Emma Accessorized Gavin!

Friends of ours went on a cruise and then spent two days in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

They brought back beads for Em!

Em decided Gavin looked good in beads and high heals...for some reason Troy didn't concur. ;-)

I think he looks smashing!

Cellular Phones

Being on the hunt for a new cell phone (we have one from, GOSH, 2000!), I have been researching then and came across Cingular, who at this moment, having a SALE (which ends on Thursday at midnight)!

I have to say I'm not overly technologically inclined, but I am very interested in the Blackberries. Not only can you use them as a cell, but you can send emails as well, not to mention being able to view documents and the like and play games as well. I really feel it’s the all around perfect business tool.

But being a lowly stay at home mom, what do I need with an all around perfect business tool? Who cares! I just want one. Honey, Easter is coming up as is my birthday and Christmas! ;-)

There are all kinds of other cells phones out there, not to mention wireless providers and carriers, so who to choose? I stumbled upon Cell Phones Etc. and really found the information there rather helpful. The reviews aren't all 10/10, which I like to see, because lets face it, some are bound to be no good-ola. As a plus this site also has reviews on cell plans and cell gadgets, not to mention a forum where you can discuss and get solid thoughts on all things cellular, phones that is.

So if you, like me, are completely out of your element (I mean lets be honest, I only just became an owner of an MP3 player) when it comes to technological gobbly-goop (why can't they speak English?), check out the site above. Do yourself a favour though; get informed by people who have used the product, who know how it works in the 'real world'.

It makes more sense to do your research first, and then purchase; instead of purchasing and then being disappointed. That being said though, I don’t think it really has to be that difficult either – pick a phone you like and can have fun with too!

Thanks for reading - the new AT&T

Enchanted Learning

Just a quick post today to recommend a website for the kidlets: Enchanted Learning!

Its a great place with lots of great learning activities from crafts to colouring pages, from activities on music to activities regarding the languages and the alphabet.

You can either pay for a subscription ($24 CND) or you can use the free banner-ed pages.

Today Em and I printed out the Paper Bag Puppets craft. Fun, fun!

Thanks for reading!

The Aladdin Factor

I am in the process of reading The Aladdin Factor by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen and I must say I'm impressed.

You probably recognize their names from Chicken Soup for the Soul fame. I must admit that I am not a fan of those books, I have read a couple - namely Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul - I find the stories nice but not uplifting per say, simply stories.

However, The Aladdin Factor, while mostly a compilation of stories, has exercises to practice, suggestions and tips, clear techniques on how to get what you want.

One passage is from Jim Cathcart. He tells of how one night while working in a deadend, boring job he was listening to Earl Nightingale speak on the radio. Mr. Nightingale said "If you will spend an extra hour every day and study, in five years or less you will be a national expert."

Think about that for a second. Now decide what it is you want to do and start studying!

Its true, we think 'I can't do that', 'I wouldn't succeed', 'I don't have time'. Why can't you do that? Why can't you succeed? Why can't you find the time? An hour within your day...you can't find an hour?

Go for it, whatever it is, go for it!

Thanks for reading!

Blogsvertise!

Now here's an interesting concept! Advertisers and Bloggers helping each other out.

Bloggers write about Advertisers' products and services. Bloggers can write honestly, positively or negatively. This creates publicity, exposure, 'buzz' about the Advertisers' products and services - which is GREAT for the Advertisers! After all, any publicity is good publicity.

So how does this benefit the Bloggers? Well, they get paid via paypal for each blog entry an Advertiser is mentioned.

Considering you don't have to speak positively to get paid, that is, you can be honest, I think that's pretty darn nifty!

If you're interested in this concept as either a Blogger or an Advertiser, head over to Blogsvertise to learn more.

Thanks for reading!

Valentine's Day

Just a quick post to say 'Happy LOVE day' to everyone!

Thanks For Reading!

Turkey Leftovers - What To Do With Them?

This holiday season we were given a HUGE turkey! Eighteen and a half pounds of gobble-gobble for four of us. Well, actually, two of us because Gavin is still 'on the boob' exclusively and Emma might have eaten a tablespoonful. It was a big turkey - lots 'o leftovers!

So after the next day's turkey sandwiches and pot of turkey soup was made, we still had lots of turkey, and still do.

One quick, easy and yummy way to use up some of those leftovers follows.

