Little things.. are sometimes big things

Today the girls and I had a couple hours to kill while my oldest was at a long appointment. We went to the park but it was so busy we didn't stay. So the next stop was the cemetery... Sounds macabre but it is 8 acres along the waterfront, beautiful with old trees and paths. There are gorgeous old headstones, big ones that are carved in pretty stone and ones that are so old you can not make out the wording. Wandering around are deer that are barely afraid of you. In short, it is more like a park than a cemetery.  The headstones are interesting to read. Many have details about their life and work. No matter how many times we go, we always see something different. 

It was so hot today that we were appreciating the shade from the big trees. There was two little Bambi's there, still with their spots. A lovely 4 point buck had found a secluded place to lay down and a Mommy crow was giving lessons to her baby. We hurried along because the last thing you want to do is tick crows off. I know someone that was dive bombed and had them throwing their bodies into the back of their head when they accidentally got too close to their young. 

While walking I spotted a card "hanging" on a little branch of a tree. I went over to check it out and found this. 

Curiously I opened it and read. 

What a delightful little surprise. How kind and thoughtful of someone to do something so random. Purely to make another person feel good. I carefully put it back so someone else could discover it as well. 

Your wedding cost how much!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!

Cost of weddings in 2017.   $35,000!!!

I can see why so many people aren't getting married! Sheesh. I can't believe that people spend that much money. 

My wedding was in my in-laws back yard.. which sounds cheesy but they had 2 1/2 acres and it was beautifully lanscaped. I am so glad we never went into debt for our wedding. Considering the average marriage is lasting 12 years (Average length of marriages around the world) That is about the investment you put into a car. 

How much did you spend on your wedding? What would you change if you could? I honestly can't remember how much ours cost.. but it was a pretty insignificant amount and it was still lovely. What would I have changed.. well I was married in a beautiful designer dress, but I always regretted it wasn't a wedding dress. The cost of them was out of my range.. and I made due. We have been married for 21 years, so in the end it didn't matter. 

here is the link to the article,

https://ca.yahoo.com/style/cost-weddings-2017-legit-horrifying-130000837.html

Still tastes like soap!

Last week I was at the dollar store. It was a quick trip and I only had a couple things. I was waiting at the check out and looking around at all the things around the till when I spotted something that I must have missed out on in my childhood. "Thrive" gum.. the slogan on the pack was what got my attention... "it still tastes like soap".  I posted about this on the Happy Canadian Mom facebook page and was surprised by how many people had tried this before.
here is the link to the page.. you can read the comments from all the people who have tried it, and like it! Happy Canadian Mom Facebook Page

I think I am going to have to buy a package and give it a review :)

Living in an uncertain economy

Hearing stories worldwide about the economy puts a little fear into peoples hearts. We hear of whole countries that are basically bankrupt. There is comparison to the great depression. Could we end up like that again?

The thought of that is pretty scary when one considers how dependent we are on the government now. How unprepared we are living in compact housing and cities with very little green space. At least in days gone by most people had a yard where they could grow some food. How would we cope?

There are lots of great gardening ideas on the web for planting a container garden on your balcony.. or maximizing your growing potential of your tiny yard.. but could that ever be enough?

There are some basic things that we should all know how to do.. even if we never have the need too. One of those things is to growing basic vegetables.. lettuce, potatoes, corn, carrots... of course depending on where you live the list would look different. But knowing how to grow some things that could at the least, supplement your diet could mean a huge difference to your health.

Cooking is another thing. It looks a lot different today than it did in the leaner years. Learning some basic recipes that are easy to make with limited, and obtainable ingredients.. what ever is cheap.. is essential to survival.

Repairing your stuff... when money isn't plentiful you have to make due. In our throw away society we aren't used to that and we also don't have things that are made to last. Could you sew your clothes if you needed too? How about repair your shoes?

Canada was hit really hard by the depression. By all accounts we were hit harder than most other countries. Spending was down by 42% and 30% of the population was unemployed.

Preparing ourselves for what ever adversities could come our way is a smart thing to do. You may never have to worry about money but the lessons one can learn can mean you also don't have to spend it unnecessarily.

