting our time to contact my husband. Texting gives you full access into someone's time without having to justify the intrusion.
Funny as I read this I can tell from my own words how much I resent the intrusion, well I do damn it.. ( sorry J, he doesn't like me cussing)
In the end the power we have is to turn the freaking phone OFF when we walk in the door. Did you know that you can actually turn the phone off, you don't have to be accessible 24/7??
We have a friend who is anti- cell phone, facebook, etc.. Now this young buck isn't married, no kids, and is a student at university so his life is polar opposite of ours, but his motto is if you can't reach me at home then you can't and leave a message and I will call you back. ( sounds like my life a few years ago- ah , the good ole days)
Anyway I could go on some more but I've rambled enough. My parting words, boundaries people, BOUNDARIES!

100 Things

I received this from a Facebook friend... so of course I had to do it also.

WHAT WAS YOUR:
1. Last beverage = coffee about 10am... I really need to remember to drink during the day
2. Last phone call =Jay
3. Last text message = Jay
4. Last song you listened to = They Don't Really Care About Us-Michael Jackson
5. Last time you cried = Today.. frustration with the kids...(sigh)
HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice = of course, haha!
7. Been cheated on =only once, he kissed another girl, I was 15... oh the drama
8. Kissed someone & regretted it = oh yeah
9. Lost someone special = yes
10. Been depressed = uh huh
11. Been drunk and threw up = I've never been drunk
LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:
12. Purple
13. Green
14. Yellow

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU: (2009)
15. Made a new friend =yes
16. Fallen out of love = no
17. Laughed until you cried =yes
18. Met someone who changed you = ...no?
19. Found out who your true friends were= I know who my true friends are!
20. Found out someone was talking about you = not to my knowledge.. yes I like my head buried in the sand.
21. Kissed anyone on your friend's list = my mom/dad, and husband
22. How many people on your friends list do you know in real life = all of them
23. How many kids do you want to have = 3 is all this lady can handle!!
24. Do you have any pets = nope.
25. Do you want to change your name = yes, i would love something exotic, fierce and sexy.. Cleopatra!!!
26. What did you do for your last birthday = went to a fancy steakhouse with my family and my folks. Received a kick ass camera to boot, it was a good night!
27. What time did you wake up today = 10am.. did I mention the baby was up nursing every 3 hours.... AUGH!
28. What were you doing at midnight last night = looking for a place to rent for a week in the Shuswap!! CAN'T WAIT!!
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for = school to start.. honestly our quality of life will improve for every member of our family.
30. Last time you saw your Mother = 2 weeks ago
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life? = wished we lived in a better place.
32. What are you listening to right now = the dishwasher running, honestly it's somewhat calming.
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom =yes, I used to go to church with a man named Tom.
34. What's getting on your nerves right now = clutter... to many toys around me. ( find a happy place...)
35. Most visited web page = facebook and my lovely blog.
36. What’s your real name =Jody
37. Nicknames = noodlebug, Jo-Jo Bear, Josh,
38. Relationship Status = married
39. Zodiac sign = don't follow that sort of thing
40. Male or female? =female
41. Elementary = yes, completed!
42. Middle School = I was from a small town, no such thing as middle school
43. High School/College = I went to YWAM after High School.
44. Hair color = blond, maybe a little tooooo blond!
45. Long or short = inverted bob-short
46. Height =5'4.. and don't even think of asking weight!
47. Do you have a crush on someone? he's medium height, dark and handsome
48: What do you like about yourself ? I'm a good listener
49. Piercings =yes
50. Tattoos = nope
51. Right or left = Right

FIRSTS:
52. First surgery = toe
53. First piercing =ears
54. First best friend = Laurie
55. First sport you joined = T-ball
56. First vacation = Disney Land, age 5
58. First pair of trainers = what are trainers?!

RIGHT NOW:
59. Eating =nothing
60. Drinking = nothing
61. I'm about to = check on the boys to make sure they aren't killing each other.
62. Listening to = I think we covered that question already.
63. Waiting on = Bedtime... oh please come quickly!!!

