Another Dream

To add to the list of things I'd like to learn how to do......

How amazing is she?

I could seriously see myself enjoying hula hooping as much as I enjoy bellydancing and zumba.  Now, to get myself a hoop and find someone to teach me how....

Hey, remember when we used to want to live here?

Long before we ever thought of leaving the city, we used to joke about living up here.  My dad had a vacation chalet here, and before we had T we came up for one last trip away as a couple.  I was 7mos pregnant and we stayed for a week, it was the most lovely holiday ever.  The weather was amazing, and we enjoyed every minute.  One day while we were driving along the waterside and I was gazing out over the bay, I sighed and said, "I could live here". 

Here we are.

So many times the views out here take my breath away and I sigh once again and say to myself, "Yep, I live here".  It's so amazing.

Of course anyone who has been reading my blog (Hello, are you out there?) may remember that I hated it here for a good year at least and wanted nothing more than to pack up and go home.  Not anymore.  Nope, no way.  You couldn't pay me to go back.

You know what I am really loving though?  Yes, I love the bay, and the trees, and the fresh air, and the fact that a million fun things are just waiting for us around every corner.  But what I really love is the community.  I know more people and have more friends now, here in this small-ish place, then I ever hoped to have in the big city with it's massive population.  There, where there are over a million people, I felt so alone.  Here, I never feel alone.  There is always somewhere to go and someone to hang out with.  Even if I just run out on some errands I usually see a familiar face.  I love it.

Another thing I love about this place is how health and environmentally conscious everyone here is.  People here CARE, they care about their health and their care about the state of the environment in which they live in.

I love that there is almost no traffic, and even in 'rush hour' it only takes me 10mins to get anywhere.  When I think about how much of life is wasted sitting in traffic back in the GTA, that alone is enough to make me happy that I call this place home.

Hey hon, remember when we used to joke about living here?  I never believed it at the time.  We are so very lucky.

Life is still pretty good.

Exercise

F's swimming lesson was cancelled this morning so I decided to squeeze in another spin class this week.  I already went to my normal Monday class, but I'm loving it so much that I didn't have to convince myself to go again today.  The energy is so great and it leaves me feeling so amazing.  When I am there my muscles are burning and all I can think about is it being over, but when I am not there I just want to be there.

On Mondays the instructor is amazing.  She has the most addictive energy, I can't help but smile through her classes.  She wasn't there this week though as she is in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii this weekend.  How amazing is that?  Go Claudia go!  Today's instructor was great too though.  She had a good energy too and I really enjoyed her class.

I like to see all the different people who turn out to spin class.  I used to avoid trying it, because I was worried about looking like such an amateur.  I figured the only people who did that class were hardcore cyclists, and that I'd totally look out of place though.  I was wrong, spin class is great for everyone, and I am in constant awe of the different people who join me there, of all shapes, sizes, ages, and fitness levels.

Like the guy in the back corner, a little overweight and not looking like someone who exercises, trucking along trying to keep up.  I'm so glad that he comes.  Or the lady who is almost 8mos pregnant who is always there, giving it her all and keeping up with the rest of us.  What an inspiration, I hope I can still keep up when I'm 8mos pregnant next time around!  Or the woman in front of me, who bobs her head back and forth to the music throughout the whole class, I don't even think she knows she's doing it.  I like watching her rhythmic bobbing, it looks like she is in the her zone.  I see other moms in there, people training for races, elderly people just trying to stay fit.  It's such a great mix of people.  I like to park myself at the back of the class and watch them all (plus no one has to watch my slow butt when I'm back there!).

It's fun to have this common ground with all these people I don't know.  I am there to stay fit and feel good.  Some of them are there for the same reasons, some are their to get in shape, and others are there to maintain their shape as they train for bigger things. 

There is something so motivating about being there with all those other people, and listening to the music.  Music is very motivating.  It gets me going, makes me feel good, and pushes me to work harder.

I'm still pretty novice in there, but I work at my own pace and keep up pretty well.  I'm glad I got to go a second time this week, and I plan on going again early Friday morning with Hillary.

I've made a commitment to get more exercise in.  I've been doing great with my 4 classes a week, but I think I need more.  I don't feel like I need to lose weight, but I'm still not looking how I want to be looking despite my current efforts.  So I've added a 20-20-20 class to my weekly routine, and will have to see where else I can fit stuff in.  I'd like to do one more spinning class at some point, just have to figure out when. 

I would love to get more yoga in too.  I really like Matt's yoga classes on Tuesdays and Fridays, but I wish there was another evening one.  I know there are some on Mondays and Wednesdays, but they are at 7pm which is too early for me because I have to get the kids in bed. 

Anyways, now I'm just going on about it with no real point left.  I love exercise, I guess that's my point.  I can't believe how many years I wasted sitting around and not doing anything.  Even when I was bellydancing several times a week, I thought that was sufficient but now I know that it wasn't.  If only I knew how much fun and exhilarating it is.

Oh well, at least I know now!

