It May Be Ordinary but It’s Still a Miracle 03/09/2010
 It has been a lot of fun having our friends from the Okanagan come and stay with us! We are fortunate to know such wonderful people. Mommy having a friend over, Daddy having a buddy around, and the kids having their friends to play with all equals a lot of enjoyment. It may have been loud at times, but makes me smile nonetheless knowing it really comes down to the kids’ excitement. It is fun to spend the day with someone who understands your day with just simply a look. And to spend the day with someone who inspires you, gets you thinking outside your normal box, opens you up to new ideas, and gives you a new appreciation for things. As well, renewing the sense of love for some things you already felt but lost in the day to day. When our friends arrived in Vancouver they pointed out how beautiful the area is becoming with the trees and flowers starting to blossom. The words stuck with me and reminded me of the beautiful song Ordinary Miracle by Sarah McLachlan. It is a wonderful and brilliant song that reminds us of everyday occurrences that truly are miracles. Sometimes we forget to stop and see the miracles happening around us. My friend’s words gave me the inspiration I needed to take a moment and appreciate the beauty of nature happening right in front of me. On the way home from my daughter’s doctor appointment today I took a minute to pull over next to a group of cherry blossom trees and absorb their beauty. And to point out to the kids how beautiful nature is. I hope they will develop their own love for nature’s miracles and take moments to let the beauty in, creating a piece of happiness in their day. What is one of nature’s ‘Ordinary Miracles’ occurring outside your door? 
On To Color 03/08/2010
Are you ready to find out what color we chose? Things had to get worse before they got better. Take a look at the hall.  I think the lens on my camera had something on it. The love seat that we put in the playroom is an old one but it doesn’t have circles on it J On to the room color  Teal When talking to my friend Jessielyn who has been hard at work on her home. I asked her how she chooses a paint color with so many choices out there. She said she usually finds something for inspiration first. That is really helpful in narrowing the options down. I knew I had just the thing. I bought these curtains last summer because I thought the bright strips would be fun for the kids. From there I picked a shade of teal. At first Big Brother was not so happy about the change to his playroom, but today he LOVES it. I think all he needed was to see the toys back in the room, which made all the difference. The furniture in the room is a mix of old and new. It doesn’t all go completely with the teal but its ‘perfect’ to the kids and that is what really counts. Here is another picture of the stripped curtains.  This unit below we bought when we first moved into our home to hold some of the toys. It works really well, and you can insert baskets or drawers if you like. The rest of the toys are in the closet. We have not tackled the closet or the wrinkles in the curtain yet J   I have to give my husband credit. He is the one who did the painting. Thank you honey!!   We have VERY little experience in painting, but you figure it out as you go. When shopping for the paint, we asked what supplies they recommended to make the job go as smoothly as possible. We walked away with one good 2inch brush, a roller and tray, painters tape and an edger. Instead of buying drop cloths we just used old moving blankets. A tarp would also work. My husband said he felt like he was in elementary school all over again, trying to stay in the lines. J We did some taping but the edging tool proved very useful so we would highly recommend that. Painting a room works wonders for making it look refreshed and new. If you are feeling stuck, consider painting to help fall in love with your home all over again. It is a great way to appreciate what you have, and makes your love for it even greater when you are done. Personalizing a space by painting really makes it feel like Home. Pay attention to how you feel when you look at colors and choose one that makes you feel happy, relaxed or cozy, because really that’s what life is all about.
It’s Painting Time 03/06/2010
Happy Weekend Everyone!  We have had some really nice weather in Vancouver. The sun is shining, making it feel like spring is right around the corner. This weekend we are hard at work painting the kids playroom. And we have friends from the Okanagan that we don’t get to see often enough coming to stay for a few days, yay! Overall it will be a productive and fun weekend. Our whole house needs to be painted. After our one year review the builders of our home came back and fixed some nail pops and minor things, which is great but now we are left with patches everywhere. The good thing is we have wanted to paint to give our place some character, but didn’t really have the motivation until now. The whole house seems overwhelming to think about at once so we are just thinking about one room at a time, and the playroom came first because it is the smallest. It actually worked out really well that we didn’t get to painting the house when we first moved in, because had we done that everything would have needed to be repainted. So that is something to smile about. J I hope your weekend brings lots of joyful moments! Pictures to come later... Can you guess what color we are painting the playroom?