***
Quick, Easy, Yummy Turkey Casserole

1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing for Turkey
2 cups Leftover Turkey Meat, cubed
1 Tbsp Summer Savoury
Salt and Pepper To Taste
3 cups Frozen Broccoli Florets, thawed
1 Tbsp Margarine
3 Tbsp Flour
1 1/2 cups Milk
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare stuffing as per package. Set aside.

In a prepared 8"x8" baking pan, or like sized casserole dish, spread out meat. Sprinkle with seasonings. Then layer thawed broccoli over top.

In a sauce pan, over medium-low heat, melt margarine. Whisk in flour and milk. Whisk until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese. Pour sauce over meat and broccoli.

Evenly top with prepared stuffing and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.

***

Thanks for reading and Enjoy!

[Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due: This recipe was adapted from a recipe on the side of a Stove Top Stuffing box.]

Everyone Is Sick - AgAiN!

Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Emma has been sick since late Saturday night. She awoke vomiting! Poor kid. She got better...or so I thought...and by Sunday evening I thought she was on the mend. Nope! Tuesday brought more vomiting, a rather high fever and horrible diarrhea.

[In the midst of this I was hit by 'a brick wall' (with an episode of passing out! GACK!) on Monday. I had to call Troy at work and ask him to come home. But by Monday evening, I was fine.]

And today is more of the same. Poor kid! (Not to mention, poor carpets! ;-D) And Troy came home early from work because he is ill as well.

All are asleep now, the first really quiet time in five days, so I've sat down with a cup of tea, a Nature Valley granola bar and my pen for a bit of quiet time myself.

On the upside, I must say Troy and Em being sick and caring for a 3 1/2 month old is a great workout, not to mention a crash diet! I'm getting a constant workout, walking the floors with an extra 15 or 22 pounds, depending on what kidlet is in my arms, and I've been surviving on granola bars and tea, with the occasional almond or piece of cheese. ;-)

Seriously thought, where Emma is concerned, I'm worried about dehydration and the thought of this being something more than just a nasty stomach bug. She's two, so the communication just isn't there. I ask her where it hurts, she says 'evweeware'; I say 'I know, but where does it hurt the most?' to which her response has been 'Whaaaaaa!' So I'm waiting until Saturday morn, that'll make it a week, and if she's still not on the mend, to the clinic we go.

Wish us luck and the carpets too!

***

Thursday, February 1, 2007
Emma awoke with a DRY diaper. So we went to the clinic this morning instead of waiting. But the fabulous Dr. Heeg assured me she is not dehydrated and unfortunately, 'these bugs are going to have to run their course'.

***

Today, Friday, February 2, 2007
Emma has a terrible cough and a VERY runny nose (but she's better as far as the nasty vomiting bug goes. Whew!) and now Gavin has a very red right eye. My goodness!

Enough is enough!!! We are usually such healthy people and for the last two months we have been incredible sick. Its no fun, in fact, we SUCK! ;-)

Emma attends a day-home once per week, but I'm not sending her back until we're all better and her immune system has had a chance to 'reboot'.

And poor Gav-Gav! Since he's been born three and a half months ago, he's been sick three times and now he has a red eye and I'm hoping against hope its not Pink Eye. But the way things are going it probably is.

Mon Dieu!

Thanks for reading and send us good, healing vibes please! ;-)

Do You Need A Makeover?

Gavin is almost three and a half months old! Wow, where did the time go?! It's funny because with Emma I was just hoping against hope to make it to three months! I have been really lucky this time around - it's been a lot easier. Maybe it's because I'm 'experienced', maybe it's not, who know - it's just easier. Thank goodness! ;-)

But with more sleep, comes my not so blurry reflection in the mirror...Oh Boy! Do I need a makeover! Or at least a massage... ;-)

Enter in the Hot Mama Makeover Guide - a 35 page *FREE* ebook all on the topic of how to make you look better. Hallelujah!



From how to embrace your imperfections and wax your own eyebrows to how to choose the right sized bra - its all the little things that you never really knew how to do, but were doing anyway.

The Hot Mama Makerover is one of the best little kept *FREE* secrets on the internet!

Enjoy and Thanks for ready!

Blankets For Canada

Just a quick UPDATE on my 'Request For Squares' campaign. I've received 68 (UPDATED: Feb. 2/07) squares so far and promises for many others. Keep them coming!

(If you have no idea what I'm rambling on about, please see the post under Giving Back or Personal Development entitled Blankets For Canada Society Inc., “Warming Canadians” dated Sunday, November 12, 2006.)