64. Want kids? = no more than I got!
65. Get Married? = never again, haha!
66. Career? = Maid, Nanny, Chef, Janitor, Lover, nurse, teacher, counsellor, taxi service..etc...

WHICH IS BETTER:
67. Lips or eyes = eyes
68. Hugs or kisses = kisses
69. Shorter or taller = taller
70. Older or Younger = MATURE!
71. Romantic or spontaneous = either!
72. Nice stomach or nice arms = both please!
73. Sensitive or loud = sensitive
74. Hook-up or relationship = relationship
75. Trouble maker or hesitant = depends on the situation.


HAVE YOU EVER :
76. Kissed a stranger = no
77. Drank hard liquor= what is HARD LIQUOR?
78. Lost glasses/contacts = no
79. Sex on first date = no
80. Broken some one's heart = I think maybe
81. Had your own heart broken = of course
82. Been arrested = handcuffed, yes.. by the cops, nope! :O)
83. Turned someone down = yes
84. Cried when someone died = Yes (what kind of a question is this?!)
85. Fallen for a friend? = guilty, it was called rebound!

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
86. Yourself = yes
87. Miracles = yes
88. Love at first sight =yes
90. Santa Claus =no
91. Kiss on the first date = Yes
92. Angels =yes

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
94. Had more than 1 girlfriend/boyfriend at a time = no
95. Did you sing today? = yep
96. Ever cheated on somebody? = no way
97. If you could go back in time, how far would you go? = Age 16
98. If you could pick a day from last year and relive it = A week in Radium was worth reliving
99. Are you afraid of falling in love? = No... the falling is the best part.
100. Posting this as 100 truths? In my blog

A Summer in Review

Our big family vacation was in the middle of June this past year. I thought it might be a smudge too early, and quite honestly was worried we may get stuck with nasty weather. My husband pushed for it saying that he needed time away, and NOW, so we went to Radium,BC. and we had a fabulous time.
Our condo was perfect, we had a heated pool which we had to ourselves for the whole week. It was a lazy vacation, no real game plan except to relax, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and check out the surrounding area.
It was a bit heartbreaking to have to leave the Columbia Valley, it's truly stunning, and the weather, don't get me started, it was HOT!!

This is me taking the baby down the chair lift after seeing the grizzly bear reserve!










Our awesome condo!!!


We decided to tackle a pretty huge project this past summer, that being our train wreck of a backyard. When we purchased our home it was winter, snow was on the ground so we had no idea what little treasure awaited us underneath all the snow.
DIRT, CONCRETE, ASPHALT, NO GRASS.... ANYWHERE!!



After 2 days of construction on the back yard ripping out concrete and asphalt. After 3 truckloads of dirt being hauled in the level out the huge ruts the big trucks left, after waiting another month for beautiful sod, and after putting up a new, huge deck, the project was complete!!




I heart my new backyard.. you have no idea!!

We still plan to paint the house and repair the retaining wall this sept. Thanks to the Flutter Family who will be coming up to help us!

The remainder of our days have been filled with breaking up fights among the boys.... fun, fun... less then 10 days till school starts!!!! (do I sound excited?)
We have gone to my folks cabin, fished, did water sports, roasted hot dogs and enjoyed lake life.
Unfortunately the weather in my neck of the woods have been rather cool for summer. Our regular temperatures average at about 30 degrees Celsius, this year though it's been pretty rainy and windy, not great weather for summer activities.
If you remember my previous post about the aerobic machine we were wanting to get, well we bought the Incline Trainer from Nordic Track, we are awaiting the delivery.
SO that has been my summer so far, it's almost at an end and I am looking forward to the kids being busy again, for the programs to start up and for life to get back to normal.
Hope you all have had a great summer...

A Book Review

I had no idea this book was being made into a major motion picture when I picked it up at Walmart. I suppose it's a good thing because I am sure I would have watched the movie first and then never have bothered with reading the book, and it's a good read...
The main characters are Henry and Clare and the story focuses on the past, present and future of these two characters. It's a modern day, edgy love story that makes you want the happy ending, but makes you think there may not be one.
I don't want to give it away because as I said it is a good read. Be forewarned the language is a bit on the crude side, and the author throws in a fair amount of F-bombs which I found pretty tasteless and unnecessary. That being said the story in itself is captivating and as I turned the last page I wished it would go on and on....
Here is the trailer for the movie, but do yourself a favor and read the book first....