I found a really interesting youtube channel called  Great Depression Cooking. Clara, who has now passed away teaches you how to make some very simple meals with what was available then.

I learned many things from my Grandma and I am so grateful that I listened to her... wish I could ask her many more things now though.

Do you have any skills that an elderly family member or friend taught you?

Bodipure Hand and Foot Treatment Review

I had the opportunity to try two Bodipure products. They were in the FabFitFun Spring box. The All in one hand treatment and the all on one foot treatment.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the package was the smell.. it wasn't a strong or over powering smell but it was very pleasant. I used the all in one foot treatment first. separating the two booties and slipping your feet into them is very easy to do.

Once on the first thing I have to say is it feels very strange.. I was prepared for it.. or so I thought. It isn't so much that it is unpleasant, as it is just ... well a strange feeling.  I had intended to sleep with the booties on and get the maximum absorption, but I was not able to. All I was able to leave them on for was about an hour.. which is longer than the minimum time that is suggested but I was disappointed that I caved in.

I made sure that while on I massaged the treatment into my skin and made sure it was evenly distributed over my foot through the booties.
When I took the booties off I smoothed the remaining cream over my feet and in the course of a few minutes it was all absorbed. My feet felt very nice.. but the best was the following morning, they felt amazingly soft. I am a barefooted girl and I have to watch my feet because they do dry out. I was left with wonderfully, baby soft feet.

Using the mits was very similar to the booties although getting your fingers into the right slots took a little bit longer. The feel was still very strange and  you need to be able to spend some time doing nothing.. good time to watch a movie!

I did the same as before and massaged the product through the gloves making sure everywhere was covered throughout the process. Taking pictures once the gloves were on was a bit challenging lol.

I left the gloves on for about an hour and when taking them off made sure I massaged in the cream well. My hands felt very soft and as with my feet I noticed it even more so the next morning.

I am pretty impressed with this product. I would definitely use it again.

Mmmmm Huckleberry time!

Picking and identifying red huckleberries.

Huckleberry muffins! Yum

Fun in the sun and tide pools

Today was so beautiful out.. I had to drag the kids around doing errands and when I got them done we headed to the beach. The tide was out and there were lots of tide pools to explore.

I don't know what this is.. I found two of them. This one was about 6 inches long. If anyone knows I would love to find out!

Here is a short video of the pools

Lottery Madness.. to play Powerball, 6/49 or not???

With all the lottery madness happening now, it is easy to get caught up in it. The jackpots have been quite big the past few weeks as they always seem to be during the holidays.

A lot of us dream of what we would do if we won that big jackpot..A new home, traveling, cars, charities. Wouldn't it be fun.. yeah the
new stuff.. but then to shower our family and friends as well.
*Sigh* you know the saying.. the dream never dies, just the dreamer.

So what are the odds of winning? Well..sadly, not very good. Of course someone has to win, so A chance is better than NO chance.

The Powerball jackpot.. the biggest in US history has odds of 1 in 292.2 million.
That is a LOT of people buying tickets. To sink that in a bit more,  Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery,
told NBC News' Weekend Today on Sunday. "At our peak last night, we were selling more than $1.2 million in Powerball tickets every single minute."
Wow..
That is a lot of tickets.
Here in Canada, the Lotto 6/49 odds are 1 in 14 million, and Lotto Max is 1 in 28.6 million... still a pretty big shot in the dark.

You have better odds of a few other things happening than becoming the newest millionaire.
1. Being killed by a vending machine. (1 in 112 million)
2. Being killed by flesh-eating bacteria. (1 in 1 million)
3. Dying from chronic constipation: (1 in 2,215,900)
4. Getting murdered during a trip to the Grand Canyon: (1 in 8,156,000)
5. Being Killed by an asteroid strike (1 in 700,000)
6. Dying from chronic constipation: (1 in 2,215,900)
7. Dying From Being a Left-Handed Person Who Misuses Right-Handed Products (1 in 7 million)

Will this stop us from buying tickets?... I kinda doubt it.. I am however rethinking that trip to the Grand Canyon! ;)
 

Pokemon Catching!

My three girls all love Pokemon.. I am amazed at how many there are (about 718!) and how they can remember what their names are.. their powers and what the change too. Today we went to get some fresh air and the girls decided they would "look" for Pokemon to catch.

