snickerdoodles

buddha babies...

Pink—Peace

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”

We have some new babies in our house and they are adorable Buddha Banks by Buddha Buddha Life.   The pink one is mine...I saw it at Winners and couldn't possibly resist.  These sweet coin collectors have been calling my name for years at a shop on Granville Island but I was never smitten with the gold ones they had in stock.    When I saw this happy tot in the perfect pink shade I broke into a light run to behold it.

Perhaps, I should go back to the beginning of the Buddha story....just before Grannie and Grandad headed back to Ontario they gave Ryan an early Christmas gift and it was this:

 

Green—Faith

The Buddha counsels “To work your own salvation, do not depend on others.”

A lovely little fellow deep in prayer.  Ryan adores his new Buddha.  He brings him around and plays, they watch movies, share blankies and sometimes even a ba-ba or two (bottle).   It's typical doll size and not breakable...perfect for a two year old or me to share with a two year old!

Our routines have been very topsy turvey the last month as it's been a steady stream of company.  It's been wonderful in a whirlwind sort of way that is unavoidable with relatives and houseguests in general.  Throw a little 'swine flu' into the mix and then you have a lousy Momma.  The other night I had time to play with my boys alone and it was divine.  We played house with the Buddhas under the dining room table.  There were babies to swaddle and sing "twinkle, twinkle" to, babies to feed and even babies with dirty diapers.  I only gave twenty or so minutes of my time but Ryan and Liam soaked it up with glee.    I haven't been completely present with any of my three beasties in weeks.

I am grateful for all the family and friends we've had at Birch Hill since Thanksgiving, it's going to be quiet when we send the last two beauties off tomorrow.  I am also so grateful for our new Buddha friends to give me a reminder on why parenthood is such a blessing.

Since I have three boys it really doesn't seem right that we only have two Buddhas...we've decided we need one last babe/bank to complete our clan.  The orange Love bank is the one we are watching for:

Buddha Buddha Life  also makes versions in a soft creamy colour that are lights!  How great are these for a kid's room?

If you have a weak spot for Buddhas like moi you will enjoy the collection.  Tonight I will finish up simply with a Buddha-Gram from the webpage.

 

how to avoid Swine Flu...

   Since this seems to be a hot topic just about everywhere lately,  I thought I'd share another nice piece of advice I was forwarded.  This work had lots of tips I wish I knew a couple of weeks ago.  A friend was given this from her chiropractor and my own gave me similar advice today...

 

How to Prevent

the Swine Flu

(and other flu’s too!)

 The following advice, given by Dr. Oz and DesLauriers Chiropractic Group Inc., makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know:

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):   

1.   Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications). 

2.   "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe.) 

3.   Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide if you don't trust salt).  H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method. 

4.   Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, or hydrogen peroxide. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose softly once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5.   Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6.   Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

7.   Take Vitamin D3 every day.  Research indicates this to be one of the most effective things that you can do to prevent the flu.  Children should take 2000 IU’s per day and adults can take 2000-10,000 IU’s per day.

8.   Take Omega 3 fish oil’s.  Not only does it reduce pain and inflammation and help with brain function, omega 3 fatty acids really boost the immune system.

9.   Get enough sleep.  At least 7-8 hours per night.

10. Get an adjustment!  Chiropractic adjustments help reduce stress on the body and improve the function of the immune system.

11. Laugh as much as you can.  It reduces stress and improves the immune system.

12. Quit stressing out about H1N1.  It’s just the flu!  

 

 

1-2-3- Ganache...

   I think I am finally out of my piggie phase with swine flu.  I woke up feeling so much better, even after a terribly restless sleep.  I am grateful to have my headache almost gone and my very unappealing dry cough down to a minor tickle.  In honor of the piggieness I seem to have a tendency to I thought I would share a naughty recipe today.

Chocolate ganache has always been a sweet mystery to me, light and fluffy but still sinfully rich and chocolaty...bliss. 