Good Intentions

My heart was in the right place, I really did have good intentions and wanted to succeed but it wasn't meant to be.
I convinced my very skeptical husband to buy me another gym pass. I told him I'd get the 3 month pass as a trial run to see if we could juggle our schedules, co-ordinate with the nursing times of the baby,and see if we could do it. Well guess what?? I know you know... it's NOT working.
My littlest sweetheart has a knack for throwing things off schedule in our already busy home. It's like she knows when I am trying to plan sometime out of the house because her feedings become erratic, she's fussy or will only settle down at 9pm. I suppose I could go after 9pm, the gym is 24 hours. But honestly I get a little nervous being there that late. The few times I have gone I am usually the only girl there among a handful of guys and the staff all leave earlier so it's just us patrons. I just don't feel comfortable so I tend to not go.
So here I am, still carrying this beloved baby weight, and maybe a few extra pounds that I had before the pregnancy. :O) I am sick of feeling like a stuffed sausage in my pre-pregnancy clothes, and I REALLY don't want to buy anymore clothes in the size I need. My only option is to loose weight.
The journey has begun for an at home cardio machine. I am looking at the Nordick Track Incline trainer. It burns a lot of calories, which I need, and it does so in minimal time, which again I need.


Hopefully by the end of summer the stuffed sausage feeling will be at a minimum and I will feel better knowing I am on my way....

Just Because

Sometimes you just run out of material, so here goes...

1) What would you like written on your headstone?
"Here Lies Jody J. Pardon me for not rising..."
Seriously though I have never thought about it, maybe something fun is the way to go.
2) What is your dream car?
If I were childless it would be an old convertible mustang, aqua blue! But I DO have kids so I would love a Ford Expedition or a Toyota Sienna, I know typical soccer mom vehicle. I am a soccer mom and proud of it!
3) Is pornography morally wrong?
Yes... that is all I am gonna say about that.
4)What is the best music video EVER????
Due to the sudden passing of Michael Jackson, hubby and I have been watching some of his video's. The one that really caught our eye was the last performance he did a few days prior to his passing. His dancing is SICK!!




5)Do you carry a donor card? Why or why not?
I do, as morbid as it is to think about. I believe it is the right thing to do if your not going to need them anymore.
6)What color do you prefer your pens to write in?
Purple... I love writing in purple!
7)Are babies cute?
Of course, even the homely babies are cute.
8)Do you subscribe to a magazine? Which one?
I don't but I would like to get one.
9)What was the last thing you used a microwave for?
I used it to reheat a banana muffin for my son.
10)What book are you reading?
Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals cook book.
11)Cite a song lyric that means something to you.
Lucky I'm in love with my best friend, lucky to have been where we have been, lucky to be coming home again.
12)Tell me a joke
What were Tarzan's last words? Who greased the vvvviiiiinnnnneeeee????
13)Who should play James Bond?
How about someone from another ethnicity... I know Gurbaksh Chahal

14)Write a Haiku Poem (3 lines, 5-7-5 syllables)
Green fades to Yellow
Leaves on the trees are turning
It's only July!!
15)What's the oldest thing you own?
I have a few doily's my grandmother made.

"The world's a playground, after sometime everyone forgets that."

What would happen if we started saying yes to every opportunity that came our way. (within reason of course) After watching this movie I have often thought that. How would our lives change if we started saying yes to new experiences? Just food for thought....