Thanks again to all for your kindness and generosity!

The Daffodil Principle

I recently received the following story as an email from a friend of mine. It struck a cord with me, so I forwarded it on to other friends and family members. I had a huge response! People emailed me to thank me for emailing it to them...that usually doesn't happen with forwards! ;-)

Since so many people enjoyed it, I thought I would post it here, so that others who aren't on my mailing list can enjoy it too!

***
The Daffodil Principle

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over."

I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother."

“Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her. "But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. “I'll drive. I'm used to this."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "Please turn around."

"It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958." For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world. "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had though t of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said. She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?" Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting....Until your car or home is paid offUntil you get a new car or homeUntil your kids leave the houseUntil you go back to schoolUntil you finish schoolUntil you clean the houseUntil you organize the garageUntil you clean off your deskUntil you lose 10 lbs.Until you gain 10 lbs.Until you get marriedUntil you get a divorceUntil you have kidsUntil the kids go to schoolUntil you retireUntil summerUntil springUntil winterUntil fallUntil you die...

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt, and, Dance like no one's watching. If you want to brighten someone's day, pass this on to someone special. I just did! Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

***

Thanks for reading!

Time Management - Household Duties

This is a problem of mine. My mother always had a well kept house - how did she do it?! While searching the Internet for time management tips (while I should have admittedly been doing my household duties) I found this great article at LadyPens.com, a site I regularly submit articles to.

It rings true, and of course its all common sense. I guess I was really searching for a magical fairly cleaning lady! ;-)

***

Housework with Toddlers - Here Comes Trouble! by Carrie Lauth

It's so interesting that once our babies start toddling around, creating a lot more mess in their insatiably curious and neverending activity, we expect ourselves to have a perfectly tidy home. When your baby was younger you probably imagined that once she started sleeping through the night and playing independently you would get a handle on the chores. Surprise!

Mothering a toddler is fun but constant vigilance. Not only are you concerned with her physical safety but you are rightly concerned with her emotional health as well. You want to have fun and play with your little one but as an adult, you have a need for some order. What to do? Here are some tips that have worked for many other Moms.

Rethink Housework & Define Your Minimums
Try to lower your standards a bit. If your house could pass the white glove test before you had kids and you try to keep up that standard now, you could drive yourself nuts.

If you have a lot of trouble doing this, then think for a moment about why. Are you trying to live up to someone else's idea of what your house should look like? Are you worried about what your mother, mother in law or neighbors might think? In any case, if you're feeling judged, take a look at that and decide what's more important to you. Do you want a perfect home or do you want to have a happy toddler whose Mommy has time to play?

Decide what is important to you and figure out how to do those tasks as quickly and easily as possible. For instance, you may hate to feel dirt under your feet when you walk across the floors but a little dust doesn't bother you. Keeping that chore done consistently will make the house feel clean to you.

Make Some Lists
Grab a sheet of paper and decide which chores can be skipped, which chores can be simplified, and which chores you can get help with. Is it really essential to fold underwear or can they be placed neatly in a drawer? Can socks be tossed into a drawer and the wearer match them himself? It is really necessary to separate all the kid's laundry or can most things be washed together?

Clear out clutter as much as possible. Clutter makes housework more difficult, time consuming and downright dangerous (like when you are tripping over things in the basement or having items fall on your head in closets). Go through your house with a large trash bag on a regular basis and throw things out if they don't make you smile when you look at them. Donate it to charity and feel good about yourself!

I Helped!
Your toddler can do a surprising number of household chores and will probably be delighted to imitate you. When you dust, hand her a microfiber dusting cloth and let her "help". Toddlers love to splash their hands in water. Maybe she could "wash dishes" in the sink next to you. She may not be so great at folding laundry, but can she dig out all the socks and put them in a pile for you? Perhaps she can help unload the dishwasher by handing you the spoons and forks. At this stage, the point is not to have her doing chores but rather to keep her happy and close while you get some work done.

Can you hire out some of the household chores? Don't dismiss this right away. If your budget is slim, you might know a teenager who is in need of some extra cash who could come over and help you out. Or maybe you would be willing to forego a dinner out here and there to pay for an occasional housekeeper.

Make Cleaning Convenient
Keep non toxic cleaning products and tools handy so that when you have a moment or two, you can go a quick task.