Making ganache from scratch is surprisingly easy and soo much better than the phony baloney stuff they pass of as icing at the grocery store.  Sorry Betty Crocker but your icing seems to be getting grosser every year.

1-2-3 Ganache

Whipped Ganache Filling & Frosting

1.  In a heavy pot bring two cups of heavy (whipping cream) to a slow boil over medium heat.

2.  Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in 8 ounces of bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate that's been finely chopped.  (oops...just noticed that part, mine was in squares and it still melted well)  Stir until perfectly blended and smooth.

3.  Cover the pot and chill for several hours until it's cooled.  (At this stage you can tuck the ganache in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.)  To use the ganache right away whip it with an electric mixer until it's spreading consistency and holds it's shape.  Be careful not to over beat it.  Try not to eat it all before it makes it on the cake!

What I learned...the ganache was kinda bubbly and bumpy when I spread it on my cake.  That made it nice and fluffy for the filling but after spreading on the top and sides I used a warm, wet knife to make the whole surface of the cake silky smooth.

To see a photo of the finished cake take a boo at this post: http://snickerdoodles.typepad.com/snickerdoodle_life/2009/11/a-birthday-party.html

 

 

surviving H1N1...

    For the past few days I have been feeling anywhere from off to absolutely wretched.  I've been eating Advil like candy and keeping it together for the in-laws visit.  A couple of days ago things flared up and I had another semi-comatose day, since then I have had a wicked headache that no drugs can seem to conquer and a hacking cough. 

H1N1 is rampant at the boy's little school, twenty percent of the students are away sick.  I kept my guys home Thursday and Friday in case they were carrying a bug from me....and to keep them away from their seemingly germ infested school.   

  Several neighborhood kids have been given Tamiflu and banished to their bedrooms for the seven day recommended period.  I have been watching my guys like a hawk and trying not to overreact when I hear a cough or feel a warm forehead.  It's hard not to be alarmist with so much information flying around.  We don't even have TV and I feel bombarded by mixed messages.

  Obviously I have decided not to go the Tamiflu route for myself...it has to be given within the first 48 hours to be effective.  Ryan is the only one at high risk with H1N1 as he's under five years old.  If he starts with a high fever I will definitely head to the doctor.  Other than that, after extensive reading on the Public Health Agency web page called Fight Flu.ca and talking to the triage nurse Health Canada I think I just have to wait this out. 

Not fun...but I am extremely thankful I don't have any of the vomitrouciousness that comes along with other flu strains. 

   Here are some things I have learned I wanted to share are....wash your hands, wash them well and lots.

Keep your fingers away from your face...your eyes, mouth and nose.

Cough and sneeze into your shoulder or a tissue to avoid spreading germs.

A simple mix of one part enviro-friendly bleach and ten parts water can be used to disinfect door knobs, light switches, phones, tv remotes, keyboards etc.  I put mine in a spray bottle.

Get some fresh air...keep a window cracked.  Get your kiddos out and get them moving to bring in nice clean oxygen.

I have been keeping a diffuser going with Thieves Oil Blend, an essential oil supplement by Young Living that kills germs with Cinnamon, Cloves, Eucalytus and Rosemary.  You can get this from the  Thailam button on my left sponsors sidebar.  Colleen is an expert on healing oils.

A mother-in-law with a cold cloth also does wonders for a feverish head...thanks Sybie!!!

A neighborhood resource of all things healthy also shared this handy guide below:

  Know the Difference between  a Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms

 

Symptom	Cold	H1N1 Flu
Fever	Fever is rare with a cold.	Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the  H1N1 flu.
Coughing	A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.	A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the  H1N1 flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).
Aches	Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.	Severe aches and pains are common with the  H1N1 flu.
Stuffy Nose	Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.	Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the  H1N1 flu.
Chills	Chills are uncommon with a cold.	60% of people who have the  H1N1 flu experience chills.
Tiredness	Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.	Tiredness is moderate to severe with the  H1N1  flu.
Sneezing	Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.	Sneezing is not common with the  H1N1 flu.
Sudden Symptoms	Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.	The  H1N1 flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
Headache	A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.	A headache is very common with the  H1N1 flu, present in 80% of flu cases.
Sore Throat	Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.	Sore throat is not commonly present with the  H1N1 flu.
Chest Discomfort	Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.	Chest discomfort is often severe with the  H1N1 flu.