The Heart of Marriage is Memories - Bill Cosby

July 10,2009 our 10 year wedding anniversary. I can be fairly nostalgic when it comes to momentous occasions in my life. I always look back and ask myself what I was doing at this exact time on that specific date. In keeping with that tradition I looked back on the July 10th, 1999 and here are my memories.
I remember waking up, smiling, knowing that today was my wedding day. I then recalled what had happened the night before when my ladies informed me that we were having a murder mystery party. I was told to dress as my character for the mystery party which was a loose gal with lots of makeup and a short skirt. I complied, a little nervous wondering why I was the only one getting into character, being assured they would all change once we arrived at my friends I went along. I should have known better, my closest gal pals then took me to Earl's ( a hip bar) they taped a sign to my back announcing I was a bride to be and paraded me around the bar. (Ah.. good memories)
I remember being at the hair dressers and holding back the tears as she turned me around to see my reflection in the mirror, after that moment passed one of horror replaced it as I realized I had worn a tighter, pull over your head t-shirt. Thank goodness for my wonderful maid of honor who contorted that shirt every which way to fit over my fancy do'... thanks Tanya!
Upon arriving at the church my soon to be mother-in law informed me that the ring bearer's tux didn't fit ( leave it to my hubby not to have all his guys try things on a day before the wedding-PUNCH) So as we waited for the Best man to race back to the church with a proper tux for the ring bearer all I could focus on was seeing my man-Jay.
When those doors swung open and we finally made eye contact I saw a look come across his face that I hadn't seen before, and since that time have only seen 3 times after. It was a look of deep emotion, appreciation and LOVE. It is the same look I've seen at the birth of our children. It's a look I will never forget.
After exchanging vows, promising to love each other through the good and bad. We were finally man and wife.
So these are my memories of this day, our special day. These are the thoughts I reflect on when our Anniversary comes along every year. These are the memories I will carry and reflect upon on all our years to come.


I dedicate this song to my loving husband on our 10 year Anniversary:

I borrowed this idea from a fellow blog.

The view from where I sit: The baby is laying on the couch looking at the throw pillow and passing gas. Yup, life with a baby. She is 3 months now, and so beautiful, she has brought so much love and joy into our house. Leaning against the wall is my new, bright red Kenmore vacuum reminding me I have some cleaning to do, I'll just glance the other way for now.

Outside my window are dark grey clouds and branches swaying in the wind. Our city is SO windy it really makes summertime unpleasant. People are getting home from work now, I wish my husband were home already he's always later then he says he will be...


I am thinking about how I wish the baby would stop fussing and go to sleep already. I should get supper underway, I shouldn't have had a few nacho chips as I am trying to eat better. I am thinking about the fact that I probably won't get this post done until tonight when the house is quiet.

I am thankful for my health, family, provision and second chances.

We are learning about how we ALL must contribute to make the house run. The boys are learning to unload the dishwasher, freshen up the bathroom, take care of a little sister and to do it with a happy heart. I am still learning that one some days.

I am creating a flower garden. We have been landscaping our yard, still a long way to go, but the journey has been fun.

I am reading nothing at the moment, but I would like to start a chapter book with the kids again this summer. Last summer we read Charlotte's Web and The Wizard of Oz, we had a great time so we will be heading to the library soon.

I am hoping we can figure out where we want to live and how to make it happen.

I am hearing SILENCE!!! SSSsshhhhh the baby FINALLY settled herself down!

Around the house, that is a whole other story. I really want to be that woman who has her house organized and tidy. HELP ME GET THERE!!!!

One of my favorite things is Tim Horton's Iced Cappuccino's. I would have one, or more, daily if they weren't like 1000 calories each...

A few plans for the rest of the week are boating and a BBQ on Saturday, cleaning the house, cutting the grass, making it to the gym.... same old, same old.

A picture I am sharing:

My 3 month old daughter and I... I love her so much!

Boys will be boys...

They had been sitting in the house most of the day, glued to the T.V. Rain was the excuse of the day as to why they couldn't go outside and play. I went along with their reasoning, for a while, but the onslaught of " He kicked me!" , " I didn't mean to hit him, my fist accidentally connected with his face." I couldn't take it any longer so I gave them a choice either get your tiny butts outside or go lay on your beds in total silence. To my shock and disbelief (not really) they opted to go outside. Finally some peace and quiet, a good time to check my email/facebook etc...
A few minutes turned into about 20 minutes, no one had come in complaining of being teased or physically harmed so I thought I should go check on them. This is what I found...