When your toddler is in the bathtub you have to be in the bathroom to supervise her anyway. Why not clean the floor, sink and toilet while you're in there? Baking soda sprinkled in the sink and toilet will scrub effectively and sweeten the air too. For an inexpensive multi purpose cleaner that you can use around little ones: fill a 32 ounce spray bottle with water, and add a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid.

Keep It Fun
Make picking up a game by asking your child to "find all the red things and put them into the toy bin". Or have them pick up 5 things then come find you for a great big bear hug or tickle. You can also plan something fun after cleaning to create a natural incentive to get things done. "As soon as we pick up all the toys, it will be time to go to the playground!" Kids respond well to quick cleaning sessions. The "10 second tidy" where everyone picks up and puts away as quickly as possible work well. And the effect is lost on me, but a lot of kids love to sing the Barney clean up song when they're tidying.

Life with little ones around is a bit like using spaghetti for bookends: fun but certainly messy. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Somehow, Carrie Lauth of http://www.NaturalMomsTalkRadio.com found the time to write this article in the midst of picking up after 4 little ones.

Article Source: http://www.ladypens.com/

***

Thanks for reading!

Internet Wealth

Is it possible? Yes. But not the way you think.

You can't get something for nothing. You need to do some work, or a lot of work, depending on how much 'wealth' you want.

It certainly is an interesting concept and the possibilities are endless...

Click here for your free report!

Grey Hair

I found my first grey hair on Saturday, December 30, 2006. My first grey hair! GACK!

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I always aid ‘Oh no. I’ll grow old gracefully’. But come on, I’ve only just turned 30. Who knew I was ‘old’? I mean, what the f*$k?!

I saved it. I’m serious! It’s in a plastic bag under my jewelry box. I’m thinking of sending it away for analysis…

To dye or not to dye, that is the question. But no, I think not. At least not yet…

My first grey hair!

I’m rambling. I know. I must be in shock. ;-)

So tell me, when did you find your first grey hair? Click the comment button and let me know. I’m curious – were you under 19; between 20 and 29; between 30 and 39; or over 40?

So, what is grey hair?
Every strand of hair is surrounded by a hair follicle that contains pigment cells, which produce melanin that gives the hair its colour.

As we get older the pigment cells in our hair follicles gradually die, hair no longer contains melanin and becomes more transparent – grey, silver, white.

Why does this happen?
Heredity. Yes, grey hair is yet another thing you can blame on your parents! However, before you start sending your ever-increasing therapy bills to Mom and Dad, there are also a few medical conditions to consider.

A deficiency in B-12, an imbalanced thyroid and anemia can all cause premature grey hair. And if you’re a smoker, you are four times more likely to go grey earlier than your non-smoking counterpart. Yet another reason to ‘butt-out’!

Can I reverse grey hair?
Not really. All of us at some point, if we live long enough, will go grey. But you can prolong the inevitable.

Diet and health play a huge part in grey hair. Start eating ‘superfoods! Superfoods include such things as broccoli sprouts, fresh veggies and berries. Garlic, ginger and other culinary/medicinal herbs and spices have been proven to enhance health and delay ageing. Also be sure your diet includes healthy oils like omega-3 and fish oils; be sure to get plenty of sunshine (but be sure to slather on the sunscreen); breathe fresh air everyday; drink plenty of fresh, clean water; and exercise.

The biggest reason why people age prematurely is because they don’t look after themselves. So for goodness sake, take care of yourself! (Obviously, considering I found my first grey hair, I should take my own advice. ;-D)

If taking care of yourself doesn’t seem to make the grey stay away, you can always dye your hair or a more extreme measure would be to take Melancor – a tablet that triggers melanocytes ‘increasing your body’s ability to produce melanin pigments thereby increasing the number and size of the hair strands and pigments in your natural hair [colour]’.

Since I’ve only just found one grey hair I don’t think I’ll be popping Melancor or dyeing my hair (except for a highlight here or there) anytime soon. My best course of action is to take better care of myself by exercising and taking a look-see at my diet.

As I am anemic (a common condition after having a baboonsky) perhaps my one lone grey hair is a fluke…? If not, I’ll be sending my beauty salon bills to my mom! ;-)

Thanks for reading!

Back To Work

Troy went 'back' to work yesterday and we all miss him.

The reason 'back' is in quotations is because he worked all through the holiday, except he was at home.

We were discussing a few nights ago how lucky we are, how fortunate.