 Pikachu and Oshawott were who they found.  I love creative play and the use of imagination and how you can take something that normally requires you to sit in front of a screen and get outside.

The Secret to odor protection

I had the pleasure of trying Secret Outlast Clear Gel in a Bzz campaign. I was very happy with how this product preformed.

It promises to keep you odor free for 48 hrs and while I didn't go without applying it quite that long, I am can say it certainly worked well during my days.

I loved that it went on easily and dried quickly.. who wants wet armpits! I hate aerosol deodorants.. they are cold!! This goes on as easily as a aerosol with out the freeze lol.

I wear a lot of dark colours and a dark blue bra when I do.. so I don't want something that is going to leave me all messed up. Clear Gel never left a trace on my clothes.
This product has won me over.

Something in the sky

The girls and I went to the beach to try and see some meteors.. it was supposed to be a good night to see them. We didn't see many. The moon was full and the lights from the dockyard didn't help I am sure. We still enjoyed our time... we watched a cruise ship sail away and cuddled and talked. I love these moments, when we slow down. The kids think it is extra special because they are out later than normal and doing something that they don't usually do.

Wire Heart Pendant with Moonstone drop

Tiny and Sweet.. this pendant makes a big statement in a tiny package. Nestled lovingly around your neck, it would look great for a special occasion, or everyday wear. Solid Copper that will not tarnish. Sweet pretty seed beads in an array of tones.. silver, white, dark slate blue, clear.. and a pretty little moonstone brio dropped at the bottom. Amore!

Look what I got in the mail! Pantene Ultimate 10 in 1 Bzz Kit

Look what I got in the mail! Pantene Ultimate 10 in 1 Bzz Kit. Haven't heard of Bzz yet?? You should head over and sign up.. you have the opportunity to bzzz products.. try them and then spread the word. I personally love trying new products.. I love being some of the first to see how wonderful new things on the market work. I also love sharing this with my friends.
I am a Pantene lover to begin with.. it really does make my hair feel wonderful. I have long hair and a lot of products leave it feeling like straw. Pantene always leaves it silky and smooth. I get compliments all the time on my hair. So that says a lot.. when a stranger comes up to you in a store and says, "you have such beautiful hair" always embarrasses me a bit lol.
Anyways I was excited when the mailman delivered my Bzz kit today. I opened it up and snapped a pic right away. He was very early so I hadn't had my shower yet.. perfect timing! I was very pleased with how my hair felt and looked after using the shampoo, conditioner and 10in1 treatment.
If it feels this good after one use.. how will it feel after 10!?!
Always nice to get something in the mail besides bill.. great start to the day!

Things I find while shopping!

Having a sense of humour makes life a lot more interesting! I can find humour in the most unusual places... but shopping.. well, always be on the look out!

Here is a few of what I have found and noted in the past. I admit some of them are a lack of translation (I think.. I hope!) but they do make you snicker.

Hygienic, Flavourful & Tasty... Mmmm

 

Gun Powder Tea.. wake up with a bang!

Not sure what to say about this one... 

 

Fungus wood ear???? huh?

 

Might need some of this after the last few!

Seen at the local thrift store.. bored husband perhaps?

My kind of pricing!

So, as I tell my kids.. slow down, look around.. you will be amazed what you will see!

Copper Chaos Swirl Pendant

Solid Copper Chaos Swirl Pendant, embedded with Tanzanite, Peridot and Blue Topaz. Beautiful shiny piece with a nice weight to it.

Drama

Today was the worst day of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!! How many times have I heard that from my children!? There were days when I was with them, all day.. and I saw them playing and laughing and having lots of fun.. and one thing happened.. ONE and "IT is the worst day of my life" was what I would hear.  Is it drama, over doing it.. or did that one thing overshadow everything else from the day? I am a firm believer that most of us need to learn the "glass half full instead of half empty".. I don't think that outlook is born into everyone.. Maybe not even most of us. So how do we talk to our kids so that we can let them know the bad stuff doesn't have to ruin the day.. to focus on all the good that happened instead of the bad?
When my oldest was in early elementary, grade 1 or 2, I decided that I would try and refocus all of us. We decided we would tell something funny that happened that day. The twins were too little to participate.. but I made sure I always had something funny and interesting to tell her that happened to me during the day, or that I saw. It really helped our dialogue and I think it really helped her to pay attention throughout the day to the good things.. or funny, so she could share it with me on the way home from school. Those giggles we had after a long day sure helped. We still talked about the bad things that happened, but after having a laugh we were able to focus more realistically on where those bad things figured into her day.