The only way to stop the spread of the epidemic is to spread the awareness.

 

This varies a bit from the guidelines at Fight Flu.ca but it's more detailed which is really helpful.   I am also eager to hear your stories and lovely flu experiences. 

oxo

Swiney Snickerdoodle....oink.

earthkeepers...

   I recently read an article about Betsy Blaisdell in Women's Health Magazine.  Betsy is an enviro-scientist that works for Timberland.  Timberland is leading the way in creating eco-guidelines and Green Indexes for other companies to learn from. 

Betsy is committed to corporate sustainability.  As a result Timberland now hasemployee incentive programs, like offering $3000 to staff that buy hybrid vehicles, an organic company garden and Earthwatch expedition rewards to honor the greenest employee.

I hopped on Timberland to browse their new collection of Earthkeepers  footwear and learn more.  Earthkeepers are made with green rubber that is made from recycled tires.  They are also designed to be taken apart when they are worn out and recycled...very clever, and very, very stylish...

The A Lounger,

A perfect winter slip on boot.

Also love this tall style:

It's called the Mount Holly and comes in three classic shades.  Perfect for tights and a big cozy sweater.

Being the bargain hunter that I am, I couldn't resist perusing the sale section...check out these spunky guys sneaks:

They are on sale for $49.99.

That's all for this Eco-Friday folks...I am still fighting a nasty flu bug and my eyes can only last so long staring at the computer.  Time to reload on peppermint oil and Advil. 

Happy Weekend!

a birthday party...

   Today my biggest guy turned forty...I can't believe how fast time has gone by.  He's gone from being a skinny grade 11 boy who made my heart go pitter patter to a strong, handsome man.  Hubbie is my best friend, my lovey, and the most amazing father to our boys.   He's the full meal deal. 

More family rolled into town for the big event and we had a party to celebrate.   We feasted on all of hubbie's fave foods...nachos, old school spinach dip in the bread bowl, shrimp cocktail, homemade cabbage rolls, rouladen, and perogies.  When we could hardly handle another morsel I brought out hubbie's traditional gift...a homemade cake of his choice.  This year was Devil's Food cake with chocolate ganache icing and a border of Purdy's Chocolate Hedgehogs. 

Just the sight of it makes the button fly off my trousers and my muffiny middle swell.  So worth it though.  I can share the recipe later if anyone likes.

We kept the decorating fairly simple but I did take advantage of the opportunity to snazz up our Ikea Lerdal chandelier:

 
Considering this light was only $69, it's pretty versatile. 

Here it is again straight off the website.

The in laws are scheduled to set sail in two days and the new batch of guests are here to stay for another week.  Looking forward to spending some nice time catching up with my super fun sis-in-law and my sweet niece.  A stretch of full on girl time is always nice for me in this testosterone palace I call home.

beauty...

“Everything has its beauty…”
— Confucius

I saw this bare wild flower along the fence on a walk...I was struck by the simple beauty of it even after all it's blooms had dropped.  I still am deeply in love with my camera.

In law mania continues...two other relatives arrived yesterday...more to come.

oxo

the morning after...

 
Last night was fantastic.  To be honest I was a tad nervous, as little ole Lavington had big boots to fill in terms of meeting up with the fun neighborhood Halloweens we had in Whistler.  Things were very similar here in terms of a neighborhood gathering.  It wasn't nearly as showy...there were no D.J.s on driveways or huge movies projected on houses.  The houses were humbler, the streets were not nearly as crowded with costumed chaos, it was easier to see and fun. 