Creation Calls

For me there is something about nature, the kind of nature you don't see everyday, that reminds me of the wonder of God and His majesty. On our recent trip to B.C, as we were really entering the beautiful rocky mountains, my mind started to reflect on how magnificent and awe inspiring His creation really is.
Many, many moons ago when I was living in the rocky mountain region, everyday taking in my beautiful surroundings, I happened upon a song that has become to mean a lot to me. I found a beautiful video to accompany it, hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

Sunday, quote of the day...

"Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty."
Mother Theresa

You are cordially invited to a dream....

We were in a rush, a whole group of us, in a foreign city with windy roads and speeding cars. I was hastily packing my bag overwhelmed at how much I still needed to find room for. As I looked around the room I shared with the girls I was travelling with I realized from their tidy luggage that I had better pick up speed as to not miss our plane.
I decided to drive to the airport with one of the girls that I didn't get along with all that well. We were driving down a fast moving highway and I was lost in thought. Having been rushed to pack I remembered that I still hadn't applied any make up so I dug out my make up bag, pulled open the passenger mirror that lit up and started to apply foundation.
The girl driving told me it was really distracting her, and it was at that moment I realized how nervous she really was driving on this windy, unfamiliar road. We had semi's on all sides and she was picking up speed to pass them, I think.
I quickly apologised and put the make up away. It was at that moment we were approaching a bridge, she was driving so fast, she didn't turn the wheel enough and we ended up hitting the guard rail head on.
From that moment everything went into slow motion. I saw pieces of the car breaking off and flying through the air, and I remember thinking to myself what is my family going to do without me.
~end of dream~

I woke up disturbed and when I think about it I shiver a bit inside. Strange dream.

Life has been busy, so busy blogging has been left on the back burner so to speak. But I have some moments right now as my little baby is sleeping to have some 'me' time on the computer.
I can't believe summer is finally here. Most of my days and nights are spent in the yard watering our new grass, which looks great if I do say so myself! I have been making countless trips to the local nurseries to pick out flowers, pots, little gizmo's for the garden etc. Yes, I love summer!!
We are heading out on an early summer vacation in the next little while. My darling husband keeps reminding me that he needs to get away for a while so we will be packing up and road tripping it in a few days.
There are some wonderful spots in the Canadian Rockies that we want to explore and the place we are staying is kid friendly, equipped with a heated pool and hot tubs! I have to say I am little nervous, our daughter is only 8 weeks and the thought of being stuck in a van for 7 hours is a LITTLE terrifying! :O)
A good friend of mine, WAUGDAI, came through town the other day to drop off her baby gift to me. WOW! What a surprise, she had it handmade and it's beautiful! I have the hippest/coolest diaper bag ever, it's black and funky and completely reversable. Best thing is it doesn't look like a diaper bag! And to top things off she had a gorgeous baby sling made for me, it looks like this, except for the color!
I am going to watch the video's on how to use this sling, I will post some pics of me with my baby once we get the hang of it!
Well speaking of baby, she is bellowing for me... gotta run!

Dreams do come true

I have waited a long time for this. I have endured endless amounts of dirt in the house, all over my white carpet. Yes, it's been a nightmare from day one. Days filled with getting down on my hands and knees and scrubbing our dog each and every time she went outside and wanted back in covered in dirt. I can't say I am going to miss it, in fact I almost did a happy dance when we laid our sod last night.
As each roll was laid, and the dirt slowly started disappearing I started to get a bit giddy with relief. My darling husband broke his back last night trying to get it completed before our weekend started and he succeeded. Have I mentioned there is nothing more sexy then a man laying sod??
This morning, once hubby crawls outta bed, I plan to sit with him on our new deck, enjoying some weak coffee, and looking out on our new green playing field. Life is good today!