Pearl Bracelet

Shiny, Luscious Pearls, Woven onto Timeless Viking Knit. Swarovski Crystal Accent. All Metal is Solid Non-Tarnish Copper. This bracelet fits like a bangle.

Last Day of Summer Break

Today was the last day of freedom for the kidlets... We had to get a few more things on their supply list, and then we were determined to do something fun. They were pretty darn patient as we ran from store to store. In between markers and thesaurus's we went into a grocery store and I asked for some fish trimmings... we bought three bags for $1 each.  We went and had ice cream and a little walk through an old cemetery.. the kids found some interesting things there,

Acorn hats.. each came home with a pocketful of acorns to plant.

There was a large wasp nest that had fallen from a tree.. There were no wasps around, but the paper was fascinating to the girls. It really is remarkable that what they do with some chewed up wood.

This gorgeous old tree's roots were growing around thise cobblestones.. I found it kind of cool

Someone painted this little rock and left it on a grave..

Then we went to feed the seals.. They are such hams.

 

 

As we were leaving, it started to rain. The girls were talking about how much fun they'd had on the way to the car..  love that :)

Win a Kellogg Prize Pack (Open to Canada)

WIN a Kellogg Canada breakfast and snack prize pack from the SnyMed.com blog! Prize pack may or may not be the same as the one pictured above (1 Pringles adult-sized t-shirt, 1 Kellogg's Krave cereal, 1 Kellogg's Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes cereal, 1 Special K Original cereal, 1 Special K Low Fat Granola cereal, 1 Pringles Tortillas Nacho Cheese, 1 Pringles Tortillas Original, and 1 Pringles Tortillas Zesty Ranch snacks.)  Contest open to Canada, and ends on Thursday September 18th, 2014.
Enter to win

Tomorrow's goals

Tomorrow will be a busy day here.. the kids go back to school on Tuesday and there is a lot to get ready to make it go smoothly. I haven't got all the school supplies yet .. bad me. Usually I am far more prepared than that.

Anyway, I am only going to make a small goal for tomorrow so it is attainable.

I am going to attack the junk drawer... I almost think that should be in capital letters! I haven't touched that drawer for sometime.. it is much easier to ignore it. Push everything down and close it quickly.  But with our place being small, every cupboard, drawer, nook and cranny needs too be utilized to the best of it's ability. So tomorrow will be purge and clean the drawer.

Wonder if we should make bets on how quickly something will be needed after I throw it out.
Do you think setting a daily goal for yourself helps you be more motivated?

Saucy Spaghetti

Today was a bit crazy... did a lot of running around. The oldest daughter has gone camping with friends. Lucky duck.. we have had a fire ban here for sometime, but it was lifted just recently. So they will be roasting marshmallows galore.

I tackled the mountain of tomatoes... well not really a mountain, only 25 pounds worth. But I am telling you, by the time I was half way through it felt like a mountain. I had a system going.. prick the skin of the tomatoes.. 10 at a time.. pop into boiling water... watch for the skin to crack, then scoop out and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Then quickly put 10 more in the boiling water.. peeling the first 10 while waiting on those ones. Squeeze the juice out and repeat.. many more times!

The reason was for all this was for spaghetti sauce. We eat a fair bit of pasta here.. I love it, the kids love it.. hubby tolerates it.

I had to cook the sauce in two batches, as I didn't have a pot big enough for it all. While the first one was simmering, I ask hubby to cut up some hot pepper to go in.. I said, three peppers.. 1 1/2 for each batch. These peppers were smoking hot.. when I made salsa the other day I had a burning thumb from doing a single swipe to get the seeds out of  ONE. No was was I touching them again. Hubby has calloused hands from his work.. so it doesn't bother him. Well... he heard me wrong... he put all three into one batch. AND mixed it up. *sigh* it is very spicy!

