Product Review: Gorilla Wood Chews

Gorilla Wood, they sound amazing, long lasting, thick, natural and from sustainable trees. They are made from all the right stuff and the company says all the right things!!

Since starting to foster bullies I am a little bit out of my element. I am used to BIG NORTHREN breeds. Take my Akita/Shep he is 175lbs and now that he is 5 years old he has mellowed out and is relaxed, loves his walks/runs and the dog park. Now insert 40lbs of pure spun energy. I am used to the I am bored, I am going to dig up your entire yard, lets play, teach me something, come on lets run. I kept up no issues. Bullies seem to be unique, well the one I currently have is anyway lol. She can go for her morning 30 min run. Do her 20-30 min personal training on learning new skills, play with my 3 year old all day and go for her hour walk in the evening and STILL want to chew the wooden futon arm lol. Oh who I am kidding I love every minute of them.

Bullies chew like no other especially the young ones and where my northrens just chewed a little here and there my bullies seem to feel the need once they start a job they must finish it RIGHT NOW, so chewies don't last long around here. We have done raw bones from the market, pressed raw

hyde, bull penis, kongs stuffed with all the good stuff, kongs stuffed with frozen good stuff, nyabones, deer antlers, pretty much everything. My current foster loves to chew wood, sticks, branches, the whole tree, the futon arm so I figured these gorilla chews would be right up her alley. NOPE, she will chew it once in a while but aside from that she would rather chew the branch from outside, turns out I am okay with that! Man oh man do they stink when being chewed and I mean I can handle a lot from stuffed chicken feet that smell like rotten eggs to bullie farts that smell like they are dying from the inside out but these have a smell that gives me a headache. I have been told it is likely the sap from whatever tree they came from.

Gorilla chews are not cheap they range from $20.00-$40.00 each, we got ours at the local pet value because that was the only place that had them, my Akita/Shep has zero interest in them and hasn't touch one at all.

As you can see in the photos we have had them a few weeks and that is all they have been chewed. My option is that they were a waste of $50.00(total cost for 2 of them). Onto finding something else I guess.

What do your dogs like to chew that last longer than 5 mins?

Results Week 4!!!

I am sure you notice I skipped a few weeks of measuring and results. I did take photos of week 3 and they will be posted below but I wanted to see if I could see a greater difference between week 1 and 4 if I skipped weeks 2 and 3.

If you weigh yourself remember to do it first thing in the morning and you are going to want to weigh yourself at the same time every time, our body weight fluctuates through out the day. I don't weigh my self for many reason one being that I struggle with an eating disorder and as soon as I step on that scale I start obsessing.

Measurements and how your clothes feel are far more accurate when it comes to fat loss.

My eating hasn't gotten much better and that is something I will likely struggle with the rest of my life but I have started meal prepping each week and cutting up fruit and veggies and salads so I can grab and go, I mainly use them for my son but meh at least one of us is eating great.

My measurements after 4 weeks are:

Neck: 12 inches (Same as week 1)

Bust: 38.5 inches (Down .5 inches)

Right arm: 11 inches (Increase of .5 inches)

Left arm: 11 inches (increase in muscle by 1 inch)

Waist: 34.5 inches (Down 1.5 inches)

Hips: 38 inches (same as week 1)

Left Leg (thigh): 19.5 inches (Increase of 1 inch)

Right Leg (thigh): 19 inches (Increase .5 inches)

There are a couple reasons I am seeing an increase of inches on my thighs, one is muscle gain. I do a LOT of squats 100 a day to be exact. Also I may be measuring in a different spot I did week 1 or I may be retaining water in my legs, which most women know is a problem for many of us. I guess we will see as the weeks pass.

My set backs are still my back and my eating but I managed to workout everyday and walk the dogs everyday.

What were your successes and set backs? Are you seeing results?

Work out week 5!

Week 5 work out!!

I wasn't a fan of last weeks workout.

I didn't meet my goal of eating lunch everyday but I did walk the dogs everyday, I ate breakfast most days and I jogged Lexi 3 times last week. So hey some improvement. My problem is lack of energy.

This weeks goal is to jog every morning. What is your goal this week?