Troy and Emma were sitting at the kitchen table playing with her Play-Doh set she received as a Christmas gift and Troy just all of a sudden hugged her and said 'I'm going to miss you when I go back to work tomorrow' and Emma replied 'Miss you DaDa'.

The fact is, Troy comes home every night after work and he seldom has to travel for work.

There are plenty of people who, if they had said that to their child, would be away from them for some time and miss them, MISS them.

We're so lucky, SO fortunate and we are thankful.

Thanks for reading!

New Year’s Resolution

What is your New Year’s resolution? Will you keep it?

Every year I have two New Year’s resolutions: 1. Make bed every day and 2. Stay in touch better with family and friends. I never keep either resolution…

But this year I am determined!

This morning I made our bed and a couple of minutes ago I sent off emails to family and friends. So far, so good…I’ll let you know how I progress…

Thanks for reading!

Holiday Craze

The curse of the stay at home mom, or any mom for that matter, is the guilt you feel when things don’t pan-out quite as they were supposed to.

Troy’s busy-busy at work! As in go-go-go all the time. If he’s not working he should be and if he is working, he should be working more! Its crazy! Great for profits; not so fab for the burnt-out brain.

But I digress.

We’ve been planning to Christmas shop for the last four or five weekends, but something always came up to mar our plans; Troy working insanely, Emma being sick, etc. Finally, this past weekend we got to go!

Well!

I turned down an invite to a stagette party in order to go Christmas shopping with Troy, Emma and Gavin in tow…it was not to be…

We were welcomed into the Southcentre Shopping Mall parking lot with a traffic jam! But we figured ‘we’re here now’. So instead of high tailing it out of there, we embarked on a fruitless journey.

Inside the mall it wasn’t too bad…or so I thought until I went to stand in line at Indigo Bookstore…there were 40 to 50 people standing in line awaiting their turn to hand over hard earned money for overpriced books!

That’s when I decided to admit defeat; it doesn’t take me long to not stress myself out. I’m in no way a martyr. If something isn’t important, as most little details aren’t, I forget about them.

I like things to be nice, organized, and pretty just as much as the next person – but I’m not going to cause myself undue stress to achieve them.

So, instead of having lots ‘o gifts under the tree, Emma and Gavin will only have a few and a stocking each.

At first I was appalled at the situation and then I began rethinking why I was appalled. There is no reason for it.

I had planned to complete the Christmas shopping in October while waiting for Gavin to arrive. Gavin arrived two weeks early. Then I had four weeks recovery time for the c-section required to introduce Gav-Gav to the world. That brings us to November 15th. Then Gavin and I both had doctor appointments. Then we had a cold spell and we didn’t venture from the house at all. Then Emma got sick with the croup. More doctor appointments for all of us, and then a traffic jam. So voila!

As a new mom, struggling with sleep deprivation, I think I’ve done rather well with what we have.

We’re going to have a beautifully cooked Christmas dinner. The kids will have gifts upon gifts anyway, thanks to far-flung family and friends, and we’ll have memories. What more can you ask for?

The Christmas Season isn’t about who gets what or how much. In a world where we usually only think about others at Christmas time, I’d rather Emma and Gavin not have gifts but see me every grocery day purchase non-perishable items for the food bank.

Yes, kids should have gifts, but not to the extent that most families do it. Families go further and further into debt to give the hottest this or that to their loved ones. Shouldn’t children learn its better to give than to receive?

Instead of the newest of new, why not buy mittens for the homeless or bring cookies to the kids in hospital – and bring your children along. Make it a family tradition to help those in need!

Lots of folks, children included, would do anything to have a warm coat, let alone the newest design for the 2007 season.

There are plenty of ways you and yours can give back this Holiday Season as well as throughout the year:

Volunteer - www.volunteer.ca
Food Donation - www.cafb-acba.ca
Clothing and No Longer Used Items Donation - www.diabetes.ca/Section_services/collection.asp
Money Donation - www.canadian-charities.com/charityentry.html
Knit A Block - www.blankets4canada.ca

Its easy to forget what Christmas is really about – generosity of spirit.

Don’t get lost in the Holiday Craze Maze! Make this Holiday Season a bit brighter for someone else and teach your children to do the same.