Becoming an Ecoholic

I am currently reading Ecoholic by Adria Vasil.  Actually I had been eyeing it for awhile, but was reluctant to pick it up because in a way I wanted to stay ignorant.  Not that I want to be horrible to the environment, just that I was worried if I read it I would feel so guilty and hopeless to do much about it.  I couldn't avoid it anymore though as it was staring me in the face, sitting on the shelf in my chiropractor's lending library, so finally I brought it home.

The book is definitely an eye opener to the ways in which everyday products and services are destroying our world.  I'm not going to give you the run down here, if you really want to know go read the book (and I suggest you do).

But actually what I was most surprised about was how our lifestyle, with minimal effort, is actually not that bad when it comes to our ecological footprint.  Ok, it's not nearly as good as it should be, but I think compared to most people we are actually living fairly green without even trying.  We tend to be minimalists by nature, not really spending that much time or money on products in general.  We're not huge consumers, usually accepting used items from friends and family members and only really buying new clothes when absolutely necessary.  Granted a lot of this is because we've never had enough money to justify spending it on material items.  Still, we're not overly fussed about decorating our house or buying all the latest technology.

Since starting reading Ecoholic, I have never been so happy to be, well, me!  In the past I would feel kind of sad that it seemed everyone else had nicer things than me.  It felt like everyone I knew had fancy decor and furniture, the newest gadgets including iPhones, iPads, Nintendo Wii, big screen tvs, fancy computers, nice cars, designer clothes.  Everything shiny and new, and expensive. 

Now, knowing what I know from the book I am so thankful we are how we are.  It means that we've spent substantially less money supporting companies who are ruining the earth. 

After reading the first section on beauty products and how harmful they are not only to the environment, but also ourselves, I realized how few I use.  I almost never wear makeup, maybe a bit of powder if my skin looks like crap and the whole get up I do maybe once a month, if that.  I'm not a sucker for fancy creams, I don't use deodorant (and I'm pretty sure I don't stink), and I pretty much use the bare minimum of everything else.  I do like to use nice skin care, but have realized that it doesn't have to be expensive and have been trying to use only natural products.  I'm slowly changing all our beauty care products over to only all natural stuff.

One big department though that I know I have to make changes in is clothing.  It's easy to ignore the terrible practices involved in the making of cheap clothing.  Unfortunately my thoughts when needing new clothes have always been "How much cheap stuff can I get for x amount of money?".  Now I know I should be spending it more wisely, maybe only buying one or two quality fair-trade items at a time rather than as much crappy stuff as I can afford.  And it makes sense really, because every time I buy cheap clothes  realize they are so poorly made they don't fit right anyway, and they just fall apart quicker.  For the boys thankfully we have relied almost entirely on second hand clothes from my cousins who have two boys, so I know at least the clothes are getting good use and we're not spending money buying more of them.

I've only read about beauty products and clothes so far, and am currently in the health care section (and again happy that we are not pill poppers who rely on medications, prescription or OTC, rather we focus on making our bodies healthy so they can fight off illness on their own).  There are still many sections to cover still, and I know I will learn much more about how to live green, especially in other areas like cleaning (I already don't use commercial cleaners, just water and vinegar, but am looking forward to more tips), technology, and of course food.

Ok, so if we had ever been in the position to spend a lot of money on nice things, I'm sure we would have.  But now at least, if we ever can afford more 'stuff', I will know what to look for and which companies I should be supporting.

Now I feel proud that we don't have nice things or care about the newest trends!

I'm really glad I've picked up this book.  I've only made a dent in it so far, but I'm learning so much already and feel not only more enlightened, but proud of ourselves for have already making good headway in the living green department.  Of course, there is always room for improvement!

The Day Has Arrived

30!!!

How do I feel today?  I feel great.  I feel happy, healthy, and young at heart.  I've made my peace with today.  Sorry 30, you're not gonna get me down!

10 more years until the next big scare.  I can handle that.

ETA:  It is now the end of the day and I have had the best birthday ever.  All my boys made it very special for me.  I got treated to a 1.5hr massage this afternoon followed by a gourmet dinner cooked by my wonderful husband.  After that there was ice cream cake, yum!  And, a small little box with some gorgeous white gold earrings.  A little while ago I told Tyler that I wanted some more earrings and, he listened.  They're just gorgeous, simple enough to wear every day and yet glamourous enough for a night out.  I'm such a lucky lady!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Tyler is usually the maker of pancakes in our house.  I can only recall making them once before, though they did turn out well.  The official pancake maker is away this weekend, and I have been wanting to make a batch for freezing for some time, so I figured I'd give it another go.  We have a really great buttermilk pancake recipe from Tyler's mom that we have used in the past, though we are constantly trying to tweak it so that we can use more wholesome ingredients.  Today was no exception.  After having already decided I was making them (and telling T about it, so there was no going back), I realized that we didn't have any buttermilk or yogurt (the latter being what we usually use in place of buttermilk).  With a little creativity though I was able to whip up some super yummy, healthy blueberry pancakes using whole wheat flour instead of the traditional white stuff, and agave instead of sugar.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes - recipe makes about 2 dozen pancakes

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3 eggs

3 tbsp light agave nectar

3 1/2 cups buttermilk OR plain yogurt (or in today's case I used 1 cup ricotta cheese and about 2 1/2 cups milk)

3 tbsp melted butter

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Sift together dry ingredients.  Beat eggs in a separate bowl then add agave, buttermilk/yogurt, and melted butter.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix, then add blueberries.  Use 1/4 cup batter per pancake and cook on a hot, lightly oiled skillet about 3-4mins per side or until golden brown and cooked all the way through.