This weeks work out will be:

20 Squat to boxer knee (Left side)

2 Burpees

20 in and outs

2 Burpees

20 sec plank

2 Burpees

20 Lunges (Left side)

20 Squat to boxer knee (Right side)

2 Burpees

20 in and outs

2 Burpees

20 sec plank

2 Burpees

20 Lunges (Right side)

20 Squat to boxer knee (Left side)

2 Burpees

20 in and out

2 Burpees

20sec plank

2 Burpees

20 Lunges (Left side)

20 Squat to boxer knee (Right side)

2 Burpees

20 in and outs

2 Burpees

20 sec plank

2 Burpees

20 Lunges (Right side)

20 Squat to boxer knee (Left side)

2 Burpees

20 in and outs

2 Burpees

20 sec plank

2 Burpees

20 Lunges (Left side)

The back pain is finally starting to ease up.

Yoga!!

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/533043305892073425/

Remember just because you can't do it all at once doesn't don't try. Do it in sets, take breaks as you need them and remember its not a race!!!

What do you do for energy?

July 2018 spotify shuffle

Music for me is a lot like reading. It takes me a place of peace, happiness, the past, the future and it pushes me that extra little bit during my workout. What is music for you?

http://guitarhippies.com/funny-music-memes/

Things have changed in a year, I now pay for my spotify because I changed plans with rogers and also I went with the family spotify plan. You can have it on a few devices instead of just one.

I am still all over the place music that I LOVE!! I doubt that will ever change because my mood dictates what music I want to listen to. I don't get to listen to as much music as I would like as my son has my phone 90% of the time in the car so I listen to A LOT of CBC on the upside, I am pretty up to date on everything going on in the world. At this point and time I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

I pretty much put everything into 2 play lists on my spotify and I call them liked from radio 1 and liked from radio 2, once those two lists are full I will use liked radio 3 original right? I have them
both set to download so I can listen to them while in offline load which mean it isn't using my data.

I choose the playlist Your Summer Rewind that spotify made for me from all my music.

1) Barely Breathing by Duncan Sheik: This brings me back to my Dawson Creek days, I am not sure but it is what I think about whenever I hear this song. Its a good song, I have no idea what happened to the band, but it was likely a one hit wonder.

2) 1979 by the the Smashing Pumpkins: I can't even think of what this song reminds me of lol, but I do like it.

3) Only Prettier by Miranda Lambert, man I LOVE anything by her, no joke. Something about her music, you can sing right along and the lyrics are so true in many of them.

4) Spiders by System of a Down: Oh high school! and the bands that came from those years. I Love system of the down and can sing most of their songs. The beat is awesome!

5) Hard Knock Life by Jay Z: I like music that has the change in vocals like this one, and I like the beats of most rap music. This is from my grade 7/8 days. This is a head bob song.

6) Violent Pornography by System of a Down: This song, I happened across this song while looking for system of a down songs this song makes me laugh and likely not ideal for most children but meh to each there own.

7) Set Fire to the Rain by Adele: This song is an amazing break up song and another artist who creates great music to sing along to.

8) Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden: oh the good old public school dance days, when things were so much simpler.

9) Radioactive by Imagine Dragons: The beat to this song is pretty cool so is the lyrics.

10) I'll make Love to you: Boyz II Men: of course this song has to come on, I was listening to the CBC today and a comedian was on talking about boys II men it was too funny. Again this song brings me back to the school dance says and the "romance" that was as simple as dedicating a song to the one you liked.

Once again my playlist has yet to fail many, many songs from different artists and genres its awesome!!!

What's on your playlist?

July 2018 Reading?

https://www.actaturcica.com/2018/05/02/stack-of-books-png-image-99/

There is never a moment I don't have a book with me for those emergency, I am stuck waiting in the car, a waiting room or pooping. I really have books everywhere one in the car, the bedroom, the bathroom and 3 audiobooks on my phone (whenever I have my phone from Blaine).

I just finished my car book and had to move my bedroom book to the car this is very sad because now I play word crack on my phone while listening to my audiobook until my phone dies at night. I know such and exciting life right?

When I read I have the ability to go into what I am reading, I am there, seeing, smelling and doing what they are. Good luck getting my attention away from the book. Audiobooks don't do the same for me, my mind wanders too much when I listen to audiobooks unless I am driving and I don't take it all in.