The moon was full and it was brisk but not too cold.  We ran into friends and the kids were delighted to run into classmates too.  We brought both sets of grandparents along this time which was truly special as my folks have never had the chance to go out with our boys.

Our night started at 3:30 here with a meet up dinner of chili, fresh foccacia bread and warm apple pie and ice cream. 

Ryan and Rufus were waiting to greet everyone patiently.  They both opted to wear a different costume for the party before than for the evening.  

After many trips to the costume suitcase Ryan makes the finishing touches to Roofy and both are content.

 
A little break for Jello shots and soda at a home by the school.  Nana the pirate finally took off her disturbing mask to partake. 

At one house along the route we saw rustling in the leaves like bodies were coming out of the ground...the stopped in curiosity, and then up popped these three dancers came out and did the whole Thriller dance!  It was awesome, the kids were speechless.

 
Ryan was thrilled to meet up with his friend Sophie the spider and discuss Halloweenie stuff.  Poor Sophie started crying in fear when he told her she had a spider on her nose! 

One of the highlights of the night was the house with 95 carved pumpkins lit up...I could have spent the whole night there.  It took the girl four days to carve them all.

 

The night ended with a big bang...a huge fireworks display at the park and a bon fire by the firefighters,

We didn't stay for the block party and BBQ, we took the kiddos home for a movie and the candy sorting/sampling ceremonies.

 One of our best Halloweenies yet.  At one point hubbie and I looked at each other, smiling, and both said: "we picked the right place to live".  Hope your night was extra special too.

 

last minute costumes...

   Soon the sounds of trick or treating will be all around.  I thought I would share a few photographs from my visit to the school today in case you were still looking for costume ideas.

There were plenty of pumped up kiddos in costumes today at the Halloween Howl.  

Liam had to shed his groovy glasses for the fun & games.  His partner was a bit wild, but adorable.

Some kiddos wore extra cute costumes...

 
and some were freaking scary...

 
  this wee girl  goul stayed in character the whole time.  Very creepy.

The grade six and sevens had a dance.  My sweetie invited me and I brought a rather fishy date.  Most of the older kids sat around in groups but Nemo danced the day away.

He tried to act cool like the big kids and be a bench warmer but the music was too much...he just had to keep moving to the funky beats.  I couldn't resist joining him,

We shared a slow dance in the pitch black.  Noah snapped this.  I was glad my biggest boy wasn't interested in dancing and was content to play with my camera...seeing kids his age dancing close in the dark was more haunting than any Halloween thing I have yet to witness.

Happy Halloweenie friends, I will zip off some better shots after Trick or Treating is officially over.  Rummage around your stuff and I am sure you will find the perfect costume right in your own home.

p.s.  the garage is nearly done! 

the laundry room sink is officially installed too, sigh. 

the latest loot...

  Here are the latest Value Village finds.  I officially have a problem with that store now.

Everything and anything mid-century makes me swoon lately.  Love this huge cake plate.

I bought three of these plates to blend in with my Johnson Brothers set.  I also scored a HUGE new punch bowl that match my cups...but it's still in hiding from hubbie from now.  He has little appreciation for the value of of a good punch bowl.

 
Liam helped with photography from this point and he has a good knack for a blurry look, it's his thing.

I am wearing a cute French Connection sweat shirty dress I got over yoga pants and a fitted t.  It has shooting stars all over it and is super comfy.

Gap trouser jeans, perfect size.  Like new.

A sweater dress and a nifty leather belt to wear with it.  I also got a nice loopy, cream, short sleeved number but no photos right now to show.

Leather gloves I much needed after loosing my old ones after six years.  They are well made, lined with wool and have pretty cuffs.  $9.99 less 30%  how's that for a deal?

While there we also grabbed the last bits of clothing we needed for our costumes.  The festivities start tomorrow with school parties, I can't wait!  Have you got your costume sorted out?