One deflated tire

I'm just keeping it real people, my husband comments that I am way to personal on my blog but I respond with the fact that I am just being honest with the good sense not to give out too many details.
So, one deflated tire is what I am using to describe my post pregnancy stomach. I don't remember it hanging around this long after giving birth the other times, but maybe it's because it's my third and all bets are off after two kids? I'm not sure, all I know is I am tired of my husband kneading it likes it's bread dough and commenting on how hilarious it is. WHATEVER!
So as of know I am in the midst of deciding whether to buy ANOTHER gym pass or purchase a treadmill for at home use. I like the gym for all the options you have there, but the one thing my gym won't offer is babysitting for a baby under 6 months of age. To be honest I wouldn't want to leave her with teenagers anyway so that being said I would really have to co-ordinate with my husband's schedule. Likely I would have to go after he's home from work and by that time I am usually DONE for the day.
Having a treadmill at home appeals in that I can work out when baby is asleep, but I worry I will be constantly interrupted by household stuff or kids. What to do?
What do you guys think??? I want my deflated tire gone, and soon!!

Here Comes the Sun

That time of year is upon us, or I hope it is soon, where we will feel the warmth of the sun upon our deprived skin. I love waking up in the morning, getting my morning coffee in hand and heading out on the deck to absorb some rays and relax.
Back in my foolish youth I would sit outside all day, lathered in baby oil, and would bake..literally! Of course that was after I had spent a month or so tanning in a tanning bed, just so I would have a base tan and wouldn't burn outside :O) Oh, those were the good ole days of "ignorance is bliss", and it was.
Today I am trying to be responsible with the sun and how much exposure I get, along with my family. I buy my kids UV protective clothing, lather on the sunscreen, make them wear sunglasses and hats, etc. This year in my quest to be more 'green' about what we use I began researching sunscreens, remember when I said ignorance is bliss, well this is one of those situations.
I have come across countless studies that are now saying sunscreen may not protect you from harmful rays, but it may actually lead up to an increase in skin cancer! Sunscreens contain chemicals that once heated by the sun change into cancer causing free radicals! Yes, this upsets me! Where are the regulations, where is the integrity of the companies promoting these sunscreens?
We lather our kids up, we lather ourselves up and we think we are being responsible with the sun in doing so. The fact is that since we have started adding sunscreen to our skin they have noticed an INCREASE in melanoma, especially in places like Australia where sunscreen has been heavily promoted.
So what is the alternative? I have come across some companies that are chemical free, they use zinc and minerals to shield us from the harmful rays. These minerals reflect the UV rays rather then absorbing them.
Here are a few that are chemical free:
California Baby
Burt's Bees
Alba
There are many more available online. Bottom line, we can't blindly trust these cosmetic companies. The research is out there and it's scary. Thankfully there are alternatives for us.

Someone's Growing Up!

I can honestly say I have had this same fight for the past 4 years. It's the odd morning when my 7 year old son will get out of bed, on time, put a smile on his face and get ready with no trouble.
We have had all out yelling wars in the morning trying to get this boy from his warm bed to school on time. I have gone in with the best of intentions, put a sing-songy voice on, gave him multiple reminders that it's time to arise and start the day. It's not long, say after 10 reminders, that my patience is at a low as I see the clock continuing to move ahead and my lazy son is still trying to get out of bed.
I have grounded him, taken away favorite toys, nothing really seems to work, or work for long anyway until we are back to square one.
Since our daughter has been born my husband has taken on the glorious role of getting our son out of bed in the morning. For a while, due to the novelty, he would get out of bed no problem making me think he reserves his truly wonderful behavior for yours truly. I would be drowsy in bed, from an eventful night of breastfeeding, listening to the happy voices of my kids and husband getting the day started. Well, at least I am getting a sleep in, I think to myself.
One morning I am awakened to the impatient voice of my husband once again telling our son to get a move on. This morning the voices aren't too happy, a little smile comes across my face thinking to myself now he knows what my mornings have been like for too many years.
Later that day when my son returns from school my husband informs him there are going to be some changes around here. He then informs him, and me for that matter, that an alarm is going to be set in the boys room. It is going to be our sons responsibility to get up, dress himself, brush his teeth all before 7:45am. If this isn't done on time he will be grounded after school from playtime with his pals. After his teeth are brushed he is to get his dad up to make him breakfast.
Well, let's just say I had my doubts.
Our boy has been doing this for about a week now and he is doing great. I heard him this morning, as the whole house was asleep, he turned off the alarm, got himself dressed, teeth brushed and went and woke daddy up to make him breakfast.
I'm proud of the boy and grateful to my husband for pushing him to grow up a bit and get some things done himself.