My car book that I just finished (only took 2 days) was called Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot

First though within the first few pages of reading this book was WHAT THE HELL AM I READING! as I went along and kept reading, so much of what she had written touched my soul. I seen myself in her behaviours and actions. 

My bedroom book that is now my car book requires a high lighter because I am not just reading this book for pleasure. I am reading to better understand and help my son who has among other things SPD. The out-of-sync child by Carol Kranowitz. I am about half way through and learning so much, my blue high lighter is getting a good work out. 

The bathroom book, you know the one no one has lol, well mine is The Patrol by Ryan Flavelle, it is a Canadian book by a Canadian author. So far I have only read a few pages and I taken in by the way this author writes and creates a visual of his surroundings.  

 

Audiobooks, well I have a few on the go for that about 3 I think.

 

The myth of the spoiled child by Alfie Kohn, I love this author and this book!!! I can't wait to read more by him. I have started and restarted this book more than once. I need to get my son his own phone so I can go back to listening to my audiobooks while I drive instead of the CBC.
 

Mother who can't love by Susan Forward, I have a habit of putting this book on while I am cleaning and then end up leaving the room and forgetting it is on, maybe that is a sign that I am not ready for this book, YET!
 

Ignite the Fire by Jonathan Goodman I find this book is one that I need in hard copy and to have my high lighter handy. Not so much one I can just listen and take in the information

Well now I am in search of another car book, any good reads?

No bake strawberry shortcake cheesecake

YUM!!! Who doesn't love strawberry short cakes in the summer. It is one of my favorite desserts, so fresh and light. Sometimes you can just eat it too much and then want something similar but different. As I was doing weekly meal prep last week I decided to make my normal short cakes with a twist.

No bake strawberry shortcake cheesecake

(I am tweaking this recipe and when I do I will post an updated one)

1 brick of cream cheese beaten (room temperature is easier to beat)
1 can of whipped cream

1 angel food cake (I will never buy the store one again it sucked)

1 quart of strawberries cut up

9X9 glass baking pan

Beat the cream cheese in your mixer, while the cream cheese is beating, cut up the strawberries into small pieces and rip the angel food cake into chunks.
Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese and mix well.

Dump in your cut strawberries and mix well.

Put your chunks of angel food cake into your 9X9 pan.

Pour your cream cheese mixture over the angel food cake.

Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Enjoy!!!

This super easy recipe is great when you want something not too sweet or an in hurry companies coming. 

What is your favorite summer time dessert?

Week 4 work out!

Week 4 work out!!

This week I am going to shake things up a little bit, mainly to keep from getting bored.

I met my goal last week of walking the dogs everyday, I was pretty proud of myself.

This weeks goal is to eat lunch everyday.

This weeks work out will be:

20 Squat to boxer knee (Left side)

2 Burpees

20 Slow leg raises
2 Burpees
20 jumping jacks
2 Burpees
20 Lunges (Left side)

20 Squat to boxer knee (Right side)

2 Burpees

20 Slow leg raises
2 Burpees
20 jumping jacks
2 Burpees
20 Lunges (Right side)

20 Squat to boxer knee (Left side)

2 Burpees

20 Slow leg raises
2 Burpees
20 jumping jacks
2 Burpees
20 Lunges (Left side)

20 Squat to boxer knee (Right side)

2 Burpees

20 Slow leg raises
2 Burpees
20 jumping jacks
2 Burpees
20 Lunges (Right side)

20 Squat to boxer knee (Left side)

2 Burpees

20 Slow leg raises
2 Burpees
20 jumping jacks
2 Burpees
20 Lunges (Left side)

My back is injured still and in a lot of pain even though the ER doctor said it would be fine in a week, I will be seeing my sports doctor again and maybe need x-rays.

This weeks yoga is going to based on back pain again. 

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/540432024029466103/

Remember just because you can't do it all at once doesn't don't try. Do it in sets, take breaks as you need them and remember its not a race!!!

Do you enjoy yoga?

Sarnia event: Touch a Truck 2018

All parents look for local activities to keep their children entertained for at least a few minutes, homeschool parents love local events that are fun, interactive and of course cheap. 