Oh well.. I will most likely use it in some lasagna at some time.

The second batch was much better...

Gorgeous Amazonite

When I got these gorgeous Amazonite beads, I knew it would be lovely in a bracelet. Worn on the wrist you can hold it up and gaze at these deep rich stones. Made with solid copper clasp, this statement piece would look lovely dressed up, or casual. Will certainly catch eyes!
I will hate to part with it.. but it was made to be sold.

Todays abundance

Today's abundance was pears!! Yummy, sweet, juicy, delicious, pears. I answered an ad on a local online selling site. This person had unsprayed pears ready and we could come pick them for $5 a bag.

I took one of my twins... I like when I am able to split the kids up and taking one of them with me. Even when we are doing mundane things like shopping and errands.. I feel like I am able to connect with them and we enjoy lots of laughs doing almost anything. A lot of great talks happen in those times. Plus lets face it.. the extra help is always nice!

I am not sure who ( yes, sadly it was me ) decided picking them at noon on a hot day was a good idea! Phew were so red faced and thirsty by the time we were done. The lady ended up only charging us $10 for three bags. What a great deal!  I am going to give them a couple days to ripen a bit more before canning them.
We will be enjoying this bounty through the winter!

Zesty Blueberries???

Blueberries.. yum. Who can resist plump ripe blueberries? Of course their season goes all too fast and unless you preserve them in someway you are waiting a long time to enjoy them again. This year I decided to make some blueberry jam... I did not think this would be a hit with my kids.. they tend to be a bit picky and have their favourites that they rigidly stick by. I remind them often, when trying to get them to try something new, that it might be their new favourite thing..

Anyway, the appeal of this recipe was that it also had lime in it. I like zing.. sweet is ok, but with an added zing, it seems to have the right amount of kick. Having seen some rave reviews for it, I jumped in and tried it myself.  I was so happy I did. Not only is this jam low in sugar, it is also pectin free. I love recipes that don't call for a lot of ingredients!

The lime enhances the flavour so much. Everyone in the house had a spoonful to lick... even hubby. It received a resounding thumbs up from them all. This recipe is a keeper.

Here is the ingredients:
4 cups blueberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
zest of two limes
1/4 lime juice (this should be store bought to make sure it has the right acidity)

Combine in a pot all the ingredients.. Stirring often and making sure the berries are mashing to your liking ... simmer for about 20 minutes or till it sets.
Water bath for 10 min.

It made 2 and a half pints for me.. and we happily ate the half pint over the next few days.  I will definitely double or triple this recipe next year.

A Jarring Experience!

I love canning jars... I admit it.. I am sure from my last couple posts about canning it may not be that big of a surprise. There are so many interesting ones out there.. the old ones are my favourite. I tend to like old things.. they have history behind them. You wonder about the family they belonged too. Who worked hard filling them. The comfort and celebrations that the food in them were part of. I can picture people from days gone by spending hot summer afternoons harvesting and preserving their families bounty for the coming winter. Something quite comforting about that.
When I was in Arizona, I found the coloured Ball brand canning jars. I was determined to bring some home. Here the only stores I could find them in were craft stores, and they wanted WAY too much for them. So I found the cases of the pint size jars.. now the decision.. blue or green??? Initially I decided on the blue... but before I went home I went back and got a case of the green as well.

I packed them in my carry on and carried them through two airports.. more than one border patrol inspector looked twice when it went through the x-ray machine. I also had to unpack my bag at both airports to show them that they were empty *sigh* .. by the time I got home, my arms were tired from carrying the bag, but I was glad I had bought them.

I also bought the top accessory to turn them into a drinking cup. I thought they were kind of fun.

 

The blue and green coloured jars were brought out on Ball's anniversary. Many people love the old vintage blue Ball jars. The original blue was caused from a mineral in the sand that the Ball company used to make them. It was very unique to the area it came from and I think it is safe to say was a trade mark.

I was shopping at a local second hand store and found some wonderful glass top canning jars.. these have the vintage zinc rings. While I wont use these for actually canning, I will use them to store things in.

