Time is such an interesting concept, isn't it? I looked up 'time' to find a simple explanation through www.dictionary.com ... needless to say, it wasn't as easy as one would think! Can you believe that the website has 64 definitions for the word?
Whether it's a verb, adjective, noun or idiom, time can refer to many different things.
Today I am most drawn to definition #27 (of, pertaining to, or showing the passage of time) ... to tell you the truth, I stopped reading about half way through, but I think that #27 is mostly what applies to me today!
Tomorrow marks the day that enough time has passed (ie. I'm getting old), that I am going to register little E for kindergarten! Hard to believe that it's been such a short time between his birth and now. 4 1/2 years just doesn't seem like enough time to enjoy such a fun, smart kid before sending them off into the world.
Now, don't get me wrong, I think that school is going to be an AMAZING adventure! It just means that the times of our adventures together are coming to a close, and he will move on to have adventures of his own!
He will have the time of his life (#64 in case anyone cares!)!! And of course, I hope that he will share his good times with me.
Who knew that a time as short as under five years could bring such great happiness and memories?
I can only imagine the amazing times the next five years will bring ....
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Dreams
Remember when we were kids? Remember when our entire lives were ahead of us? Remember when every dream was a possibility?
I'm sitting here tonight, listening to Easton play with his drum set. His dream? Becoming a drumming mailman. Now, I'm not quite sure how this is going to work .... is he going to tap a snare drum as he marches on his delivery route? Is he going to wear a mailman costume when he's the drummer for some hot rock band?
I'm really not sure, but there are certainly possibilities ...
Do I think that in 20 years, he'll be either drumming or delivering mail? I have no idea ... do I think that the two of them together are a recipe for success?
The answer is, that it doesn't really matter! It's his dream today, so it's my job to encourage him to follow that dream, and give him the tools to succeed in it. Which means he will have to go to school to learn how to read addresses, and it means that I have put him in drumming lessons to let him explore that part of his dream.
Am I crazy? Probably partially (but in this day and age, I can always buy him an electric drum kit that has headphones ... thank goodness!!!!), but how could I not let him explore this dream?
So, I challenge all of you to not only foster the dreams of those around you, but encourage you to follow your own forgotten dreams!
Maybe you always wanted to learn an instrument, or take up a hobby. Maybe you always wanted to try skydiving or to sing karaoke.
Whatever you dreams are, you owe it to yourself to try to achieve them, no matter how large or small they may be.
Your life is a story ... don't leave it to chance to see where it goes ... write it yourself!
I'm sitting here tonight, listening to Easton play with his drum set. His dream? Becoming a drumming mailman. Now, I'm not quite sure how this is going to work .... is he going to tap a snare drum as he marches on his delivery route? Is he going to wear a mailman costume when he's the drummer for some hot rock band?
I'm really not sure, but there are certainly possibilities ...
Do I think that in 20 years, he'll be either drumming or delivering mail? I have no idea ... do I think that the two of them together are a recipe for success?
The answer is, that it doesn't really matter! It's his dream today, so it's my job to encourage him to follow that dream, and give him the tools to succeed in it. Which means he will have to go to school to learn how to read addresses, and it means that I have put him in drumming lessons to let him explore that part of his dream.
Am I crazy? Probably partially (but in this day and age, I can always buy him an electric drum kit that has headphones ... thank goodness!!!!), but how could I not let him explore this dream?
So, I challenge all of you to not only foster the dreams of those around you, but encourage you to follow your own forgotten dreams!
Maybe you always wanted to learn an instrument, or take up a hobby. Maybe you always wanted to try skydiving or to sing karaoke.
Whatever you dreams are, you owe it to yourself to try to achieve them, no matter how large or small they may be.
Your life is a story ... don't leave it to chance to see where it goes ... write it yourself!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Ride
Someone I have come to respect very much in a short period of time (my boss), told me yesterday that it's not about getting to where you're going so much as it's enjoying the ride along the way.
It was an interesting moment. After a VERY long day at work. After a long last few months relocating our family across the country. Searching for a home to live in. Packing, moving and unpacking all of our worldly possessions. Starting a new job.... It's been a stressful few months!
In that moment she actually told me to give myself permission to think about the last few months. Permission to let my guard down, not be focused on determination to get to the end, and permission to acknowledge what we've been through to get where we are now. They haven't been easy ones, but they sure have been good!
Looking back at the past five months, it's sure amazing what has happened:
- I found a new job
- We packed up ourselves and our things and moved across the country
- We found a place to live
- I have found success in my job. Within the first couple of months, I was within 10% of meeting my budgets.