Touch the truck at the Lambton Mall in Sarnia had been boasting for weeks to be a fun and engaging event where kids could touch the trucks of their childhood dreams. Blaine can't get enough of trucks and I fingered it was going to be an awesome event.

I was thoroughly disappointed. For most parents it would have been great there was face painting, balloon animals, fire trucks, a hydro truck, a city bus, a Zamboni, a tractor, a tow truck, 3 bounce houses, a rock climber, a princess, the toys r us giraffe, a few food vendors and a few free items for the kids to take home. Was it a great fun time, yes and the price was awesome $5.00 and it went to the rebound program! Here is my issue they made it seem like there was going to be dump trucks and other construction trucks, where wasn't any. The line to get in was an hour long, thank goodness for the rain those made of sugar left and made the line shorter. Blaine wanted nothing to do with those trucks and such because he has seen and been in them all when we do the firehouse with homeschool group. He loved the bounce houses, the free sunglasses hydro was giving out were adult sized, not made for children :(.

All in all, yes he had a good time playing in the bounce houses, but we were looking forward to construction trucks. I would love to see it happen again with more activities for the children.
Such as:
Firefighters fully dressed
Dump Trucks
Police Car
Back Hoes
Front Loaders
Construction signs
Construction workers
Sand area with toys

and so much more the ideas are endless with an event such as this. 

Please don't get my wrong I am grateful for groups that put these events on for fundraisers for community groups but I feel more planning needs to go into them. 

Did you go to touch a truck? Did you and your children enjoy it?

Birthday Banner

When decorating for a birthday party or any party really you need a good banner. Not only does it cover wall space it also reminds people what they are there for.

I make my own banners for the birthdays. This year Blaine's party is construction themed so of course it needs to be a construction banner and what better time to test out my silhouettes card stock cutting abilities.

Of course I went online and looked at other peoples experiences with cutting card stock. There were some horror stories about everything going wrong. One I read was the card stock would stick to your bored and tear from trying to peel it up, how I prevented this was by using the older cutting mat, you know the one you have lying around covered in dog hair and dirt from not remembering to put the cover back on it no matter how many time you promised to put it back on when I open a new one it just never happens, or if you are really lucky it falls on the floor face down, sigh. I used that cutting mat.

The other issue people said they had was with card stock tearing as it cut. I used the deep cut blade at 5 speed 10 force and 5 for the blade setting. With these I had no issues cutting my standard card stock that I bought from Micheal's.

What you need:
Card stock in the colours you are wanting (I used orange, yellow and black)

Printer

Silhouettes (or other cutting machine)

Glue stick

Ribbon

Hole punch

***If you do not have a cutting machine you can always print the letters and trucks directly onto the card stock and hand cut it out, it is what I did before I had a cutting machine, you can do it for the letters, trucks and triangles.****

You can either buy or create your own designs for use with in silhouettes software. I have a designer version so I can use .DFX files as well as embroidery files which is a bonus. I create .DFX files using a free software called Inkscape. I use Embird for my embroidery software.

I printed with my laser printer that I got from Digital Friends Inc 1 triangle the size I wanted each part of my banner to be and then just traced and cut how many triangles I needed which was 28.

I purchased and used the construction trucks from the Silhouette store. I cut one for in between each word, giving me 8 trucks in total.

I measured the inside of the triangles I had cut and made each letter I need for banner in Silhouette studio.

Once everything was cut, I used a hole punch and put a hole in the “top” of each triangle for the ribbon to slide through

Punch one hole in the trucks where ever you would like them hand from, or you can do what I did and just tie into the hole already in the truck.

Glue each letter to a triangle.

Lay out your banner how you want it to look.

Leave enough “tail” to hang your banner. Cut the ribbon when you have more than enough to string everything you want on it and a “tail” at the end for hanging.

I slid a truck on and tied it at the top of the truck this prevents it from moving and you have to rearrange it when you hang it. Then I repeated with each letter and tying at the top of each triangle.

My banner is 2 rows, repeat each row as you did for the first one. 

And there you have it, a birthday banner. How did yours turn out?

