Just Add Veggies

As parents of young children, I think most of us at some point (and for some, quite frequently) wonder if our children are getting enough vitamins in their diets because they don't seem to want to eat veggies. At this stage in the game, we are still pretty lucky and our toddler is willing to eat a good selection of veggies. Having said that, I would still like to share the idea of adding veggies to various lunch and supper options to "boost" the vitamin intake that your children are getting.

Yesterday I gave our son some Dora alphagetti for the first time. It was probably only the second time he has had a lunch noodle in tomato paste from a can - but I bought it because sometimes it feels like we are running out of options (or I'm just not feeling creative enough on the spot!). Anyway, I also bought a couple bags of my FAVORITE mixed frozen veggies and added some to the mix when I was cooking. I just think that this is a simple but great way to add nutrition (and colour and flavour - even I ate some!) to the meal. Served with brown bread and voila...

Might not look like much (I'll admit) and is a FAR CRY from gourmet -- but it did the trick and at least I knew that our son was getting broccoli, peas, peppers and even spinach into his system as he ate up Dora, Swipper, Boots and the Stars! Us parents, pulling out all the stops and tricks. Well, you know what they say, "whatever works", and this meal got gobbled right up!

Note: Europe's Best veggies are on sale at Zehrs this week $2.50 a bag. Frozen veggies are selected, picked and packaged at their prime so they are always tasty. I think they retain all or most of their nutritional value as well.

DARE TO COMPARE: Product Review

Well, I thought that I'd better take a quick minute or ten to post about my recent hair colouring experience. I finally decided on using Natural Instincts (semi-permanent) #28: Nutmeg for Dark Brown Hair. I have used this colour in the past and was hoping to not go as dark this time, but in the end of it all it seemed like the only worthwhile thing to do because Natural Instincts will not actually lighten your hair at all (no peroxide).

Before haircut (2 above)

After haircut, before colour (2 above)

After colour (1 above)

- will post another

All in all I think I will try #20 next time and not go with such a dark brown. This product only stays in for 28 shampoos anyway, so it isn't like it is a major commitment or drastic undertaking. If your hair is a lighter colour, you have more options. If you are willing to add red hues, you have even more options. They are currently on sale for a great price at Zehrs, so if you feel like a change, check it out.

My rating for Natural Instincts is a 7/10 because I still haven't been able to get the results that I am truly seeking.

PS - Aren't these some horrendous photos? I don't know why I bother posting this kind of stuff! Anyway, if you have had good experience with a home hair colouring product, I would like to hear from you!

TOONIE TUESDAYS: Deals This Week

Okay, due to time constraints I will have to keep it really simple for Toonie Tuesdays this week. I thought that I would give you a run down of my favorite sales that are happening NOW --
perhaps something will jump out at you and you will pick up something special or yummy at a good price.

Zehrs: Natural Instincts Hair Colour - $5.99 ...and they have special 2 for 1 packages available
Zehrs: Chocolate Chip Cookies - $0.99 ... this is dangerous :)
Zehrs: Club Pack Diapers (big box) - $27.99 (I think) ...good deal and not bad diapers
McDonald's: Kid's Night, Tuesdays 4-8 - $2.00 Happy Meals & Free Coffees for Mom & Dad

If you know of any great deals on groceries, health & beauty products, toys or anything else, please feel free to post your comments and share with others who might benefit from your tips!

MARRIAGE MONDAYS: Drop the Gloves!

IT'S MARRIAGE MONDAY!!!!

I have been meaning to post this one for a while. This is a biggie for me in my household and in my marriage. I think this message speaks for itself and speaks VOLUMES about getting along in our relationships. Being defensive, antagonistic, irritable, bossy or any of those other "not so nice" traits of character and behavior can sometimes become WAY too routine in the safety of our relationships. Sometimes I just have to say to myself "For Heaven's sakes - DROP THE GLOVES ALREADY LADY!"

And the magic of it is that if both my spouse and I do this together, the result is peace and harmony that makes the atmosphere much better for everyone. Win win win. It doesn't mean the issues aren't still there - it just means that whatever they are they are not more important than the RELATIONSHIP and they are not more important than the FEELINGS or ESTEEM of the people involved. I also like to think that it takes more to drop the gloves than continue with bad habits and negative patterns. I feel good about myself when I can rise above -

if only for the moment....

For Marriage Mondays this week I would like to challenge all readers who are in a committed relationship to pick one issue that you are currently "harping" on your partner about, or one that you KNOW will come up this week - and JUST DROP IT. Not forever, let's be realistic. Just for now or at least for the moment the next time it really erks you.

Go ahead, RISE ABOVE and DROP THE GLOVES!

HAIR COLOUR: Advise Needed

Occasionally when I am getting bored with "my look" I start to think about colouring my hair. I have even gone so far as to purchase permanent colour from the store - but have always chickened out and taken it back. I have A LOT of hair so doing permanent colour is a big commitment. I also worry about damaging my hair,making it more frizzy or having to colour the roots continuously while it grows out.