I like to freeze them wrapped in 4's for a quick breakfast throughout the week.

Fall Schedule

Fall is knocking on our door and brings with it lots of changes.  Tyler is wrapping up his position at the Landmark Group and getting ready to jump into a new life working with his parents on starting their farm.  T is still adjusting to mornings at school and is definitely experiencing some effects of his new routine.  F and I are trying to adjust too to mornings where we have to be out the door earlier.

I love fall, and I love how the dynamics of life seem to change at this time of year.  Kids go back to school, and all of a sudden it becomes apparent that the lazy days of summer are gone.  Vacationers are home, and everything just seems busier.  People are back at the Y working out, and classes are filling up.  Some of my exercise classes that only had 3 or 4 people in them during the summer now have closer to 20. 

T is still doing well at school.  He is excited to go in the mornings and he is enjoying himself while he is there.  I am so thankful that he likes it and does not get upset about having to go.  I know we are extremely lucky in that respect, as most kids would probably cry during their first week, or even longer.  When I drop him off he still goes off to join the other kids happily.  He gives me a kiss and off he goes, and when I pick him up he yells "Hi Mommy, you're back!!"  I'm so happy that he is enjoying it.

But we are still noticing the effect it is having on him overall.  Sleep is still a little tricky, and his sleep window is harder to find.  Last night he resisted going to bed for over an hour, something that is unheard of for him.  Sometimes his behvaviour is a little off too, and he will do things to get our attention.  I know that he just needs more attention from us during this time, and the right kind of attention too.  I think I need to pay close attention to his naps as well, it seems to be a fine line between letting him nap enough so that he's not too tired and letting him nap too much and he is not tired enough for bed.  He is not ready to drop his nap yet, especially after starting school, but I think that time is getting closer.  I'm trying hard not to get discouraged when we have some particularly bad behaviour from him, or when he gives us some trouble at bedtime, because I know that kind of stuff is to be expected after starting school and that overall he is actually doing brilliantly.

F is still very much enjoying his time with me.  He is happy and smiley all the time, and he is sleeping well too.  This morning was his first morning at the Y childminder's without T with him, and he did well.  He was upset and cried as usual, but settled down and was fine when I picked him up.  I still wouldn't say he enjoys being there, but he doesn't cry the whole time.  He knows I will be back for him and is so happy when I return.  After I picked him up we went to active tots and he had so much fun.  Again he seems so much more confident now that it is just me and him, and will run around and try new things.  He loves kicking and throwing the balls around.

This is Tyler's last week at the Landmark Group before he embarks on new adventures.  He is so excited to get out and do something different.  I know he is really looking forward to doing some hands on type of work on the farm.  He will also work on starting his small free-lance design business as well.  After this week it will be interesting to see how our routine changes again, once he starts working elsewhere.

I am still missing having T around, but also enjoying my time with F.  It is definitely busier for me having to get them out the door to get T to school, but it means that we have more time in the mornings to do other things before picking him up again.  Sometimes F and I go to the Y, other times the EYC.  He starts swimming classes this week which will be fun for us.  We have been very social, meeting with friends most mornings and some afternoons too.

I have kicked my exercise routine into high gear these past few weeks and am now doing both spinning and yoga twice a week, in addition to cardio on Saturdays.  Actually last week I even did yoga 3 times.  I have stopped going to pilates though as the time was just too inconvenient.  Amazingly Hillary and I have been getting up at 5:30am to do spinning and yoga on Friday mornings.  Even though I had a cold all last week I still made it to all my classes, exercise makes me feel so much better.  I love it, maybe I can even start going more often.

We also have some fun afternoon stuff planned for T as well.  I think this afternoon I am going to take him to all sport at the Y to see what he thinks about it.  He needs more physical activity in the afternoons.  On Thursday he has something called creating balance, and on Saturday he has rhythmic gymnastics.

I've been hanging out with all my new friends a lot too which has been fantastic for me.  It's so great to be social and it sounds like we're developing some really good friendships.  We even went out and hit the town on Saturday night which was so much fun.  We started at Corrina's house, then we to the Village where we checked out several different bars and had a great time dancing the night away.  It felt really good to get out of the house and have fun with the girls.

We've got all sorts of fun stuff planned for September and October.  My birthday is in a few weeks and hopefully Tyler has something planned for me.  On Thanksgiving weekend we'll visit with all our family, and we also have a birthday party to go to.  Later in October we've planned to go to Round's Ranch and get pumpkins with a bunch of other families which should be lots of fun, and then the week after it will be Halloween.  I still haven't figured out what to dress the boys up as.

So this has been a bit of an all around catch up post I suppose.  We're headed into fall and looking forward to a change of pace.  The fall weather seems to have come early, but hopefully that means winter won't be early too, there's still so much we want to do before the snow flies!