Nose Black Heads EWW

Until you look at photos of  your nose up close you never realize how side ways it really is. When Blaine was about 6 months old he broke my nose, man did that hurt and it has been out of whack since then but I never really "looked" at it the way I did in these photos. Man its really side ways, maybe I should get that fixed. 

I hate the black heads on my nose and I have tried a number of different products with little to no luck. Wondering though either Wal-Mart or shoppers drug mart, I am thinking it was shoppers and that I needed to spend a little bit more money to get all the points I wanted, yes I am that women. I happened upon Charcoal and tea tree nose strips, they are made by Azure Kosmetics. You use them how you would use any other pore cleaning strip.

Instructions:

1. Wash your face.
2. (This is my own step.) Rough up (exfoliate) your nose.
3. Wet your nose.
4. Stick strip to your nose.
5. Wait until its hard (10-15 mins) Mine took 10 minutes
6. Rip the BI&CH off...slowly and carefully according to the package. (I don't do anything slow lol)
   
   
   
   
   

The best thing I liked about these strips was that they are black which means you can see all the nastiness better.

Burning and itching, this started about an 15 minutes after I used the strip and lasted the whole next day, I figure its because I am pretty much allergic to life so they caused a reaction.

I personally couldn't tell a difference in the amount of black heads on my nose but I do have 4 more in the box so I am going to use them once a week and see how things go. I really only like the fact you can see all the nasty easier on these than the white ones.

Future post idea!!! compare the white VS black on what is easier to see!!! 

Do you use nose strips? What is your nose black head trick?

Week 3 work out!

Week 3 work out!!

Each of my weeks contain pretty much what I did the week before to maintain what I have gained plus adding on something else to help increase either muscle gain, toning, cardio or stamina.

Did I meet my goal of oat meal every morning for breakfast? NOPE, I did it one morning. Mornings are crazy around here. I am going to try again but that isn't my goal this week.
My goal this week is to run the dogs EVERY morning rain or shine.

Everyone including myself will hate me this week. I am adding burpees to the workout. Yes I hate them too but they are worth it for all the groups they work out at once.

This weeks work out will be:

5 Burpees

20 Normal Squats

20 Push ups

20 Boxer Knees (Boxer Crunches)

20 Russian Twists

20 Jumping Jacks

20 Legs together Squats

20 Push ups

20 Boxer Knees (Boxer Crunches)

20 Russian Twists

20 Jumping Jacks

5 Burpees

20 Sumo Squats

20 Push ups

5 Burpees

20 Boxer Knees (Boxer Crunches)

20 Russian Twists

20 Jumping Jacks

20 Pilo Squats

20 Push ups

20 Boxer Knees (Boxer Crunches)

20 Russian Twists

5 Burpees

20 Jumping Jacks

20 On your toes Squats

5 Burpees

20 Push ups

20 Boxer Knees (Boxer Crunches)

20 Russian Twists

20 Jumping Jacks

My back is still very painful from last week but with the yoga it helped a great deal, well I am sure my sports injury doctor would like some credit on that one as well as my massage therapist.

This weeks yoga is going to based on back pain again but it will be slightly different than last weeks.

Yoga is my favourite part of the workout and I LOVE doing it outside in the grass it makes me feel far more connected, grounded and peaceful

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhtqh_KFl3C/

Remember just because you can't do it all at once doesn't don't try. Do it in sets, take breaks as you need them and remember its not a race!!!

How did you do last week? What are your goals this week?

Week 1 Results!

Week 1 results

I do not weigh myself as I fight anorexia and weighing myself triggers something in my brain that causes me not to eat anymore.

Plus fat and muscle weigh the same amount the difference is one is nice and toned the other is a blob, so I measure myself or get someone to help me measure my body.

I do not eat properly at all so my eating will never match my working out. I work every day and make an effort to walk at least my 10,000 steps everyday. Eating on the other hand, I eat like shit. I do not eat a lot of fast food and such I just do not eat proper meals.

My measurements after the first week are:

Neck: 12 inches

Bust: 39 inches

Right arm: 10.5 inches

Left arm: 10 inches

Waist: 36.5 inches

Hips: 38 inches

Left Leg (thigh): 18.5 inches

Right Leg: 18.5 inches

My set backs of the first week were, it was 40+ degrees, I injured the soft tissue around my spine from the bottom of my ribs to bottom of my spine and of course my eating sucked.