My personal solution to this dilemma is to take the semi-permanent route of Clairol Natural Instincts. I have used this colour several times over the past 5 or so years. I even used it before my wedding. I have tried various shades. Sometimes I am happy with the results and sometimes not. The thing about this hair colour system is that it has no ammonia and low peroxide - so ultimately it is supposed to be fairly gently on your hair. You can not really lighten your hair with it, but you can enhance your natural colour, go darker, or add certain hues, such as red.
I usually prefer an even colour and thus, my options are fairly limited because my hair is dark to begin with. I can not decide if my hair is medium or dark brown. I guess I try to call it medium because I have more colour options with medium. Clairol has a pretty good website that you can go to for shades and colour suggestions. I have also called the hotline many times:
1-800-252-4765

This is my hair "before". Is it medium or dark brown???

Today I am deciding on whether to go with:

#20 Hazelnut - neutral and should enhance medium brown hair
#18 Pecan - golden and should add golden tones to medium brown hair
#28 Nutmeg - neutral and should enhance dark brown hair

Any advise????

A Bright Star

A Bright Star

Keiandre Russel how sweet you are
Your Mommy and Daddy’s little shining star
As babies do you grew by the day
But on earth you were not meant to stay
Heaven had a need for your special soul
To fill a most important role
While the rest of us are trying to find our way
You’ll be up there watching day by day
And when the gentle wind blows
Or spring birds sing
When flowers bloom
When Christmas bells ring
When stars shine bright in the sky above
You’ll be remembered with pride and love
Your friends and family will be warmed in heart
To know you’re in heaven with a whole new start
So Keiandre please know this dear boy
Through years to come you will bring joy
For in just being you with all you are
You’ve touched many lives…
A shining star.

In loving memory of an angel. November 29, 2007

Toonie Tuesdays: Treasure Hunters

I have recently been feeling a little restless and have been splitting up my time between stroking off names on my Christmas list and shopping for extraordinary treasures at my favorite thrift spots. If this isn't your style, hopefully you won't think less of me - but really, how can it be a bad thing if I am able to find something like this incredibly cool castle for $1.99!?! Hours of play right here folks!!! Remember, I have two little boys. A good washing and disinfecting and suddenly it is time to play "The Green Night Vs. Tyrannosaurus Rex". I realized that with boys in the house there was no "princess" to be found, but I was able to dig up a plastic Dora that will do the trick for now. If anyone has a better substitute for us, we would gladly accept. We are going to need some female characters around or who on earth will be the "mommy"? Well, time to spend some TIME on the house cleaning.

Blessings,

Momami [Mom am I!]

A New Look for New Leaf Times

Well, I should start with a little "Note to Self"..."If you are thinking about playing around with your blog layout, make sure to save your current template on your computer's hard drive FIRST. Also, make sure you know which file you are saving it to."

I am often getting bored with my blog layout and that is usually about the time that I consider scrapping it all and starting an a new one. Today I spent a good chunk of time trying to think up new names for one of blogs. I also started playing around further with my template for New Leaf Times and could not recall if I saved my original format. I usually use the templates from Blogger, but then I customize the colours of background and text until I am happy with it. I also usually ad my own header picture. In the process of trying out a template from another provider, I got things kind of mixed up and it took me a while to get something back together that I am happy with (for now). Bare with me, I still have some page elements to straighten around.

I enjoy blogging, so I think that I will continue. If I have time, I will back track for this week and try to at least post something for Toonie Tuesdays (it is now Wednesday!).

For the moment, I have to go to attend to an infant who is just waking up and a rambunctious toddler who refused to nap and lots of extra energy - the crazy kind!

Question: Does anyone know how to add a signature to every post?

Turning Another New Leaf?

So, I am thinking about leaving NEW LEAF TIMES behind. Not sure what I will do for sure, but with my impending return to work I will have even less time for this type of stuff. What I would like to have is one blog for my own ramblings and one for family stuff. I don't think I am doing anyone any favours to continue posting about cookies and whatever else. I could just leave the blog address the same, but I am not sure that I want my new blogs to be advertised. If you have any thoughts or just want to say "farewell" to New Leaf Times, I would like to hear from you. I am also seeking input on layout. Two of my friends have blogs which I LOVE and I think the key is a simple, white background. Might make those changes also. Time will tell.

I do know that I am still very interested in expression through blogging and would especially like to document more family memories such as my annual work Christmas party and Ja1's first time on ice skates (below). He was so excited! He is two and a half years old.

Testing

http://www.finalsense.com/services/blog_templates/

The Kind of Day I Had

The kind of day I had was one where it seems like one bad thing happens after another. It started when my husband brought our youngest son into our room first thing in the am with a diaper that was too full....Ooops, a leak on our King size mattress that is only a few years old! Eak!

The next little issue that always seems bigger at the time was the fact that the boys would not go down to sleep at nap time. They fussed for a good hour before one finally dosed off and I caved with the other and put a movie on so he'd at least stay in his room for some "quiet time". Shortly thereafter I was shaking a big can of white paint so that I could touch up the train table when "cur plunk", I dropped it on the floor and it burst open! Luckily the paint was thick and most importantly, I was in the laundry room where the carpet can be thrown out!

Next, I went out to do some errands and get my husband a battery for his watch. I took the battery with me but what do you know, I lost it! Somewhere along the way I lost it! He doesn't know yet. I don't think he could handle this info at the moment.