Some pretty awesome things have happened. But those things are just where we have managed to find ourselves. The magic that happened within these events is even more fun to look back at:
- I sent my resume one business day before a job opening came up. Incredible timing!
- The rental home we are living in is perfect for us, and is in a great neighbourhood. It's perfect!
- I work with an awesome group of people, both coworkers and clients. I've been so blessed to be able to interact with such awesome people on a daily basis!
The ride is half the fun. It hasn't been easy, but it's been awfully amazing. And don't forget that the bumps along the way are there to remind you to pay attention and enjoy the ride.
It was an interesting moment. After a VERY long day at work. After a long last few months relocating our family across the country. Searching for a home to live in. Packing, moving and unpacking all of our worldly possessions. Starting a new job.... It's been a stressful few months!
In that moment she actually told me to give myself permission to think about the last few months. Permission to let my guard down, not be focused on determination to get to the end, and permission to acknowledge what we've been through to get where we are now. They haven't been easy ones, but they sure have been good!
Looking back at the past five months, it's sure amazing what has happened:
- I found a new job
- We packed up ourselves and our things and moved across the country
- We found a place to live
- I have found success in my job. Within the first couple of months, I was within 10% of meeting my budgets.
Some pretty awesome things have happened. But those things are just where we have managed to find ourselves. The magic that happened within these events is even more fun to look back at:
- I sent my resume one business day before a job opening came up. Incredible timing!
- The rental home we are living in is perfect for us, and is in a great neighbourhood. It's perfect!
- I work with an awesome group of people, both coworkers and clients. I've been so blessed to be able to interact with such awesome people on a daily basis!
The ride is half the fun. It hasn't been easy, but it's been awfully amazing. And don't forget that the bumps along the way are there to remind you to pay attention and enjoy the ride.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
For The Zombie Moms Out There!!!
This post is dedicated to all of the 'Zombie Moms' in my life. My sister Melissa and my college friend Teresa especially.
Teresa and Melissa both have babies. They both happen to have babies that don't particularly feel that their mommies need to sleep through the night!
Several facebook statuses of mixed frustration, exhaustion and discouragement have been posted lately, and my heart aches with sympathy. My Audrey was one of these babies. I'm sure that her determination will make her a strong woman one day, but it was NOT a character trait I appreciated for the first 365 days of her life!
That's right! My darling baby girl refused to sleep through the night until she turned a year old. Not only that, she wouldn't just wake up once or twice a night, but sometimes 12 or 14 times! In less than 12 hours! She was horrible.
I tried sleep training. I tried letting her cry. She couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. I did it with Easton, and it worked for both of us. But there was something about Audrey's cry that I just couldn't put either of us through it!
Not only did Audrey not sleep (even during the day, her naps were irratic and unpredictable), but she would NOT take a bottle. A drop of formula on her tongue would result in a reaction that you would think it was poison to her.
Needless to say, I was a Zombie Mom. Completely Zombie. I'm not even sure that my heart was beating by that point -- it was just simply too tired!
Through that time, I've come to realize that yes, every baby is different. Yes, we're all just trying to cope. Yes, we're all just trying to do what's best for our baby, and try not to kill ourselves off in the meantime. Yes, it's frustrating. It's exhausting. It's discouraging.
BUT ........
IT'S TEMPORARY!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK GOD we don't have 25 year old kids who still wake up at night, crying until they get a drink of milk. Just as kids will eventually be ready to potty train, eventually be ready to walk, talk, jump and smile ... eventually they will sleep.
AND NOT ONLY THAT .........
You're not the only one who has gone through this! Learn to rely on those who have gone on before you. Ask them to remind you that it's okay to cry. Rant. Rave. Ask them to remind you that it DOES all come to an end.
So, my Zombie Moms, don't despair! The end of these sleepless nights WILL come to you.
It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a good friend to raise a zombie from the dead!!
XOXO and Sweet Dreams to you, my Zombie Moms!! Call or e-mail me anytime you need a pep talk. I've been there, done that, and am willing to talk you off the ledge I was on.
Teresa and Melissa both have babies. They both happen to have babies that don't particularly feel that their mommies need to sleep through the night!
Several facebook statuses of mixed frustration, exhaustion and discouragement have been posted lately, and my heart aches with sympathy. My Audrey was one of these babies. I'm sure that her determination will make her a strong woman one day, but it was NOT a character trait I appreciated for the first 365 days of her life!
That's right! My darling baby girl refused to sleep through the night until she turned a year old. Not only that, she wouldn't just wake up once or twice a night, but sometimes 12 or 14 times! In less than 12 hours! She was horrible.