Like most people I hate photo's and when I seen these I wanted to cry. My entire year of hard work went down the drain from being injured so long :(. But I wont give up!!! I will have work hard again.

Did you have set backs? Did you have successes?

July week 2 work out

Week 2 work out!!

Each of my weeks contain pretty much what I did the week before to maintain what I have gained plus adding on something else to help increase either muscle gain, toning, cardio or stamina.

My goal this week is to eat a bowl of oatmeal every morning, no excuses!

This weeks work out will be:

20 Normal Squats
20 Push ups
20 Boxer Knees (Boxer Crunches)

20 Russian Twists
20 Jumping Jacks

20 Legs together Squats

20 Push ups
20 Boxer Knees (Boxer Crunches)

20 Russian Twists
20 Jumping Jacks

20 Sumo Squats

20 Push ups
20 Boxer Knees (Boxer Crunches)

20 Russian Twists
20 Jumping Jacks

20 Pilo Squats

20 Push ups
20 Boxer Knees (Boxer Crunches)

20 Russian Twists
20 Jumping Jacks

20 On your toes Squats

20 Push ups
20 Boxer Knees (Boxer Crunches)

20 Russian Twists
20 Jumping Jacks

The yoga I am picking for this week is going to work on help my back. I caught myself from a fall on Thursday night last week and injured the soft tissue along my spine from the bottom of my rib cages to the base of my spine. It sucks I can barely move and it was a huge set back as I have not been able to work out other than walking and yoga since Friday.

Remember just because you can't do it all at once doesn't don't try. Do it in sets, take breaks as you need them and remember its not a race!!!

http://www.improvementvoice.com/10-best-yoga-poses/

What is your goal this week?

Raised Garden Boxes

Spring is my favourite time of the year and this year was made even better with the new garden boxes that were built for me! So far I only have three but by the end of summer I will have 5 total. Life with garden boxes if so much easier, I don't know why I didn't do them sooner. They are all raised to about 2 feet off the ground or higher, they were made from old pallets I picked up for free outside of businesses as well as 2*4's that someone was giving away from an old deck. They are lined with black garden liner to help hold the dirt in and help with the prevention of weed.

So far this year I have only had to pull 1 weed, just one from garden boxes where in the years past I had to weed daily. In my garden boxes I have cherry tomatoes, beef steak tomatoes, green peppers, celery, radish, carrots, green onions onions, romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce and American lettuce.

We have been eating lettuce from the garden for about 2 weeks now and its amazing, there is a big difference between home gown and store bought. With the raised beds I don't have as many pests either, but still have a few and to deal with them I just use soap and water sprayed on the plants.

The heat has been really hard on my lettuce and other leafy veggies this year but my tomato plants are growing like crazy.

Very little bending and no getting down on my hands and knees any more, this in itself is a life saver for me. Plus it keeps the dogs out the gardens too, well its supposed to, my current foster Lexi likes to get up in the big and dig in the middle where there is nothing growing, my son seems to love this too.

I put the garden boxes over top of the old garden so they are not taking up any extra space.

The garden boxes are easy to build with the right tools and in most communities you can find free pallets as businesses are always trying to get rid of them.

I used 1 yard of dirt and that filled the three garden boxes no problem plus I have enough left over dirt to fill one more.

As the garden boxes were kind of a last minute thought and not all are done yet I didn't get everything planted that I wanted to, oh well there is always next year.

What do you your gardens look like?

Teacher gift ideas!

This was Blaines last year at preschool. We had the most loving and amazing experience with Kiddie Korners Preschool in Petrolia. The teachers and staff are caring wonderful! I did a short stint as VP of the bored of directors and then left the bored as of June for personal reasons. Its a co-op style preschool and a true preschool as in no naps, a learning setting and small class size. There are 2 teachers, the director and the cook. All meals are homemade and made right in the school kitchen. Once a month each parent has to come in and clean for an hour as well as bring a snack on their snack day.

Blaine loved it and still talks about his teachers and preschool friends. As Blaine is home schooled this will be his final year with “Teachers” so I wanted to make something special. We always do gifts for the teachers at Christmas and end of school.