Which leads me to the final scene - I got home a little later than I should have from my errands to find my husband battling with our oldest about getting into bed. Then he said "go look in our room". Our son had taken two different shades of marker and drew all over our exposed mattress...exposed because, if you recall, the morning accident (sheets and mattress cover are in the wash). What a day.

And now, before heading off to bed, I will thank God for each of the tribulations that I faced today. Why? Because these things are nothing, a ridiculous flash in the pan really - I mean, well, you'll understand...Prepare yourself...

Today my sister's best friends buried their infant son. He was due this week but did not make it into this world. His father carried his tiny casket and did not set it down for the entire service. I was not there but this is a visual that brings further heaviness to my sorrowful heart. I don't know why I am posting this or if I will leave it up - I do want to honour their baby boy angel. A shining star.

I wrote something for him but have not given it to them so I will not post it here. I just wanted to take time out to write because this is something that I have thought about constantly since I found out what happened, last week. It's like it is part of me. My prayers are for God's comfort for this family. My heart goes out to them...and now, probably, so does yours. I may write again, we'll see.

Prayers for comfort, strength and faith are appreciated.

MARRIAGE MONDAYS: Sin A Little

Okay, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth -- but other things have been keeping me busy and such is life in this important role as "mom of 2". I started Marriage Mondays because I wanted it to be a reminder to myself and to other parents about the importance of also keeping in touch with our partners.

There isn't any sin going on here at the moment - but I thought it was a cute title. What made me think of it was the bowl of Nestle Sundae that I was eating. Yummy and sinfully delicious! When I was at Zehrs earlier I had trouble choosing between Fudge Brownie and Caramel Pecan, so I didn't buy any...but my description of it must have been tempting because my husband went out to get it and it is yum yum in the tum. Won't last long around here.

Anyway, I'll try to post a more meaningful message for Marriage Mondays next week - so please do come back!

Until then..."LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH".

Pantry Picks: Simple Pleasures

I am posting quickly today to share a new kind of cookie bar that I found at the grocery store today. I was looking for snacks for our toddler and was going to get some arrowroots or teddygrams but then I came across these:

Simple Pleasures Baked Cookie Bars (by Dare)

These are cookie bars that are sold in 228g boxes (6 bars) and are low in sodium, contain no trans fats, are made with whole grain and are low in saturated fat. They also have a Health Check symbol in the top right corner from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Based on that and the fact that they were on sale for $1.99 plus another $1.00 off from an attached coupon,

I decided to give them a try.

I have opened an Oatmeal Cranberry cookie and they are okay. I think our son will go for them. The cookie is a large rectangle and is individually sealed. This is great for travel and at $1.00 for 6 bars,

they work for me (as long as they get eaten).

I was hoping for a softer cookie, which would be my personal complaint - but then again I was probably hoping they would taste just like the Oatmeal Raisin cookies in the bakery section. The Simple Pleasures bars contain 10g of sugar per serving (per bar). This is okay in my books. I have found that most snacks contain about 14g or more (except for cheerios and goldfish). They have 7g of fat per bar. Not great from a dieting standpoint, but they aren't for me. They do have 3g of fibre and are low in saturated fats, so that is why they get the Health Check symbol. Any little way to make healthier choices must be a good thing.

Note: The sale is on at Zehrs (Canada). Three varieties available and they are located in the cookie aisle.

Update: My toddler is eating 1/3 of the Oatmeal Cranberry bar. He doesn't have much to say about it but I think he likes it okay. We all know what would go over better, yummy-sweet treats that are just not a good option. Oh, he just asked for "more cookie bar", that's a good sign! Maybe a side of fruit to go with that?

10/26/07: Update - my son wants nothing to do with these cookies. Hopefully we'll have some company that will eat them.

MARRIAGE MONDAYS: Being Apart

The MARRIAGE MONDAYS topic today is "Being Apart". I am hoping that you will leave your comments with ideas on how you make a special connection with your partner when:
(1) They are about to go away
(2) They are away
(3) They return from being away
I am trying to post things that are relevant in my own life and marriage - and this one is TOP OF MIND today because my spouse is leaving tomorrow at 5:00am for 4 days, 3 nights away (for work). I am sorry to report that I did not act fast enough to do something really nice for him before he leaves -- we were really busy today and in retrospect, I should have taken more time. He is going away again next Monday, so perhaps I will do better then!
My suggestion for a spouse going away for just a little while or an extended period is to do something really nice before they leave so that you can both carry the positive energy from that during your time apart.
Another idea that I've had is to put a bag of their favorite treats (such as Lindt pumpkins available at Winners) in his suitcase or bag (secretly) with a loving note.
Anyway, I would not be doing what I should unless I got off the computer right now (or an hour ago) and went to spend some time with MY spouse, who is my #1 before he goes away!!!
Your comments and ideas are appreciated. Have a great week!

What I Am Reading: The Power of

[For Parents] Have you ever been almost paralyzed
by the fear of something happening to one of your children out in this big, unpredictable world that we live in? Do you believe in God's grace and desire for good things to happen in our lives and our families?
Perhaps you would enjoy reading this book which seems to be based on teaching or reminding us that we can do great things for our children and for ourselves by praying for them and then releasing our fears and trusting God.

