Thankful
I am thankful for:
- God's care over R as she was choking on something she shouldn't have put in her mouth while I was upstairs getting her some pajamas...somehow she got it out
- our new fence and the way chain link looks once you start putting the inserts in
- the feeling of renewed energy and a cloud lifting in the last two days...maybe the coconut oil is working!! (prayers always help, too)
- our swing...except that when I go on it with the kids after supper, bedtime gets way later!
- our baby grass coming up in the black soil
- our neighbours
- our friends and the fact that I'm actually getting together with many of them this week!
- sisters that tell me how much they miss me!!
- my kids: the laughs I shared with J1 today, the cuddles I shared with R, and the wet kisses I shared with J2
- my husband (who just happened to do some dishes for me "so that I wouldn't have them all facing me after bedtime) and who continually amazes me with his talents and awes me with his acceptance
Wednesday
Saturday
Oh Seven
Well, today is my 34th birthday...07/07/07. Hubby is gone all day doing a wedding. But we celebrated early by going to Joey's Only for fish, shrimp and crab strips. I should've had the fries. Then we went shopping at Zeller's for a swimsuit for me (and then to DQ for icecream). Rod had seen a cool one on someone and found out that's where she got it. Unfortunately, the pickings were slim. I ended up with two choices: a bold stripe boy shorts/halter crop top or a more "mature" regular cut black bottom with full length spaghetti strap top with built-in bra in a red/black/white/floral. It was the first time in a long while that I'd been in front of a full-length mirror and I realized the consequences of not following through with my exercise program. I've been blessed with easy weight loss after baby, but I didn't realize how flabby I still am. Turns out that that boy shorts and cropped halter tops emphasize thigh and tummy "thickness" and so the more mature suit was much more flattering. Just a bit of reality on my birthday!! But at the same time, it was still nice to feel I could go swimsuit shopping on my birthday and feel good about myself. Since there was 30% off, I'm contemplating actually going back to get the other suit as motivation to tone up. We'll see.
I did get breakfast in bed and a little extra sleep this morning. The kids and I tried to go to the park to the wading pool for some fun, but it turns out the one we went to is closed on Saturdays. We played a bit, had our picnic and went home. It was getting really hot and muggy by that time so we hopped in the tub when we got home. Now we're just hanging out. Have to decide whether to pursue nap time for the older kids (and me) now.
Happy birthday to me! (and my bro)
Well, today is my 34th birthday...07/07/07. Hubby is gone all day doing a wedding. But we celebrated early by going to Joey's Only for fish, shrimp and crab strips. I should've had the fries. Then we went shopping at Zeller's for a swimsuit for me (and then to DQ for icecream). Rod had seen a cool one on someone and found out that's where she got it. Unfortunately, the pickings were slim. I ended up with two choices: a bold stripe boy shorts/halter crop top or a more "mature" regular cut black bottom with full length spaghetti strap top with built-in bra in a red/black/white/floral. It was the first time in a long while that I'd been in front of a full-length mirror and I realized the consequences of not following through with my exercise program. I've been blessed with easy weight loss after baby, but I didn't realize how flabby I still am. Turns out that that boy shorts and cropped halter tops emphasize thigh and tummy "thickness" and so the more mature suit was much more flattering. Just a bit of reality on my birthday!! But at the same time, it was still nice to feel I could go swimsuit shopping on my birthday and feel good about myself. Since there was 30% off, I'm contemplating actually going back to get the other suit as motivation to tone up. We'll see.
I did get breakfast in bed and a little extra sleep this morning. The kids and I tried to go to the park to the wading pool for some fun, but it turns out the one we went to is closed on Saturdays. We played a bit, had our picnic and went home. It was getting really hot and muggy by that time so we hopped in the tub when we got home. Now we're just hanging out. Have to decide whether to pursue nap time for the older kids (and me) now.
Happy birthday to me! (and my bro)
Tuesday
Ingredients
I am an ingredient reader. I like to know what's going into my body and my family's bodies. I've read a fair bit about nutrition, so I'm actually able to figure out what the ingredients mean!! (by the way, the shorter the ingredient list and more understandable the words, the better!).
I am always amazed at what companies can get away with. Labels are getting a lot better, but consumers are still getting hosed a lot of the time. Take the whole issue of oils/fats right now. It used to be almost impossible to find products without hydrogenated oils (otherwise known as "vegetable oil shortening) in them. It's getting a lot better. Because "0 Trans Fats" is in now, you'll see it in big letters all over the place, but many times they're still using hydrogenated oils...just not "partially hydrogenated". Or sometimes they'll use the cheapest, least healthy, or most pesticide-ridden, "refined" oils possible...like cottonseed oil. But lots are switching to canola oil and soybean oil, some of the "best" in polyunsaturated fat. But now, I'm learning that these fats aren't necessarily the best for your body as they can put quite a drain on your system just trying to metabolize them (and they can go rancid in your body because they don't stand up well to higher temperatures?!!) and actually saturated fats, in particular virgin coconut and palm oils are very healthy for you, functioning as anti-oxidants, anti-viral/bacterial agents, aids to metabolism and thyroid function and much more! However, if these oils are ever listed on a product, the chances are they've been modified and "wrecked" in some way.