This end of the year I did watering can flower pots with flowers on them for each of the teachers. I did a mug for the OT and I did spices for the cook.

What you will need:
Mini metal watering cans (I got mine at Dollarama)
Either stickers or cut vinyl (I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut and design)

Dirt

Lighter
Flowers

Empty green pots that fit in your water cans

Mug
Spice set from Epicure

modgepodge (if using stickers)

Either cut my hand from vinyl or use scrap booking stickers to create your desgin on the side of each flower pot, the side of the mug and of course on the blank spot on the spices box

 Once you put your vinyl on your spice box that one is all finished!

Decide what saying you want on your mug I went with “Without SPL this would be booger” and it has a photo of a burger on it.

If you are using stickers put a thin coat of modgepodge over the stickers. Hand wash only the mug.
If you are using vinyl take the side of the lighter and run it over each letter with light pressure.

On the mini water cans. Do the same as you did with the mug but on the water can.

Take some of the dirt and fill the little green pot(s) you got, add your flower, add more dirt.

Put your mini plastic pot inside your mini watering can.

There you go three simple great teacher gifts that they will love, I know because the teachers at Blaines school loved them!!!

Ottawa: Christy

This was my second time going to Ottawa and it was for the same reason as the first time but this time I got to explore a little bit more and enjoy a little time out my normal activities.

I was taking a foster to her forever home, they were an amazing couple. They fell in love with her the moment she enter their home, they had a rocky start though with her escaping her crate and being just a pain in the butt, typical puppy behavior. Time has past and they have long signed the paperwork.

Things are different with this rescue, the adoptive family added me to facebook and I get to see photos and updates all the time, I never had that with the other rescue. We would get one or two updates but that was about it.

Ottawa was amazing!!! We skated the canal, I didn't get very far because of my foot but I still did a couple KM and it was amazing!!

Just so happens we were up there at the same time as the Ottawa snow festival we got to see sculptures and eat fresh made maple suckers.

We also visited the hill and a few other places while we were there. It was a short trip but it was amazing and we can't wait to go back again!!!

Have you been to Ottawa? What is your must do thing while you are there?

Not so lazy days of summer

https://gallery.yopriceville.com/Free-Clipart-Pictures/Summer-Vacation-PNG/Summer_PNG_Clip_Art_Image#.Wzl3mrgnbIU

This summer is about to be full of learning and exciting fun activities with lots of trips to places as well. Yes Blaine is home schooled and too young to be “bored” by being home in the summer and not in school although we learn all year round summer is a different type of learning. There is going to be lots of summer reading, library trips, splash pads, parks and places.

Unfortunately this summer is going to have to be a little bit different than our normal summers as we are down to one car until the truck is fixed so we have to drive dad to and from work.

Our daily summer schedule looks something like this.

Monday's are going to be visit a new splash pad or go to the beach in the mornings before it becomes so hot you have to peel yourself off the sidewalks. In the afternoons we will doing something from the home school bins such as a science experiment or something else that is hands on.

Tuesday's will bring play group in the mornings and the afternoon will include a work sheet.

Wednesday's are going to be our fun filled days weather permitting we will be heading out to adventures such as storybook gardens, the children's museum, Toronto science centre, the African lion safari, the ROM, and many many more exciting places.

Thursday's are our quit days we will visit the library in the morning to get new books and of course play in their play area and do the weekly craft. In the afternoon we will work on our summer reading list.

Friday's weather permitting this year are going to be hiking! He is finally old enough to hike the small trails with me which is great and his love for exploring and learning in nature matches mine. We will hike a new trail every week, do a nature hunt and learn about the items we are hunting for.

Weekends will vary depending on what all is going on, cleaning, yard work, the beach, camping, prepping for the week ahead and of course relaxing.

Through all of these awesome summer plans is his birthday and holidays and of course my business that still needs to function. Each day has time set aside for him to chill out and play while I work on whatever needs to be worked. The crock pot and I are going to be best friends this summer.

What are your summer plans?