I just started reading this book for a workshop
that I am involved in. I did not know
what to expect when I picked it up, but throughout
the first two chapters I was pleasantly surprised.
I can relate to the author.
From childhood to parenting, we have shared some
common experiences. She is effective in putting
thoughts and ideas to paper and I am interested in
reading further.

I have enjoyed reading that there is a way to
release or at least ease the sometimes heavy and
overwhelming load of motherly worries. We love our
kids so much that we can not bare the thought of any-
thing ever causing them pain or worry...

We can not shelter them from the world but
we can pray for their well-being.

If you have read this book, I would like to hear
what you thought of it.

These Dangerous Times: Lead in Toys

I guess that I have been pretty slow to respond when it comes to all of the recent announcements regarding toy recalls and lead paint. What seemed to get the most attention initially was the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys, and we did not have our train set yet, so it wasn't really an issue for us. Now that the recall list has drastically expanded, I just don't know exactly what to think! I can search through the lists and pictures of affected products, but what about all the toys we have from smaller companies or toys that are older and may not be on current lists?

If you have any suggestions on what you have done to address the recent recall situation
and toys in your own home, please let me know.
I would appreciate hearing from you.

Some links of interest:

Recent RC2 Thomas & Friends Recall:
http://recalls.rc2.com/recalls_Wood_0607.html

Fisher Price Recall Items:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07257.html

Original RC2 Thomas & Friends Lead Paint Recall:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07212.html

PHOTOHUNTERS: Original Photos

September Travel

I am posting some photographs from our recent trip to the east coast as part of the photohunters theme for this week, which is "original". Our trip was great and of course, we snapped many pictures with our Canon SLR. We are still learning how to get optimal performance out of this camera, so the beautiful landscapes of Nova Scotia were a perfect place to practise! Thank you for looking and please stop by again. I have lots of areas on my blog where I am seeking input from readers. Hope you enjoy!

09/30/07: Adding a few more pictures with Smilebox

Thanks for the interest.

Click to play Make your own Smilebox

My Ramblings: The Aging Thing

Well, who knew - it appears that I am not the only woman in
the world with aging on the mind! Now that I have been
thinking more about it and even blogging about it, I have
become very aware of how saturated the world actually is
with coverage of this topic. Rightfully so I guess, since the
world if full of people and every one of us is aging each and
every minute!

I went on line today to look up one of the Human Lab
products from Rachael Ray's show last week and I saw
that today's show will start with a segment on Aging and
Longevity. I definitely recommend checking out this
Ultra Longevity Quiz. My score was in the average
human range. I suppose this is a good thing.

Some of the things that were mentioned a helping to slow
the aging process included:

- getting good, restful sleep
- eating a multi-vitamin daily, before your largest meal
- stay away from cigarette smoke
- floss your teeth!
- not being angry or over anxious
- having a dog growing up!
- exercise to a sweat 3-4 times per week

You'll have to check out the Quiz. I recommend it. I missed
the episode of Rachael Ray, but perhaps it is available on
the website. I know these things sounds like common sense,
but sometimes we need a reminder.

The Road to Happiness: Declutter??!!

I am finally going to put it out there - my admission of my biggest
issue in my household...clutter! I have been avoiding this topic because
I did not have any hope in sight or any positive message to give you.
I have also avoided this topic because it brings me stress. I also try to only
post when I am ready to "practise what I preach".
Here goes (maybe)...

A friend was over today and she told me about Flylady.net
You can check it out yourself, but I can not paste any content into
my blog. I will tell you more about the site and the concepts
involved once I have had a chance to look at it more thoroughly.
I really never know WHEN I will have more time to look at
ANYTHING more thoroughly, so we'll see what happens.

Anyway, I do have a goal to get my house more organized
so that it is not such a stress for any of us that are in it! Let
me just say that my home is not dirty or piled to the ceiling with
magazines or collectibles or whatever. I keep it tidy and things get
done when I get around to doing them. We also have two kids under
3 (my excuse for everything these days!).

The first step in the FlyLady method is to SHINE YOUR SINK.
I am off to try it out.
Let me just tell you that I am totally nervous because
I don't know if I have what it takes to get in gear. I don't
even know for sure that I am willing to admit that there
is a problem here, but I guess it is too late for that!

I believe that releasing the clutter in our minds and our
homes would bring a much greater sense of peace with a
lot less stress. This can only be a positive and healthy thing
to consider...
to me it just seems like a scary road. I have lots of excuses for
things being the way they are and I like to hold on to things
"just in case". The biggest "just in case" is "just in case I DO
NEED that item someday!" Seems logical to me!

Anyway, time to go SHINE MY SINK. Wish me luck!

READER POLL: Blog Templates & Design

I am starting a new theme on my blog. It will be a serious of "can you help?"

questions where I will be hoping to get YOUR INPUT, EXPERTISE,

THOUGHTS and IDEAS on any of the topics posted. You can email your

responses or post them through the "comments" link. I look forward to

hearing from you!

BLOG DESIGN:

I have recently been inspired to change the colour scheme of New Leaf Times.
I am wondering if anyone out there has further suggestions for a reader-friendly
colour scheme, layout and overall design? I do not currently know how to
do a custom template. If you know where to get new and interesting templates
on the web, I would love to hear from you.