8 Things

Again I have borrowed the idea from Cocotte... thanks girl!

8 things I am looking forward to?
- My daughter sleeping through the night
- SUMMER!!!
- Time spent at the cabin
- Losing this baby weight
- Grass being laid in my backyard
- a swimming pool
- planting flowers and growing veggies
- getting back to the gym

8 things I did yesterday?
- nursed my baby
- complained about the wind in our city
- played badminton in the backyard with my husband
- ate fish for dinner
- baked banana muffins and cookies
- talked to a girlfriend I haven't talked to in a long time
- cleaned the living room
- played catch with my sons

8 TV shows I watch
- Grey's Anatomy
- The Doctors
- Biggest Loser
- Friday Night Lights
- Oprah
- Ellen
- Housewives of Orange County
- Who's the Boss

Earth Day

Some days it feels really overwhelming, I feel like I am on information overload especially after watching all the Earth Day shows yesterday.
Our family is making some progress in our quest to be Au natural. We have tried to educate our children on the importance of recycling, using all natural products when we can and making good choices regarding our food. Do I feel like we have arrived, not even close, but we have made some little discoveries along the way which have brought us closer to our goal. Here are a few of the things we have incorporated:

1)Castile Soap


Castile soap. This stuff is awesome! My friend Nikki told me about it and all the stuff you can do with it. I have diluted it and made organic hand soap. It takes getting used to because it feels like your just squirting water out of the soap dispenser, but once you start rubbing your hands together it bubbles up and does the job well.
I have made an all purpose cleaning solution by adding a few squirts of castile soap, 2 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol and a spray bottle full of water. It cleans windows and mirrors great as well.
We have washed our kids hair with a few squirts of this castile soap, it smells wonderful and again, no harsh, cancer causing chemicals.
I have even made baby wipes with castile soap,water, organic olive oil, and a few drops of tea tree oil. Nikki gave me this recipe and it works great! You just add it to a wipes container, fold in some paper towel, and swish it around.
I guess you could say we really love our castile soap!

2)Bio Life

Phosphate-free. Biodegradable. Infused with essential oils. Made with plant-derived renewable ingredients (such as coconut oil, palm oil and corn oil), instead of synthetic and petroleum based chemicals. Readily biodegradable based on OECD standard 301D.
This dish soap is great! It actually gives gives you a lot of bubbles and smells really good. In Canada you can buy this at Shoppers Drug Mart and it's only about $3.00

3)Giovanni Organic Skin/Hair Care


This again can be purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart, it may be available at your local pharmacy as well. These skin care and hair care products are wonderful. They come in great scents like winter raspberry, Lilac and grapefruit. I have yet to try their hair care products like the gel and hairspray, but they are next on my list. We use the body wash and it is really nice and completely organic.

4)Earth Safe

This is another product we purchased from a health food store, we bought it for our baby girl because they feature an organic baby line. It doesn't smell as good as the Giovanni skin care products but again it has a baby line so this is what we went with for her. Completely organic, mostly derived from different tree bark, no harsh cancer causing chemicals.

5)Method

I LOVE the Method line. This furniture polish is non toxic, works wonderfully and smells divine!!


This is a great laundry detergent. This biodegradable, plant-based formula is tough on stains, easy on clothes and gentle on the planet. it's phosphate-, dye- and fragrance-free, and it's hypo-allergenic so it's perfect for people with allergies or fragrance sensitivities.
Method also has a baby laundry detergent made from Rice Milk so it has a great scent to it. I have found it works great on our clothes!


So these are some of the changes we are trying to incorporate in our family. It's not perfect and we still have so much more to do but it's a start. Our kids are really on board, my oldest will tell me he had to wash his hands in formaldehyde at school because there wasn't any organic soap available. FYI- when we started changing everything over we explained how there were dangerous chemicals, like formaldehyde are in soaps and that is wasn't good for his skin or the earth. So of course being a seven year old he's held onto the whole formaldehyde thing and that's why he informs us he's had to wash his hands in it.
I would love to hear your ideas about being green, any homemade recipes for cleaning products etc.
Earth Day is Everyday!