Anyways, enough about oil. I've run into a dilemma as an ingredient reader: what do you do when you've been buying something for awhile and then you find out what the ingredients are or when you've been buying according to price or convenience, and then you start getting more health-conscious again? Arrgh! It's a bugger! I just discovered that my $9/kg frozen chicken breasts have corn syrup in them as well as spice extracts (which could include MSG)...both things that I avoid whenever possible. Plus, we've grown to like a bread done in-store at Extra Foods/Superstore because it is cheap enough to actually buy and it doesn't taste like cardboard or look so square. But it has hydrogenated vegetable oil in it. Sometimes knowledge is good and sometimes it's just plain harder...(and then start adding in the impact on the environment, where it's grown, if it's been genetically modified or hormonally supplemented and you start going crazy!) I try to keep everything in perspective, but it's not always easy.
Here is my final ingredient rant: I was buying these perfect-sized 250 mg Vitamin C from Shopper's for my kids. They loved them. I never thought of looking at the ingredients. After all, they're vitamins...they're supposed to be healthy, right? One day, I happened to check the label....Aspartame! I immediately stop giving them any and pick up a new kind, the only choice being a 500 mg. Could've chosen grape juice or tropical. Chose tropical because I think it was on sale. Didn't look at the label. Checked at home...sucralose! Well, at least I haven't heard it's as bad. But I still won't buy that again.
So, the lesson is, check the labels on everything! And then choose the least of the many evil options available... (Okay, maybe evil is a little strong...)
I am an ingredient reader. I like to know what's going into my body and my family's bodies. I've read a fair bit about nutrition, so I'm actually able to figure out what the ingredients mean!! (by the way, the shorter the ingredient list and more understandable the words, the better!).
I am always amazed at what companies can get away with. Labels are getting a lot better, but consumers are still getting hosed a lot of the time. Take the whole issue of oils/fats right now. It used to be almost impossible to find products without hydrogenated oils (otherwise known as "vegetable oil shortening) in them. It's getting a lot better. Because "0 Trans Fats" is in now, you'll see it in big letters all over the place, but many times they're still using hydrogenated oils...just not "partially hydrogenated". Or sometimes they'll use the cheapest, least healthy, or most pesticide-ridden, "refined" oils possible...like cottonseed oil. But lots are switching to canola oil and soybean oil, some of the "best" in polyunsaturated fat. But now, I'm learning that these fats aren't necessarily the best for your body as they can put quite a drain on your system just trying to metabolize them (and they can go rancid in your body because they don't stand up well to higher temperatures?!!) and actually saturated fats, in particular virgin coconut and palm oils are very healthy for you, functioning as anti-oxidants, anti-viral/bacterial agents, aids to metabolism and thyroid function and much more! However, if these oils are ever listed on a product, the chances are they've been modified and "wrecked" in some way.
Anyways, enough about oil. I've run into a dilemma as an ingredient reader: what do you do when you've been buying something for awhile and then you find out what the ingredients are or when you've been buying according to price or convenience, and then you start getting more health-conscious again? Arrgh! It's a bugger! I just discovered that my $9/kg frozen chicken breasts have corn syrup in them as well as spice extracts (which could include MSG)...both things that I avoid whenever possible. Plus, we've grown to like a bread done in-store at Extra Foods/Superstore because it is cheap enough to actually buy and it doesn't taste like cardboard or look so square. But it has hydrogenated vegetable oil in it. Sometimes knowledge is good and sometimes it's just plain harder...(and then start adding in the impact on the environment, where it's grown, if it's been genetically modified or hormonally supplemented and you start going crazy!) I try to keep everything in perspective, but it's not always easy.
Here is my final ingredient rant: I was buying these perfect-sized 250 mg Vitamin C from Shopper's for my kids. They loved them. I never thought of looking at the ingredients. After all, they're vitamins...they're supposed to be healthy, right? One day, I happened to check the label....Aspartame! I immediately stop giving them any and pick up a new kind, the only choice being a 500 mg. Could've chosen grape juice or tropical. Chose tropical because I think it was on sale. Didn't look at the label. Checked at home...sucralose! Well, at least I haven't heard it's as bad. But I still won't buy that again.
So, the lesson is, check the labels on everything! And then choose the least of the many evil options available... (Okay, maybe evil is a little strong...)