Thanks for reading!
PS: Check back in January for a post on the subject of Tithing. Find out how helping others can help you…

Fever

Every book or reference has a different indication as to what a fever is…this is rather annoying! So, I’m posting it here for all to know…

To be precautious, I’m taking the lower as gospel. Therefore, as stated in Growing Miracles, a fever is above 37.3°C (99.1°F). This means that Gavin had a fever last night when I checked it before going to bed. A low-grade fever at 37.5°C, but a fever none the less.

Growing Miracles also states that you should see the doctor right away if your child is under three months of age and has a fever.

I hope this helps clear things up...Thanks for reading!

A Sick House

I’m sick. Blah! And so, unfortunately, is Gavin. Poor snotty, watery-eyed Gavin!

I (so far) have only a sore throat and have decided I am refusing to become any sicker. After all, I have a wedding to attend on Friday…oh…and two kids to look after… ;-)

Emma was sick with The Croup last week and now Gavin is sick (but not me!). I was under the impression that breastfeeding created an invisible shield around the new baboon to protect him from all things icky and sicky…?

Right here in my handy dandy book Growing Miracles published by the Calgary Health Region on page 40 it states that breast milk is “Protective. It helps protect your baby from illness and infections…”.

Hello?! Hello? Is my breast milk defective in some way?

So, what can you really do for a sick infant?

Steam Bath – to loosen the stuffy, phlegmy stuff up. (To the steam bath specifically selected essential oils could be added. See the post at http://aromatherapyinformation.blogspot.com/ for more information.)

Saline Drops – to loosen and dry the stuffy, phlegmy stuff up.

Medication Through Mama – since everything passes through me into him via my breast milk, I’ve got Garlic Chicken Soup on the stove bubbling away! I’ll garlic the icky-sicky out of him! ;-)

Cuddles, cuddles and more cuddles!

There is nothing to bring you down and humble you like not being able to ‘make it better’. When Em was sick last week she would cough and shake uncontrollably!

This was the first time she has ever really been sick. She has had a sniffle or two, but nothing like this. It was also the first time I wasn’t able to ‘fix it’.

She would cough and look at me as if to say ‘Hello?! Do you not see me coughing here? Make it better, woman!’ But alas, I could not. She simply had to cough her way through it.

Em’s better now though! It took about five days and a Cold Mist Humidifier (my new secret weapon) to clear up, but she’s better. Whew!

Now I have to worry about Gav-Gav! We have a scheduled doctor’s appointment on Thursday, so as long as he’s alert and waking to feed, I’m going to hold off on running to the fabulous Dr. Heeg.

I’ll keep you posted…Thanks for reading!

Think And You Shall Receive

Can your intentions truly be made reality?

That is, if I decide I would like one million dollars to flow into my life, can I simply think that thought and it will be so? Lets try!

What is manifestation?
Manifestation is defined as ‘the act, process or an instance of manifesting…an occult phenomenon; specifically: materialization’; materialization is then defined as ‘the action of materializing’. Therefore, manifestation is willing something to be. No matter what that something is, if you want it badly enough, you’ll get it.

There is such a thing call the Intention-Manifestation Model whereby a person decides they want something, declare their intention and then be open and accepting to what they are ‘given’ to help them manifest the something they want.

Explanation – How does it work? What is the theory?
Law of Attraction, Field of Intentions, Intention-Manifestation model…for the most part they’re all the same.

The basic theory is this: whatever you focus on you get. Therefore, if you are constantly focusing on what is bad in your life you will continue to attract more of the same. The law of quantum physics states ‘like energy attracts like energy’.

In essence you make your own luck! Your own success! Your own life! The Universe is not plotting against you if you have a bad day – after all, you forgot to set the alarm clock, not the universe. ;-)

So if you want to find a loving, caring, generous individual to share your life with, become that person yourself. Become what you seek!

You cannot expect the dream job to be handed to you; you have to go get it. However, there is nothing wrong with letting the universe know you want it! ‘Ask and ye shall receive’ and all that.

If this sounds mumbo-jumbo-y, hocus-pocus-y, somewhat religious-y, it is…and it isn’t. Every religion has the same basic concept whereby if you want something, strive for it and you’ll achieve it. Of course in every religion too, you have your martyrs who strive for the good of all – and that’s great, but most of us are a selfish lot! As long as what you’re ‘wishing’ for won’t hurt anyone else (because, trust me, karma is a bitch!), then go ahead and strive away.

This isn’t a new concept, its not new-age-y and all the goal-setting gurus are proclaiming it’s the way to go! If you want something, draw a map of how you’re going to get it. Visualize yourself with that something – how does it look? Feel? Taste?