Question: Do you prefer reading blogs that have narrow columns
of print rather than wider, stretch display?

Question: What colours are most reader friendly for text and background in a blog?

Question: What font style and size is most reader-friendly for text and background in a blog?

Question: To RIGHT JUSTIFY OR NOT RIGHT JUSTIFY?

I would love to hear from you by email or through blogger comments. Thank you!!

The Joy Of Ice Cream

I felt like I owed it to every woman out there to tell you about this scrumptious new ice cream that has come into my life today! I have to admit that I have a major weakness for ice cream. It used to be chips - but then it turned into chocolate and then ice cream. I guess right now it is both chocolate AND ice cream, so I usually try to select ice cream that CONTAINS chocolate. I think you get my point. Anyway, today I felt like a change and was really excited to come across a selection of Real Dairy ice cream flavours that are 50% less fat! I have tried the reduced fat varieties by Chapmans and they are really good, so I was an easy sell. It was on sale at Zehrs at $3.99, so there was NO WAY that I could resist. Well, let me just tell you that this ice cream is fabulous! Very smooth, creamy, yummy! Lots of butterscotch flavour and only 3g of fat per 1/2 cup. This is almost unheard of! Compare other varieties or regular ice cream and you are probably looking at 8-9g of fat for the same serving! Think it doesn't matter or it's all the same? I previously used Oprah's tip on satisfying your chocolate craving with the low fat chocolate fudge pops and it worked GREAT for me! The episode I am referring to probably aired around November 2005. Maybe a little sooner, maybe a little later. There were a few tips such as being strict about not eating after a certain time in the evening. I used a few of the helpful tidbits provide to shed a few extra pounds of baby weight -- around 9 months post-partum. Anyway, I am not into extremes when it comes to dieting. I am pretty much thrilled if I can substitute my regular ice cream for 50% less fat and all the flavour! I would love to hear from you with your favorite fat reduced sensational snack idea. To find out what flavour you would be if you were ice cream, click here or here or here. Just for fun.

My rating for Real Dairy Butterscotch Ripple Ice Cream is a 10/10!

MARRIAGE MONDAYS: Shift the Mood

I do hope that there will come a time when I can actually post for Marriage Mondays and Toonie Tuesdays on their respective days - but I can not predict when that might actually be. The fact of the matter is that I am just really busy right now with things that take priority...

[I can tell you, however, that I do recognize that there is a positive side to blogging as a creative outlet as long as it is in balance with other commitments.]

Anyway, this is going to be short and sweet. My husband and children and I are on vacation on the East Coast. [ BTW: It isn't REALLY a vacation, my husband is working 9-5 while we are here.] At the beginning of the trip we started out pretty strong and with good intentions, but by the end of the first weekend away (and after a full day on the road heading to a weekend get-a-way destination on the Cabot Trail) we were starting to get irritable with each other. The disconnection I felt was the irritable, hard to please, knot in the gut that makes me feel and act miserably. Not nice.

If there was going to be any hope of enjoying the beautiful setting (cabin by the Ocean) together and as a family, I knew I had to shift the mood and for some reason I just randomly and totally out of the blue just asked a question:

"What do you like about marriage?"

The answers were a totally refreshing lift for my mood - especially when my husband said that "having a best friend that you can count on" was one of the big pluses of marriage. How could I not feel the love again?

So, there you go...it worked for me - so my suggestion for Marriage Monday is to recognize when the mood in your relationship is probably due more to external factors than to the actual chemistry between the two of you...and then do something to shift and lift the mood.

a kiss

a nice dinner

a hug

a touch

a glance

a note

a question (something positive or at least something that will open up the communication between you)

"How are you feeling?"

"How have you been handling ___________________?"

"What would be your #1 favorite choice for dinner tonight?"

"What makes you happiest?"

In my experience, the sooner you do something, the easier it is to get out of the rut. It is so easy to let resentment set the tone but we all know that this results in negative outcomes for everyone involved. I am also starting to recognize that this is an ongoing process. There will always be ups and downs. It doesn't mean that your marriage isn't strong.

I recently read something where the author commented that as women we are often our own worst enemies with what she called "catastrophic thinking". Our ability to take a minor argument or period of disconnection and within our thoughts turn it into the beginning of the end! How true! Maybe not for every women, but I think a lot of us do it. If you are one of those women as well, it might help you to put this into perspective and realize that it is a pattern of thought, not an actual reality. It may also help to know that it isn't all about YOU -- it might just be another one of those "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" things. Blame it on hormones or genetics or whatever. We're just different. I'm not saying that because we might be more predispositioned to this that it is our doom or destiny and can not be changed. On the contrary, I think that with understanding comes hope. Womanhood is worth celebrating. Stay positive!

The message here is that you do you have the power to shift negative energy in within yourself and within your marriage. It isn't always easy to make the choice or make the effort - but it feels good once you do it.

Anyway, time to shift the focus right now and get off the computer! Best wishes to all!!!

INVESTIGATION: Skin Deep

I guess it has been over the past few years now that I have really started to spend more time pondering the concept of aging and what it means in my life. I don't mean aging in the sense of life accomplishments or mortality or any of that - I mean the good old vanity issues regarding getting older.