I only paid .50 a piece for them. Somehow the jars we have now, pale in comparison to these lovely old jars. But they still look pretty good when they are filled and stacked up on a shelf.

A fishy tale

Today the kids and I went to the pet store.. that is sort of like going to the zoo for my kids lol. They have a lot of different creatures there .. cats for adoption, snakes, spiders, birds, lizards, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats and mice.. and a huge display of fish.

We went for something specific today. We have a large 100 gallon tank and recently we have had an explosion of snails. I was given some live plants and the eggs must have been on them. The tank, almost over night is just full. We tried containing the problem by picking the ones we could see, but soon realized that was like plugging a hole in a damn with our finger! Futile!

I did a lot of research and looked at what our options were. One option was to treat the tank with some stuff that would kill them.. but we also have ghost shrimp, and it would of killed them. The other option was to get some Loaches.. they love snails. Seemed like the right thing to do to me!

So we got two

But do you think we could get out of there with only them!?! No way.. We also came home with two more mollies (we already have a healthy amount of them) AND... duh duh duuuuh... a Peacock Eel

I had a couple of them long long ago and loved them. They were friendly, I was able to hand feed them and they also loved swimming inbetween my fingers if I put my hand in the tank. This guy was bought for my oldest daughter. He is buried in the substrate right now, so we will have to see how friendly he turns out to be.

 

***Pictures from pet store website, not my own***

More Canning!

My family loves pickles. Really loves pickles. I used to be able to buy these amazing and huge dill pickles at a grocery store, bulk. They were so big you could fit maybe 3 in a container. They always sold out quickly, and unfortunately now they don't carry them. When I would bring them home, the kids would dive into it.
I decided to make some yummy extra extra garlicky dill pickles. I went shopping at the local farms and got the dill and pickling cukes.. I had no idea how much the recipe would make.. frankly I put as many as I could possibly fit into the jars. I put the cukes in a bowl and sprinkled sea salt on them.. then added water until it was just covering them. I placed a dinner plate over top to keep them under the water and let them soak for more than 12 hours.. I didn't time it, but you can soak them from 12-24 hours.

At the same times as I got this part going, I did a sea salt bath for my dill. Hanging them upside down in a salt water mixture will ensure you don't have any added surprises in your jar.. and yes there were a few in my water afterwards.
I got my pickling mix ready.. and boy does it make the house smell of pickling! Heated my jars.. and got my canner boiling. Peeled my garlic and cut it into quarters and then once the jars were sterilized and hot I packed them with the garlic, dill and cucumbers. Then poured the pickling mix into the jars and wipe.. lids and rings.. and into the canner they go.

 

 

This was the first time I ever had a jar break on me when canning. I was given the jars and there may have been a small crack that I didn't notice. I was sad, because I didn't want to waste any of the pickles. I didn't notice that it was cracked until the water bath was done, and some of the liquid was gone. I took that jar and emptied the contents into another jar.. thankfully I had enough of the pickling liquid to cover it and I put that jar to ripen in the fridge. Water bathing it again to seal it would of meant some very mushy pickles .. so we will see how it turns out.

Next year I plan on growing my own pickling cukes.. The cheapest I could find was $1 lb and that adds up quickly. Those little cukes are heavy.
On with the domestic fun!! Wonder what will be next...???? stay tuned :)

Jammin

I was oh so fortunate to be able to pick raspberries at a friend of mine's Mom's place.. plump juicy berries.. with nothing yucky sprayed on them.
My girls love raspberry jam. well lets be honest. .who doesn't love raspberry jam!?!
My friends Mom told me how she was making her jam.. with no pectin. Sounds good to me, so I gave it a try this round and was very pleased with the results.

• 8 cups berries
• 6 cups sugar (I have seen online there are recipes calling for equal amounts of fruit to sugar, I didn't think it needed that)

How easy can that be?? Seriously!

Get your jars sterilizing and the lids and rings in a pot heating.

Heat your berries and give them a good mashing.

Add your sugar and bring the whole mixture up to 220 degrees.

Fill your jars.. then put them in to the canner for their water bath. 5 Min after the water starts to boil (time from the point of boiling)

and voila

 

What to make next?... hmm stay tuned to find out :)