Week of July 1st workout

Last year in October I fell and mangled my foot to say the least, it was really stupid how it happened and it was just a perfect place, perfect time moment. Well I was in one of those horrible cast boots and non-weight baring (hahaha with a 3 year old ya right) for 4 months. Come January I was freed from the boot but only allowed limited weight baring and NO exercises and was told I may never run again. So I followed the rules as I watched all my hard work from the year before go down the drain. For the past month I have slowly started getting back on track while being mindful that my foot is still injured. I have jogged twice in June and started working out here and there. This past week I put more effort in to making sure I was walking everyday and working out everyday although it is a smaller than normal work out and I have to bounce around the times as it has been 40 degrees out.

This weeks out will look like this:

Every day!
At least 30 min speed walk and 10 min jog.

100Squats
20 normal
20 legs together
20 sumo
20 pilo

20 legs together on your toes.

100 Per side standing boxer crunch (Boxer knees).

100 Push ups.

100 Russian Twists

How my work out looks:
20 normal squats
20 push ups
20 boxer crunches
20 Russian twists
Shake it out

20 legs together squats
20 push ups
20 boxer crunches
20 Russian twists
Shake it out

20 sumo squats
20 push ups
20 boxer crunches
20 Russian twists
Shake it out

20 pilo squats
20 push ups

20 boxer crunches

20 Russian twists

Shake it out

20 legs together on your toes

20 push ups

20 boxer crunches

20 Russian twists

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/398990848233293027/

Above is the yoga that I will be doing after every workout this week!

https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/10-crunch-free-moves-killer-abs?page=2

This is what the boxer crunch looks like

Cherry

Cherry and Donnie came together, however their stories are slightly different. They both came from a shelter in Windsor. They both had the same story “ we picked them up on opposite ends of town but both had a microchip and there was only an email attached that traces back to a known sketchy back yard breeder”. Cherry came with a whole list of her own issues, she was scared of life, had to be carried in and outside barely left Bosscos crate which she had claimed as her own. At her vet appointment when I had built up the courage to finally take her in, about 4 days after Donnie had crossed the rainbow bridge. The vet gave her a good once over, her spay was a butcher mess, both ears were infected, both eyes were infected, she couldn't produce her own tears, she was completely blind, had dementia, was partial deaf, but man her nose worked great!!! She had pressure wounds all over her body from spending her life in a crate and used solely for breeding. Donnie and Cherry were likely a breeding pair.

After being with us for a short time she started to warm up to us and boy she was sneaky. She would steal things and hide them in “her” crate, man she was such a hoarder lol. She was doing great, loved Blaine and would even allow us to snuggle with her. You could tell when she would get lost or confused she would just walk in circles until you went and picked her back up.

One morning we woke up to her having pooped on the mat, pee was the norm with her every morning there would be pee in front of the door on the mat or she would pee in her crate. This morning was different, she had a rough night and had pooped on the mat. I tired to take her out of the crate like every other morning to take her to pee and get some food. This morning she growled and went to bite me, I tired again and same thing so I gave up and left her be figured it was just an off day or whatever. I messaged the rescue and let them know she was having an off day and that I would see how she was at end of the weekend. This happened all day that day. She refused to leave the crate and was bring mean, she had also started to have what looked like the shakes someone who MS gets. The rescue figures she had a stroke or seizure during the night. I called the vet and made her apt for the Tuesday. This would give her time to see if she improved for not. Which she didn't.

Sadly after being in care for a short few months we had to say goodbye to Cherry. This wasn't easy.

After losing both Donnie and Cherry I felt as those I had failed them both, that if I could have found them sooner, if I could have, I don't know done something else to help them they would have been able to feel love for even just a little longer.

In rescue saying goodbye to dogs and holding them while they cross the rainbow bridge, giving the most out of life for even a short while is an honor, it breaks you but it is an honor that not many can handle. The best part? Even though they are only with you for a short time you get to see them be free and happy in a way without you they would never have, you get snuggles and love that is beyond words. You get to comfort, spoil and show them love that they have never gotten in their little lives.

Once again as I write this and think of the amazing snuggles and Cherry trying to steal my shoes as I am wearing them lol or socks from the clean laundry basket as I mate them, I am in tears because though she was only here for a little while each animal touches your soul in a unique way that without being in rescue I would never experience.

Thank you for allowing me to be the one to help those who can not help themselves. Thank you for allowing me to care for those who need it the most and thank you for allowing me to make a difference one dog at a time.