I have often considered blogging on this topic in the past, but have really never tackled the issue. I suppose that I wasn't exactly sure what to write about or if it would be at all remotely useful or wise to post about the things that I am most self conscious of. Would doing so make me look vain? Would I expose too much of myself? What would people think? Well, today is a new day and I am expecting that most of the people who end up reading this blog are probably already pretty familiar with the sorts of thoughts and topics that I am going to write about. Perhaps it will be another common thread that binds us?

Truth be told, there was a time when I actually didn't think that aging would really phase me too much at all. Not that I wouldn't age, but that I wouldn't be bothered by it. I guess that was before I actually started seeing the signs! Oh, the naivety of youth - so perfectly innocent! Anyway, I am in my early-mid thirties (okay, I am 33) and I have two children under 3. This will give you some perspective on where I am coming from. I'm at that point where the physical signs of aging are sprouting up in conjunction with the fatigue of being a mom of young children. It's almost like the two are collaborating and conspiring to do I don't know what...but the bottom line is that I am experiencing signs of aging and most of the time I am just too tired or too preoccupied to do anything about it.

Looking back, it sure has been a roller coaster for my mind and body. Pregnancies, weight gain, weight loss, hormones, fatigue, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, lack of proper diet...the list goes on. I just had a funny concept come to mind: could it be possible that women who choose not to have children actually age slower or more gracefully than their counterparts who are mommies? Perhaps they do, perhaps they don't...I'm not sure. I do tend to think that they would at least have more time to care for themselves! This tends to appear as a luxury in my life - or maybe that is an excuse. Us moms should take better care of ourselves, shouldn't we?!

Anyway, enter the concept of my investigation blog. It seemed remarkably coincidental (or was it the Law of Attraction?) that in very short order after deciding on this article topic today, that two things turned up on television that were connected.

(1) A commercial for ProActiv with testimonies from Jennifer Love Hewitt, Puff Daddy (Sean Combs), Jessica Simpson and Vanessa Williams. What got me about this advertisement campaign was that I could not understand why celebrities such as Vanessa Williams or Sean Combs would actually do a commercial for a product like this unless they truly cared about getting the message out to people who are are affected emotionally and socially by acne. Am I being naive? Would they do it for money? I can see a razor commercial (I am thinking about Tiger Woods) or running shoes or whatever. Okay, I just looked up the Gillette thing with Tiger Woods and it has been speculated that the three athletes involved could be getting a total of $10 - $20 million for the gig -

So maybe P.Diddy DID do it for money --- anyway, my initial thought was that they must care about the message, so it must be true so I SHOULD try to do a Human Lab investigation on ProActiv solution. I doubt that I will ever be able to bring myself to pay full price, so maybe I will find a deal or discount. Hopefully it won't be Nair or something in a ProActiv bottle!

Anyway, I don't have a major acne problem, but I am 33 and it does rear it's ugly head from time to time. Also, acne seems to mark my skin worse that it did when I was younger (and seemingly MUCH more resilient). Wow, back in the day -- I sure would have never guessed that P.Diddy would be selling me on acne solution in my thirties!

In all actuality, it was Jennifer Love Hewitt who kind of sold me on the idea because she didn't claim to have major problems with her skin, but said that she liked the glow that she got from using ProActiv. One of my biggest complaints and concerns with my skin is that it is dull. I sometimes feel 33 going on 53. Seriously. Not that there is anything wrong with 53! There are probably LOTS of 53 year old women that look and feel more polished and refreshed than I do! That is NO understatement. I call them the "City Line" women. Have you seen that show? I am getting off topic - but the City Line women are older, polished, fashionable and fabulous!

(2) An episode of Rachael Ray (and I have never tuned in to this show before with a segment on Human Lab experiments of three potential age defying products. The aging topics being tackled were "cellulite", "wrinkles" and "sagging". Wowzers. The wrinkles one is what caught my attention. They were talking about handheld electrostimulators for your face and skin. This was interesting to me because I have often passed the Neutregena one that is one sale in stores here and wondered if it would actually be worth the investment. What was interesting on Rachel Ray was that they noted that Dove has come out with a much cheaper version of this product (Dove SkinVitalizer) that is not exactly the same but may show positive results. If I can find it in Canadian stores, I think I will give it a try. If I do, I will be happy to update you regarding the results of my own Human Lab experiment.

Well, I'm getting tired. I have not blogged this much in a while. Where do I go from here with my investigations? Well, I hope to try one or two of the products featured on Rachel Ray and perhaps try some ProActiv. I would also like do try some home teeth whiteners, but I really don't want to waste my money. Does anyone have any advice to give? Tune in again for updates from my Age Defying Investigation series...

PS: On a final note, I can't help but tell you that today's FEEL GOOD song is Justin Timberlake, Sexy Back. Maybe it is because he was on Oprah today (I only caught the last few minutes) - I don't know, the beat is just stuck in my head today. My family was also affected, considering that I was bouncing my 7 month old on my lap to the tune of sexy back! ["...is bring sexy back, those other boys don't know how to act..."]

On that note, it was just on the television AGAIN - just to reinforce it in my brain. Some commercial that included a snipet of the song. I guess I'd better check if there is a video on Yahoo Music and post you the link!