Essentially, this is what a Business Plan is – where do you see your newly formed business going? Ok. Now work toward that. It keeps you focused. So why not make yourself a Life Plan…it doesn’t have to be formal. Your local bank manager isn’t going to see it. Think of it as a way to stay focused in your life.

I firmly believe we make our own life. If your going to be down on yourself, people are going to be down on you; however, if you take the stance of ‘I’m going to be happy, damn it’, people will feel that energy and they’ll embrace it - and you!

If you say ‘I’m going to be a successful entrepreneur but do nothing to help yourself achieve that goal – well, you didn’t fail, you just didn’t try.

In Think and Grow Rich there is a passage about how a man asked the world for just so much, but if he would have asked for more he would have got it. So ask for it! Get it! Whatever ‘it’ is for you – go for it!

To recap: If you want something, ask for it. Then start the ball rolling to get it, take whatever steps are necessary – ‘magically’ things will fall into place.

Personal A-Ha!
Several years ago I worked with this fellow who had ‘it’ all. I have to admit I was in a place that really made me dislike him – a lot. But looking back now, he was just doing the above; asking for or taking what, he wanted (I’d err on the side of asking – always be polite) and getting it. The only area of his life that seemed out of sorts was the area of love. I do hope that has remedied itself and he is completely happy now.

At the moment I ‘woke-up’ and realized what he had been doing (even if he didn’t, but I’m sure he did), I didn’t dislike him anymore. I actually wanted to thank him for being a teacher of sorts. For showing me how, even though I only got the lesson years after it was taught.

So I say go for it! Decide what it is your want and ask for it, then set about to achieve it. What is the worse that can happen? The Universe will say ‘no’? I highly doubt that will happen, but if it does re-think what it is you ‘want’…maybe the Universe is trying to tell you something…

Basically it comes down to what goes around comes around; you get what you give; do onto others as you would have them do onto you; etc. If you’re positive, the people around you, the world around you, will be positive!

The Million Dollar Experiment
Steve Pavlina, a personal development guru for ‘smart people’, is conducting an experiment on his website, http://www.stevepavlina.com/, called The Million Dollar Experiment. It’s based on the intention-manifestation model and ‘the goal is to generate $1 million of additional wealth for each person who chooses to participate’. The experiment is free to join except for the daily time required to put forth the intention: ‘In an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way, in its own perfect time, for the highest good of all, I intend $1,000,000 to come into my life and into the lives of everyone who holds this intention’. To date the experiment has resulted in a manifestation of $2,243,978.07 and there are 4039 public participants, including myself.

Why not decide to bring yourself an extra one million dollars by declaring an intention and then finding ways to manifest it? In light of that, I’ve added Google AdSense ads, affiliate links, and product reviews to my blogs (http://astayathomemomsview.blogspot.com/, http://atoddlerandababy.blogspot.com/). Not to mention donation keys to be clicked on for those of you who are feeling generous… Think about it, if one million of you send me one dollar, I’ll have reached my goal! ;-)

I invite you to join The Million Dollar Experiement too! Why shouldn’t you ‘generate $1 million of additional wealth’?

It is an interesting concept and certainly one that could be applied to any part of one’s life or world. Why not have a public intention for world peace or to end hunger or for that matter, to get Brittany Spears to stop showing her knickers (or the lack there of) in public. Poor Brittany!

My Manifestations
In the past, I have never deliberately used the ‘Laws of Attraction’, however, I have gotten everything I truly wanted. Let me show you:

1 – I wanted to leave the small town I grew up in – check!
2 – I wanted to love and be loved by a great man – check!
3 – I wanted to have a home of my own – check!
4 – I wanted to have a garden – check!
5 – I wanted a job I enjoyed – check!
6 – I wanted to have children – check!
7 – I wanted to be a stay at home mom – check!
8 – I wanted to write for a living – check (in a round about way)!

In conclusion, know that the concepts of the Intention-Manifestation Model, Laws of Attraction, etc. are not difficult concepts to grasp. Its about thinking positively and believing in yourself and having ‘faith’. It is difficult to re-work your brain to not think negatively; I myself catch myself thinking negatively all the time. I’m a work in progress… It is also difficult to wrap your brain around the fact that each thought is an intention, and therefore you must be careful what you ‘wish’ for, because you might just get it….