Spring Cleaning 03/05/2010
Lately, around the web and in magazines I have started to see a lot of information on spring cleaning. The urge is starting to hit me as well. Lightening the load of stuff you find yourself surrounded by is good for the soul. It is amazing what a little cleaning can do to make you fall in love with your home all over again. Schedule Time The first obstacle in getting to the spring cleaning is to put it higher on the priority list. That can be easier said than done. To jump this hurdle try scheduling time in your calendar devoted to spring cleaning, just as you would any other activity. If you can make it work, you may even want to block off 1 or 2 entire weekends to get it done and move on. For others, including myself, taking a weekend may not be the best solution. For instance because you have young kids and weekend or not you need to tend to them. Or your weekends are too booked up. Try scheduling one task at a time, and spread it out over the next month or 2. Better to take a while, than not at all. That’s what I’m telling myself. J In fact, when my husband gets home I am going to try to set a time with him for us to clean the garage, the place where everything seems to end up. As well as get the kids play room painted. Set Goals & Keep Positive It may sound like a really long time, but I am hoping to get through things around the house one by one, and be done by the end of April. Setting a goal may be helpful in accomplishing what you want to get done. But as I said in my last post Lists, be careful to set a realistic amount you can accomplish each day to avoid burn out, and still find time for things that make you happy. While cleaning try to focus on what makes you happy about it. Keep your attention there as much as possible. For me I find that very challenging when cleaning bathrooms. Think about it like a really good mind strength training technique. Make Organizational Boxes Keep boxes or bags in an easy to get to location for Give Away/Donate, Garbage and Sell. It is better to have these out in the open to motivate you as you come across things over the next month to toss into the appropriate boxes. Think of it as a constant reminder to help keep you motivated even though spring cleaning can be a large task. Doing whatever you can to stay motivated over a long period of time if you can’t devote a few whole days to it, is key in accomplishing your goal. With all the extra dust around in the corners from spending more time indoors over the winter, I think you’ll find you breathe easier when the work is done. Here is a cleaning/dusting find I picked up for $1 at my local Save On Foods and has proven to be a good buy.  There are two reasons I love this cleaning mitt. The first is because it stays on my hand well while cleaning. That may sound silly but it works great for getting behind things without losing the cloth back there. The second reason I love it is because you can really use your finger to scrap off sticky spots without getting any of the grime under your nails. Along the same lines of using your finger, you can clean off very small areas, or reach easily into corners. To take care of the cleaning mitt all you do is rinse it in warm soapy water and let it air dry. Really easy to do at the end of the day before bed, giving it time to dry for morning. However, spring cleaning isn’t about finding magical tools that will get it all done for you. Believe me I wish it were because sometimes I think it would be easier if I just had... When it comes down to it, spring cleaning takes elbow grease. The best part ... that’s good for your heart! What place in your home could really use a good clean? Lists - Balance or Burn Out? 03/04/2010
 Do you make to do lists? Lists can be great. When thinking about the lists I make, I started to think whooo burn out. There is the shopping list, the dinner ideas list, the keep my eye out for list, the to make list, home improvements list, blog ideas list, and of course the ever growing to do household chores list. Not to mention the places I’d like to visit, restaurants I want to try and the life/accomplishments list. Lists help us keep organized, or at least make us feel like we are. J They help us remember things we don’t want to forget. That being said, today I am left wondering is there such thing as too many lists? I guess the answer depends on how the lists make you feel. Do you feel overwhelmed by them? Or do they make you feel a sense of order? Fortunately, some of these lists I now keep on my computer or phone, which cuts down on the little pieces of paper everywhere and that is a good thing! What good is a list if you can’t find it when you need it, right? In all the thinking about lists there is something very important that I often lose sight of, but was fortunate enough to be reminded of while reading the blog www.scotthyoung.com/blog a few days ago. It reminded me that writing a list of tasks for the day can be a great thing. That one should evaluate their overall to do list and make a condensed list for just that day. A realistic list of accomplishments for the day. One that it not too jammed packed and will allow you time for relaxation and/or give you time for a minute to yourself to do something you enjoy. This is the most important part, while working on the list and when you finish DO NOT ADD THINGS TO IT. When you are done, you’re done! And I am going to re-read that to myself. It is hard sometimes to resist the urge to add to the list, making it never ending, leaving you feeling unsettled or overwhelmed. Allow yourself to be happy with what you have done, instead of feeling like there is always something else that needs to be done or that you could be doing. Remember moments left to relax and focus on what you love, people or activities are vital to keeping balance in your life. Not overdoing it really is essential in creating happiness each day. Now what are you going to do when your list is done? It’s Tealicious 03/03/2010