Justin Timberlake music videos on Yahoo

http://www.youtube.com/v/q1oWFGRS5e0">%20name="wmode"%20value="transparent">http://www.youtube.com/v/q1oWFGRS5e0"%20type="application/x-shockwave-flash"%20wmode="transparent"%20width="425"%20height="350">

TOONIE TUESDAYS: Back To School

I have missed out on posting a few times for Toonie Tuesdays, so I am doing some catch-up, even though it is Thurday! Please feel free to submit your own comments or suggestions for Toonie Tuesdays by clicking on "comments" or by sending me an email. I would be glad to share your experiences, thoughts and ideas with other interested readers

BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING: CLOTHES

Back to school in our household is really only "back to playschool"- but I thought that I would post about it anyway since all of us with children are constantly buying clothes in the next size up, especially when it comes time to think about "back to school".

I suppose that things get more complicated as children get older, but with little ones, it is pretty straight forward: they need clothing and we still get to pick it out (and purchase it), for the most part, anyway. For this article I have some thoughts on buying affordable clothing.

1) Buy off season. Check out Sears, Zellers or any clothing store near the end of the season and you will undoubtedly find an abundance of clothing reduced to clear. This is really the only time that I buy new clothes unless we see something that we really like or come across other sales throughout the year. Off season purchases are often sale prices with an extra percentage off of the lowest ticketed price. This usually means substantial savings for clothes that are still current and trendy because the styles are less than a year old. Check out the stores RIGHT NOW and you MIGHT find a few summer items left at good clearance prices. Sears is great for this (Canada). I find this to be especially true for bigger ticket items such as snowsuits. If you can guess what size your child will be wearing, the end of season the winter prior is definitely the time to buy.

2) The above suggestions for off-season buying are also handy when shopping at children's consignments stores. Consignment stores often have agreement with their clients to clear out items at reduced prices at the end of the season. I have seen nice infant bunting bags and children's snowsuits at rock bottom prices at the end of the winter. I suggest looking in the yellow pages or checking online for your local consignment shops. Who knows, maybe you have some things that you want to take in to sell while you are at it?
Note: Consignment stores vary in the percentage of sale dollars that they will give you when your items sell. You may also want to look into other fine print regarding unsold items. In Canada, Once Upon A Child is a favorite for some parents because you can get cash at the door when you bring in your items (they will choose what they want and tell you what they are willing to pay). You may want to try your local free online classifieds because you may get a better dollar than consignment. It all depends on how much work you want to do and what you are willing to take for your items.

3) Thrift shops, thrift shops, thrift shops! I can't stress enough how well you can do with picking up good quality used children's clothing at thrift shops. Locally, we have Value Village, St.Vincent de Paul, Goodwill and the Salvation Army. All have their ups and downs - so you will have to ask around or better yet, check out your local stores for yourself.

Watch for specials such as Value Village's 50% off days!!! Go early to get the lowest prices on a large selection of items including winter gear, all clothing, shoes, hats, crib bumpers, bedding and much more. One thing I want to mention is my own skepticism regarding Value Village and the overall perception that many of us may have that they are a non-profit organization. Value Village is not a non-profit organization and I decided to email them to find out more about their contributions to the community organizations that they do work with. I received this email from them:

["We have contracts with over 125 non profit organizations. In those contracts, we agree on a bulk payment rate. The non profit solicits the merchandise, picks it up and delivers it to the store. Donors also bring merchandise into the store as a donation. The non profit is paid for donations whether they are delivered by the non profit or dropped off at our store. When the rates are negotiated, we work with the non profit to assure their costs associated with obtaining the merchandise are covered and that enough residual is figured into the price for funding of their very important community programs."
Customer Care for Savers, Value Village ( Washington , Oregon , Alaska and Canada ) and Village des Valeurs in Quebec]

I have to admit that having this further bit of understanding does make me feel a little better about dropping off donations to them - though I probably won't do it. I prefer to donate to non-profits and especially places that give away the goods to people in need (for free). There are a couple of places in my town that do this and it makes me feel good to know that donations go directly to the people who need them. Having said that, I know of some of the organizations that do get money for goods from Value Village, and it is their major funding source and therefore, very important. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind being the consumer at these places, I just think others should be aware that for example, your shopping dollars are not going to community organizations when you buy at Value Village - Having said that, many thrift stores such as Bibles for Missions, Salvation Army, Goodwill and St.Vincent de Paul PROBABLY give a great deal of your money to community organizations and people in need. I can not be sure of their bottom line because I have not asked them individually or done any research.

I could go on and on but I won't. My suggestion is to do your own investigation (or simply ask a few questions) before assuming that your money or donations are going where you think you are. You should always feel free to ask how your contributions will be used, what the overhead or administrative costs of the organization are or any other questions that come to mind.

Back to thrift shopping - you can also watch for "fill a bag" days...this is major value for the buck! St.Vincent de Paul is a store that does this occasional (in some communities). I have also frequently seen this concept on Diva for a Dime. See, it is OKAY to shop this way - you might even find a diamond in the rough and get a great deal on some great fashion items. Personally, it is usually just practical items or even Halloween costume articles that I am searching for when I go poking around in thrift shops or consignment stores.