I tried sleep training. I tried letting her cry. She couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. I did it with Easton, and it worked for both of us. But there was something about Audrey's cry that I just couldn't put either of us through it!
Not only did Audrey not sleep (even during the day, her naps were irratic and unpredictable), but she would NOT take a bottle. A drop of formula on her tongue would result in a reaction that you would think it was poison to her.
Needless to say, I was a Zombie Mom. Completely Zombie. I'm not even sure that my heart was beating by that point -- it was just simply too tired!
Through that time, I've come to realize that yes, every baby is different. Yes, we're all just trying to cope. Yes, we're all just trying to do what's best for our baby, and try not to kill ourselves off in the meantime. Yes, it's frustrating. It's exhausting. It's discouraging.
BUT ........
IT'S TEMPORARY!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK GOD we don't have 25 year old kids who still wake up at night, crying until they get a drink of milk. Just as kids will eventually be ready to potty train, eventually be ready to walk, talk, jump and smile ... eventually they will sleep.
AND NOT ONLY THAT .........
You're not the only one who has gone through this! Learn to rely on those who have gone on before you. Ask them to remind you that it's okay to cry. Rant. Rave. Ask them to remind you that it DOES all come to an end.
So, my Zombie Moms, don't despair! The end of these sleepless nights WILL come to you.
It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a good friend to raise a zombie from the dead!!
XOXO and Sweet Dreams to you, my Zombie Moms!! Call or e-mail me anytime you need a pep talk. I've been there, done that, and am willing to talk you off the ledge I was on.
Monday, January 10, 2011
A Good Start to the Day
Breakfast. It's delicious! It's one of my favourite meals of the day. And yet, it's probably the most commonly skipped meal for most people.
Breakfast is so important (in case you hadn't heard already ...). Skipping breakfast has been tied to being overweight. Eating breakfast can promote healthy weight loss. If you eat breakfast, you'll have more energy, and you're less likely to cheat on your diet.
Think about it, it's important to parents everywhere that their kids get a healthy breakfast to set up their day and help them have a productive day of learning at school.
Why do we skip breakfast ourselves so often? We need to set up our days for success ... starting with breakfast!
One easy breakfast that I've been making a few times the last week is a simple omelette. Here's my recipe!
Chive & Goat Cheese Egg-White Omelette:
4 egg whites (buy the cartons of egg whites - it's easier. 1/2 cup = 4 egg whites)
A handful of chives, chopped as finely as you need
1 chunk of goat cheese (I buy the log of it at Costco, and use about a centimetre thick slice)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. 'PAM' a frying pan, and put on med-high heat. Pour in the egg whites. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. While the egg whites cook slightly, chop the chives. Sprinkle them over the eggs.
3. Slice your goat cheese and crumble it on one half of the eggs. Once the egg base starts to bubble away from the pan, fold it in half over the cheese.
4. Flip your omelette as needed until it's cooked as much as you like.
Serve this with one slice of multigrain toast (with 1 tsp. of butter!). Including toast and butter, this breakfast meal is filling and only 315 calories!
AND it's fast!! NO EXCUSES!!!
Stay tuned tomorrow for a easy make-ahead breakfast bar recipe!
Breakfast is so important (in case you hadn't heard already ...). Skipping breakfast has been tied to being overweight. Eating breakfast can promote healthy weight loss. If you eat breakfast, you'll have more energy, and you're less likely to cheat on your diet.
Think about it, it's important to parents everywhere that their kids get a healthy breakfast to set up their day and help them have a productive day of learning at school.
Why do we skip breakfast ourselves so often? We need to set up our days for success ... starting with breakfast!
One easy breakfast that I've been making a few times the last week is a simple omelette. Here's my recipe!
Chive & Goat Cheese Egg-White Omelette:
4 egg whites (buy the cartons of egg whites - it's easier. 1/2 cup = 4 egg whites)
A handful of chives, chopped as finely as you need
1 chunk of goat cheese (I buy the log of it at Costco, and use about a centimetre thick slice)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. 'PAM' a frying pan, and put on med-high heat. Pour in the egg whites. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. While the egg whites cook slightly, chop the chives. Sprinkle them over the eggs.
3. Slice your goat cheese and crumble it on one half of the eggs. Once the egg base starts to bubble away from the pan, fold it in half over the cheese.
4. Flip your omelette as needed until it's cooked as much as you like.
Serve this with one slice of multigrain toast (with 1 tsp. of butter!). Including toast and butter, this breakfast meal is filling and only 315 calories!
AND it's fast!! NO EXCUSES!!!