Right now as I am writing this post I am enjoying a cup of 1001 Nights Green Tea from Tealicious Tea Company. Love the name 1001 Nights, it is funny the little things that can add to your enjoyment. You may be thinking at this point, man she writes a lot of posts about tea, and you would be right! J  Pretty soon I could probably devote a whole category just to Tea. Tea is something I LOVE so when I come across a great new find, I love to share. Not too long ago I read an article about loose leaf tea having more to offer you than the ground up tea you find in most tea bags. Sometimes when I have not read the science behind a particular claim I just go with my gut. We know processed foods are not as healthy for us, and tend to lose nutrients, so why wouldn’t tea be the same the more processed and ground up it is? At the same time I was starting to grow tired of the same old tea selection at my local grocery store. After searching on Google for a new tea shop where I would be able to buy good quality tea I could not find one (quickly that is J) in my home town, but I came across a place nearby in a town called Port Moody. Tealicious Tea Company was the name of the place I found, and the website intrigued me. My husband was out at an indoor swimming pool with my son trying to let him burn off some of his energy on a rainy day. I decided to give him a call and ask if they would mind going to the tea shop after swimming to buy some new tea to try. Being the wonderful guy that he is, he said yes. My instructions were to bring home a chai tea and a green tea. Did you know that Green Tea is on Dr. Oz’s Anti-Cancer Shopping List? I recommend taking a look at the list for more foods to add to your diet!  When my husband got home, he had lots to say about the Tealicious Tea Company, which makes me want to go and visit myself soon! Not only do they sell tea leaves, you can also sit down and enjoy a cup of tea paired with sweets and sandwiches for Afternoon Tea. It made me smile, the vast amount of knowledge about tea my husband returned home with. He said the owner of Tealicious is very passionate about her tea and that in and of itself makes me want to shop there. Opening up a tea shop is not about the money he told me, he said it is about having a true love of tea, and Tealicious most definitely tops that! There is so much information about tea my husband taught me, but instead of writing it I encourage you to check out the Tealicious website here. Their detailed knowledge and descriptions are far better than I could write, down to how much tea to use, to what temperature of water is best for different kinds of tea. There is even a Loose Leaf Tea and Chocolate pairing section under the wonderful category Tea knowledge for all of you chocolate lovers out there. Why not combine two great things, right?   The flavor of the tea from Tealicious does not even compare to the tea bags I was previously buying. It is in a whole new galaxy. With that said Tealicious has my support for a wonderful little company with a big ♥ for tea. If you are a local I encourage stopping by and giving it a try. Tealicious also offers online ordering.  Just in case you are wondering, I am not affiliated with Tealicious in any way, just my true honest love for my new tea find. It may cost more than what you would spend on tea at the grocery store, but consider doing what I did and cut out soda, or another less healthy purchase you regularly make to leave room in your budget for a well worth it, healthy treat. Not to mention tea is a great way to relax! There are so many types of tea out there, what is your personal favorite? it’s shades of Gray - continued 03/02/2010
My dear friend Jessielynn and I have decided that sometimes we would like to work together and pull inspiration from each other. I am very excited about the opportunity because Jessie is a constant source of inspiration for me and has been since Grade 2. Having always loved the idea of working with Jessie, this is particularly exciting for me. Currently we are working on a name for our joint posts. At this point we do not have a set schedule of when and how frequently we will do them. It may be just whenever the mood strikes us, or when the East wind meets the West. For a little preview of what our future joint collaborations will look like, I have put something together. Part I will be on one of our blogs followed by Part II on the other. Please enjoy, and remember to read or view Part I first by following the link to get the full picture. Part I it’s shades of gray on Thoughts Punctuated or go to Link: http://thoughtspunctuated.blogspot.com/2010/02/teeny-tales-its-shades-of-gray.html Part II  it’s shades of gray continued... As the days past and she went from room to room painting them shades of gray, a part of her missed the old black and white decor. It was like missing her childhood. The part that simply explained the unexplainable with magic, and that was good enough for the younger her. Missing the time when the weight of the world didn’t fall on her shoulders. Because of course that’s what her parents were for. In the living room, stopped on the ladder, roller in hand, whale gray paint dripping to the drop cloth covered floor; time stopped. It was then she decided she would leave one room black and white. After all, it symbolized her roots. A place if she got lost she could come back to. But which room? She knew there was only one answer. Her office. The place where her creations came to life. Her special space where she felt cozy and enthused. But just black and white didn’t seem to fit anymore. She had grown and wanted her room to reflect that. So she decided to add touches of red. Red to symbolize the passion that burned inside her. Red to symbolize the blood that gave her life. Red to symbolize her beating heart which kept her going, especially when times got tough. Red to symbolize Love But it was the black and white room that left her just enough space for the infinite colors of life to explode. Meatless Tacos 03/01/2010
Welcome to March!! It is Monday so I thought I would share a super easy and quick week night meal that would also work well for Meat Free Monday if you would like to participate. In my pantry I had a family size Old El Paso Hard and Soft Taco kit. Using this kit I created Bean tacos instead of the traditional beef ones.  Ingredients: 1 can pinto beans 1 can red kidney beans Old El Paso Taco Kit Your favorite toppings such as: Shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onion/shallots, grated cheese, & plain yogurt Directions: Rinse and drain pinto and kidney beans.  Add beans to a pot along with 1 cup of water, and the seasoning packet provided. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Prepare Toppings: We choose shredded lettuce, sliced shallots, halved cherry tomatoes, plain yogurt, and a blend of grated cheeses, as well as the sauce packet that came with the kit.  It is as simple as that! Everyone really enjoyed it. We served the tacos with a side of broccoli.  For our family the tacos are really about the toppings, which meant the beans worked perfectly instead of ground beef. None of us missed the ground beef in the tacos at all. Next time you want a quick and easy meatless week night meal give this one a try. What are your favorite toppings for Tacos?