FREE IPOD: This Looks Interesting

http://ipods.freepay.com/?r=39925735

I don't usually take a second glance at this kind of stuff - but I have been interested in Ipods lately and so this did catch my eye:

The offer is for your choice from a selection of Ipods and Nanos. To get the free device you have to do two things...(1) click on a partner offer and (2) have 5 friends also join. The interesting part is that the partner offers are not really asking you for much. The one that I decided to try is:

["Get Three Nick Jr. Books for Free! Order now and get 3 free storybooks, a free backpack, free Parents Guide and free PlayPages along with a trial storybook, The Brightest Star, for just $6.99! Introductory shipping is free!" ]

With this offer, you just join and they send you the first three books plus the backpack - then they charge you $6.99 (refundable within 7 days) for the next book. You can cancel anytime. Seems easy enough! I will keep you posted! In the meantime - feel free to check it out at:

http://ipods.freepay.com/?r=39925735

***One more thing - it seems that you can start by signing-up with and email and password - then check it out and start telling friends before you even go ahead and click on a partner offer. This gives you a chance to look into it further. Also, it will notify you if someone signs up. You have 90 days to complete if you want to get the Ipod for free.

Product Review: Daenyx MP-700 Portable DVD

If time is money, I am in trouble yet again! I am writing this product review on here because this item is not yet listed in Epinions or any other product review site that I have found. Actually, when I was researching portable DVD players the last while, I had trouble finding information specific to electronics available in Canada. If anyone knows of a Canada-based product review site, I would like to hear about it.

The story of the portable DVD player saga goes as follows: First I purchased a portable DVD player from a guy on Kijiji classifieds. It was supposed to be multi-functional and top of the line. He came over, I paid, he left, the machine failed to function properly. When I couldn't reach him immediately by email, I thought I had been scammed. To my releif, he did get back to me and kindly came over to refund my money. The same day, a family friend surprised us with a visit and a gift. A portable DVD from Walmart! Yippie. It was the black Venturer that was available there. The catch for me was that we didn't have a receipt. I wanted to have a receipt for the warranty because I know that these things can go at any time. I decided to return it to Walmart for a gift card and look around at a couple different models.

BIG MISTAKE

I started out with the Citizen from Zehrs which was about $90.00 + tax. Read bad reviews and decided not to keep it. I also didn't like that the DVD cover is held down by a tiny clip. I can just see that being the first thing to break and then us having to use a piece of tape to keep it closed!

I then started doing some research but didn't come up with much. Back to Walmart I went, but they were all sold out of black Venturer DVD players. The good news was that the model I liked was on sale. I bought the pink one with hopes of exchanging it for black at another store or when they were re-stocked. I called a few stores and was given different prices and different information about the item being replenished. Most said that it would "for sure" be replenished "any day now". Finally an employee told me that the items was a limited time offer and would no longer be on the shelves. Ahhhh. I spoke to a manager who confirmed this. What next? I emailed the distributor to find out if there were other stores carrying the machine. By now I was obsessed and felt that this was the best bang for my buck and therefore worth the search.
Didn't hear back from Walmart or Venturer or anyone -

In the meantime, I was getting anxious to settle on one that we liked because we have a couple of long drives coming up and an airplane trip to Nova Scotia in mid-September. I had been to Zehrs (two locations) and looked at a portable DVD for $100.00 called an Astar PD8800. I found pretty good reviews but someone did mention the sound output being low. I checked out the player for myself really felt that it seemed cheap and probably too sensitive for our young family needs. The DVD cover was plastic and flimsy and if you touched the top of it the disc skipped or went back to start.

I asked people online about advice on places to go for a good value and a good machine - but didn't get too much response other than the usual, Walmart - Zellers, etc. I checked out Toys R Us, Canadian Tire and other stores on line - but came up with nothing. I did find out that a store called Factory Direct carries machines for as low as $39.00. They are refurbished and my husband did not want to go there - so we passed on that one. The warranty would be 30-90 days from that store.

Last resort was the Daenyx model from Zehrs which has many features that I like and only a couple that I don't.

Good features

- Battery is built in

- Can also hook up to your tv and be used as a regular dvd player solid design

- 7" screen (though we did consider a bigger screen or a two-screen unit)

- DVD case is sold and not held down by a clip

- Volume goes 1-16 and is okay, though still not very loud

- Has a jack for earphones (we will use on the airplane)

- Black inside (husband prefers this to the pink Venturer that is yet to go back)

- Has a ONE YEAR over the counter warranty from Zehrs! (Venturer manufacturer warranty says 90 days)

- Picture seems good

- Came with a remote, earphones, various wires, car adapter and regular outlet plug (which also charges the machine)

- with a carrying case that we can use as a spare or sell (I bought a Case Logic case on Ebay because I could not find them for less than $25.00 anywhere)

Features I would change:

• Machine itself does not have buttons to fast forward or rewind the scenes on a movie (you have to use the remote)
• Silver outer design looks like it will scratch easily
• That's it so far!
  

Cost: $90.00 + gst (sale). The same price as the one that was originally given to us - so it is essentially the same gift with a bunch of hassle in the middle that I brought on because I wanted to check out different brands. I can report that they are not all the same and that it is good to have a bit of exposure to different ones before spending the money. Epinions is great, but as mentioned, does not review all Canadian brands or models.

So far I give this DVD player an 8/10