Stay tuned tomorrow for a easy make-ahead breakfast bar recipe!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
For Sara!!!
Okay, this one is for my friend Sara. Who is a friend through our moms who were friends several years ago when they were both single-digit-aged!
Sara is also working on getting healthy (and one of my friends who is also using the www.myfitnesspal.com website and iPhone/iPod app!), and requested a recipe with some serious restrictions, so here's one for you! Keep up the great work!
Cabbage Roll Casserole:
1.5 lbs. ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can (14 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 small cabbage (4 cups shredded)
1. Cook beef until cooked. Stir in onions, garlic, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil and stir in rice. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is nearly tender.
2. In a greased casserole dish, layer as follows: 2 cups of cabbage, half of meat mixture, remainder of cabbage, remainer of meat mixture.
RECIPE MAY BE FROZEN AT THIS POINT (One of my favourite things!!)
3. Cover and bake in 350F oven for about 1 hour.
Divide into six portions -- each portion is only 270 calories!
For anyone that loves cabbage rolls, this is simple and delicious! ENJOY!
Sara is also working on getting healthy (and one of my friends who is also using the www.myfitnesspal.com website and iPhone/iPod app!), and requested a recipe with some serious restrictions, so here's one for you! Keep up the great work!
Cabbage Roll Casserole:
1.5 lbs. ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can (14 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 small cabbage (4 cups shredded)
1. Cook beef until cooked. Stir in onions, garlic, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil and stir in rice. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is nearly tender.
2. In a greased casserole dish, layer as follows: 2 cups of cabbage, half of meat mixture, remainder of cabbage, remainer of meat mixture.
RECIPE MAY BE FROZEN AT THIS POINT (One of my favourite things!!)
3. Cover and bake in 350F oven for about 1 hour.
Divide into six portions -- each portion is only 270 calories!
For anyone that loves cabbage rolls, this is simple and delicious! ENJOY!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Hawkins Cheezies ... I Love You!!!
There are few things that I will break my healthy-eating January for.
But, there are Hawkins Cheezies.
Those crunchy, delicious, cheezy, artificially bright orange pieces of heaven.
If you've ever had a Hawkins Cheezie, you understand my love for them. If you haven't, I suggest you go out right now, and hunt for some until you find them.
Yum!
I've decided that a little bit of cheating on the weekends will be okay, and will help me stay on track without being too strict. So last night, I undulged with a couple handfuls of cheezies and a book.
Heaven!!!
I'm also rediscovering some of my favourite foods that are healthy AND delicious! Over the next little while, I'll share some of them.
Here's the first. It's one that mom made every once in awhile growing up, and I made it this past week for the first time ever! It's delicious:
Honey Curried Chicken:
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup of honey
1/3 cup of dijon mustard
1 tsp. curry powder
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1. Melt first four ingredients together slightly to melt the butter (but don't melt it too much - keep it thick enough that it'll cover the chicken well).
2. Place chicken in a greased pan (I used a loaf pan for 3 chicken breasts), and pour the honey dijon mixture over the chicken.
3. Bake at 350F for approximately 45 minutes, or until cooked through.
Even if you're not a curry lover, this is a delicious recipe. The curry is very mild. It's delicious with some white rice, and even BETTER when you take the leftover sauce and pour it over the rice. YUM!
Calories per serving: approximately 250-300 calories per chicken breast
ENJOY!!!! I'd love feedback, and send me your favourite recipes too!
But, there are Hawkins Cheezies.
Those crunchy, delicious, cheezy, artificially bright orange pieces of heaven.
If you've ever had a Hawkins Cheezie, you understand my love for them. If you haven't, I suggest you go out right now, and hunt for some until you find them.
Yum!
I've decided that a little bit of cheating on the weekends will be okay, and will help me stay on track without being too strict. So last night, I undulged with a couple handfuls of cheezies and a book.
Heaven!!!
I'm also rediscovering some of my favourite foods that are healthy AND delicious! Over the next little while, I'll share some of them.
Here's the first. It's one that mom made every once in awhile growing up, and I made it this past week for the first time ever! It's delicious:
Honey Curried Chicken:
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup of honey
1/3 cup of dijon mustard
1 tsp. curry powder
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1. Melt first four ingredients together slightly to melt the butter (but don't melt it too much - keep it thick enough that it'll cover the chicken well).
2. Place chicken in a greased pan (I used a loaf pan for 3 chicken breasts), and pour the honey dijon mixture over the chicken.
3. Bake at 350F for approximately 45 minutes, or until cooked through.
Even if you're not a curry lover, this is a delicious recipe. The curry is very mild. It's delicious with some white rice, and even BETTER when you take the leftover sauce and pour it over the rice. YUM!