And It Comes To A Close 02/28/2010
Happy Sunday Everyone! My family and I are just getting ready to watch the Closing Olympic ceremonies. If any of you are currently breastfeeding, about to start, or just plain curious about it; you can follow the link and check out a post I wrote on ModernMom titled: Breastfeeding and Meditation  Also, for all of you fellow bloggers out there, if you have any blogging advice for beginners you can share, please comment and I will pass it along. Have a wonderful close to your weekend! With ♥, Wendy Irene Only Moments 02/27/2010
This creative writing is dedicated to 2 truly amazing women. One about to embark on a life changing journey. The other, the oldest friendship outside of my family I carry with me to this day. A friendship that has grown with me, nurtured me, pushed and inspired me creatively in ways I would never have known. Both have my heart, and my gratitude. Only Moments  I love how your hat hangs here next to mine, she said. It makes me smile. In that case I will leave it right here next to yours when I am gone. What’s the point? She said. When you’re away I am not going to feel like smiling. Yes you will, he said. You’ll focus. Enough of that crazy talk, she said. It makes me annoyed. In fact, she said. The whole thing annoys me. It down right hurts me! You don’t get it, she said. I’m MAD! MAD that this is happening. MAD that all I want to do is spend time with you, and I am not going to get to do that. MAD that you brought this on us. And she back peddled. Maybe I did not mean that, she said. Maybe it is just the hurt talking. And now I’m even more annoyed for feeling bad about what I said! I don’t deserve this, she said as she walked off to the corner and stared at the wall. Of course you don’t, he said. You deserve to be happy. Don’t you get it? She said. You’re what makes me happy. Being WITH you makes me happy. And now I feel like you are taking that away from me. Like your choices, however valid they may be, are taking that away from me. You know? He said. I wish I had a magic potion to take the hurt away. To make you smile ALL the time. I wish my love, so deep, so much larger than myself, could take every ounce of hurt, every ounce of unhappiness, and carry it far away. So far away neither of us could feel this pain again. You know though darling? He said. I won’t REALLY be gone. Oh GREAT! She said. More of the crazy talk. I guess I am going to have to work on my telepathy. She said in a very sarcastic tone. If I am ever going to be able to talk to you. Talk to you when I want to talk to you. Talk to you when I NEED to talk to you. We are made of the same matter, he said. No matter where our particles go they’ll always act in unison. Our love is one in the same. No matter how split apart we are our love will always be joined. In the Divine Matrix we are always connected. No distance could ever change that, he said. It is bigger than us. And you know? He said again. There is a gift in all of this. Oh really? She said sarcastically. Yes, he said. You’ll grow in a way you never knew possible. You’ll grow in a way most will never know, but so many already do. Your strength, our bond, they will be forces nothing can reckon with. Well if that is the gift, she said. I DON’T want it! You may not know it now but the growth that will happen, the insight and knowledge you’ll gain will be something you’ll treasure. Something you would never trade. That is so cliché. She said and rolled her eyes. The next day she went to her favorite bookstore alone, and bought every book on telepathy she could find. And in such a small store that wasn’t very many. With the books in her lap, she sat and slowly but quickly sipped her coffee, frozen in concentration. When she returned home, Together they picked a song. A song only they knew. A song only for them. A song she would listen to repeatedly for 365 days, 8760 hours, 525600 minutes, 31536000 seconds. A song, THEIR song, which would get her through the moments. Moments where emotion flushed through. Moments to focus. Moments of happiness, moments of sadness, moments of hurt and moments of memories ...but they were all moments of love. Credit: · The term Divine Matrix comes from the book The Divine Matrix by Gregg Braden. www.legallyfittowed.blogspot.com www.thoughtspunctuated.blogspot.com |  Wendy
|
RSS Feed