Calories per serving: approximately 250-300 calories per chicken breast
ENJOY!!!! I'd love feedback, and send me your favourite recipes too!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Accountability!
Well, it's January. With that comes a new year. A sense of beginning. A feeling that you can make your year anything you want it to be.
A slight pinch when you go back to work after the holidays and have to put real clothes on again ....
January is about accountability! It's time to get serious about health, clear out all the junk your body accumulated over Christmas, and get back on track for a great year ahead.
Accountability is a huge motivator in keeping on track when you're working on cleaning up your act!
To keep myself accountable, I downloaded an iPhone app to help me track what I'm eating, and make sure I'm eating good things, and not too much.
I'm also telling people I'm working hard on healthy eating. Again, accountability. If everyone at work knows I'm working on eating healthy, I won't be as likely to hit the snack cupboard for a snack at 3pm!
I'm also hitting the blog. Time to get me accountable again! I'm trying to decide when I'm going to let myself cheat ... I think Saturdays and Sundays should be an extra 200 calories of deliciousness ... enough to tackle a handful of the Hawkins cheezies that are tempting me in the cupboard right now!!
Yum.
For now, I'm off to make some herbal tea, and read to keep my mind off the food I want to be eating, but will not eat!
A slight pinch when you go back to work after the holidays and have to put real clothes on again ....
January is about accountability! It's time to get serious about health, clear out all the junk your body accumulated over Christmas, and get back on track for a great year ahead.
Accountability is a huge motivator in keeping on track when you're working on cleaning up your act!
To keep myself accountable, I downloaded an iPhone app to help me track what I'm eating, and make sure I'm eating good things, and not too much.
I'm also telling people I'm working hard on healthy eating. Again, accountability. If everyone at work knows I'm working on eating healthy, I won't be as likely to hit the snack cupboard for a snack at 3pm!
I'm also hitting the blog. Time to get me accountable again! I'm trying to decide when I'm going to let myself cheat ... I think Saturdays and Sundays should be an extra 200 calories of deliciousness ... enough to tackle a handful of the Hawkins cheezies that are tempting me in the cupboard right now!!
Yum.
For now, I'm off to make some herbal tea, and read to keep my mind off the food I want to be eating, but will not eat!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
What do tires, angels and shovels have in common???
SNOW!!! (winter tires, snow angels and, well, shovels are kind of self explanatory I guess ...)
It's here!!! It's really, finally here!!!!!!
Sure, we've had snow here already in Northern BC, but now it's REALLY here! We woke up this morning to about 6 inches on the ground, and it continued ALL day! There wasn't a time I looked out the window at work that it wasn't snowing.
SO FUN!
I waited anxiously all day to get home, eat supper quickly, and get outside to play! We were hoping the snow was wet enough for a snowman, but it was a bit too dry. Didn't stop us from having a great time! Snow angels, shovelling, and a little sledding hill at the end of the driveway, down the snowbank that the loader left for us.
It's like when I was a kid. Only better, because now I get to appreciate what an amazing place we live in. Prince George is not only green and beautiful, but can be WHITE and GORGEOUS!
A nice blanket of fresh, white snow gives a cover to the brown imperfections of winter. Some may think the driving is horrendous -- I think it's fun! Some may think the shovelling is a pain -- I think it's exercise! Some may think it's time to hunker down and stay inside -- I think it's time to get outside and ENJOY it!
Tires, angels and shovels -- the best fun you can ever imagine!
It's here!!! It's really, finally here!!!!!!
Sure, we've had snow here already in Northern BC, but now it's REALLY here! We woke up this morning to about 6 inches on the ground, and it continued ALL day! There wasn't a time I looked out the window at work that it wasn't snowing.
SO FUN!
I waited anxiously all day to get home, eat supper quickly, and get outside to play! We were hoping the snow was wet enough for a snowman, but it was a bit too dry. Didn't stop us from having a great time! Snow angels, shovelling, and a little sledding hill at the end of the driveway, down the snowbank that the loader left for us.
It's like when I was a kid. Only better, because now I get to appreciate what an amazing place we live in. Prince George is not only green and beautiful, but can be WHITE and GORGEOUS!
A nice blanket of fresh, white snow gives a cover to the brown imperfections of winter. Some may think the driving is horrendous -- I think it's fun! Some may think the shovelling is a pain -- I think it's exercise! Some may think it's time to hunker down and stay inside -- I think it's time to get outside and ENJOY it!
Tires, angels and shovels -- the best fun you can ever imagine!
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