Healthy Humour

Why do I love going to the chiropractor? Dr. Craig, along with his team, Kayleigh and Sarah are friendly, caring and very real people. Not an ounce of pretension.

Purely professional in every way and never without a dose of humour. Here is the tale of my most recent visit.

Nikolas, my almost four year old, runs straight to the adjustment table and hops up. He likes to go first. Leo, the one and a halfer, climbs up next. They love getting adjusted! My turn next. I point to a bone at the base of my spine. I can’t seem to remember what it’s called today. “What’s this part called again?” I ask. “Your sacrum” he replies. I smile knowing that that is the word I had forgotten. “Yes, that’s the one. Can you fix it please?” Obviously, he can. I ask him to be careful because I’m feeling a little nauseous today. No problem. That’s when Nikolas starts using the automatic pedals to jerk the table up and down. Dr. Craig to the rescue. He asks Nik to help him. Nik usually gives my feet and legs an adjustment. Next things you know, Nik is laying on my legs with his head nearly up my butt. Dr. Craig is able to his thing all the same. He lifts my weirdo son down. The table starts to move again. I groan. “Sorry, that’s me.” The good doctor informs. Then, my bum get’s a good hearty pat. “That was NOT me!” he finishes. Thank you Nikolas. Before we left, Nik got a sticker and Leo poured water all over the floor. He likes splashing in puddles. Nik was ‘allowed’ to mop it up. Thanks Kayleigh.

I am so lucky that I have a wellness team that works well with my lifestyle. I thank them for the smiles, good health, support, helpful advice and ideas. I am looking forward to joining Kayleigh and Sarah soon in their 90 day challenge. We are going to be feeling so good by the end of that.

If you are interested in learning more about the many benefits of chiropractic care, benefits for children or the creating wellness program, please visit Dr. Craig Hazel’s website right away! Tell them Sasha sent you.

ps: For those who are trying to catch me cheating during my week-without-facebook, I can post this to facebook without having to actually go to facebook. I have been on the wagon for a full 24 hours. WOO!

Juggle me this...

I am a junkie for trying new things. If it interests me, I want to try it. Here is the dilemma: With so many balls in the air, I am destined to drop a couple. What if I drop something important and it crashes to the floor and breaks into thousands of tiny pieces?  In the name of balance and reducing anxiety, here is experiment #5: choosing to put a couple of balls down.

Stage one is to identify what balls I am juggling:

Raising the boys

University degree

Watching Y&R (yes, totally embarrassing to share but this is for science)

Painting

Writing

Cleaning the house

Mild Facebook addiction

Making meals for the family

Spend time with husband

Spending time with friends

Exercise

Yoga

These are the things that take up a minimum of an hour each week.  Obviously, some take significantly more.  On top of this, there is a giant list of things that I want to try out. Being a Reiki Master? Maybe? Why not? Oh, I have no time. Right. Sigh.

Stage two is to do a little thinking about what I am willing to sacrifice for the greater good.

Stage three is an evaluation of success. I hope to have more time to do what is most important to me. I would also like to feel a little more relaxed.

Follow up on a past experiment: “Make a plan” Pthhhhhh. (That’s what happened to it.) It seems that I am not willing to create a new plan each day. I think that once I put down a couple of balls I will have to construct some sort of permanent calendar/planner/reward chart for us to use. Good thing I’ll have all that free time once I put a couple of other balls down.

Good news: Yesterday's 'I've got this' attitude WORKED!!!! I survived, everyone was fed, the kitchen floor was clean for a little while and I didn't crash until halfway through dinner. Yay me!

I've Got This!!!

I caught the last 10 minutes of Village on a Diet last night. It’s not a show I follow but I needed something to keep me awake while I had a little pre-bed snack. The show is inspirational. These people are making an effort to change their unhealthy lifestyles. They were doing some sort of fitness test that involved running, crunches and push-ups. It was a very hot day and the featured participants were not in stellar physical form to start with. What got them through? Towards the end of the show, one of the professional fitness trainers (tall dark hotness, oh my!) was giving a pep-talk, I listened. He was getting them fired up. In response to tough situations they would encounter he would have them yell “I’ve got this!” over and over again.

Convince yourself that you can do something, that you’ve got it, and I bet you can. I am feeling crummy with the flu and bronchitis but still have 2 active boys to entertain. I am 2 months behind my goal for finishing my current university course.  My home is a mess… Husband will be working late this week. Will I crumble? NO! I’ve got this! Will I set reasonable expectations for this week? You bet your ass I will. Can I keep the kids out of trouble, make sure they get fed and sweep the kitchen floor? Yes. I can maintain reasonable order. I’ve got this.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. A little snack of yogurt before bed let me to catch the phrase that will carry me through this day, maybe the whole week. It is my hope that you will read this and find strength in yourself that will help you overcome your obstacles today.

Icky Sicky.... Naturally

It’s a long weekend for many of us and naturally, this is when I get sick. Fever, headache, cough, stuffy nose, achy body and a fever.  Even though I feel crappy, I am trying to stick with this positive attitude business. What better time could there be to try  some of the natural home remedies that have been passed down through the ages? First my disclaimer; I am not a doctor or medical professional, these are simply my opinions and should not replace sound medical advice. There, with that out of the way…. Here we go.

1)     Stuffy nose: I used the steam in my hot shower to loosen things up in my face and chest. A little gross if you are accustomed to a tissue but it worked. The relief lasted an hour or so. The heat also made my achy body feel better. The other thing I used to clear my sinuses is a product by NeilMed. It is this squeezy bottle that you fill with a special packet of saline and warm water. You squirt it up one nostril and let it run out the other. The first try gave me a flashback of learning the importance of blowing out while swimming. Now it’s not so bad. Relief also lasts about an hour. The nose-rinse is said to be good as a daily thing to clear the nasal passages of dust, allergens and germs. Also keeps things moist during dry winter weather.  The bonus here was that there were none of the dryness or stoner-like side affects of taking an over the counter decongestant.

2)     Sore throat: Gargle every couple of hours with salt water. I made it as salty as I could handle. It really took the sting out!  This works really well. My favourite relief is hot water with some honey and lemon juice in it. I don’t know the scientific facts around it but here is what I think… The lemon loosens up all the mucus, the heat sooths the throat and muscles after coughing and honey, I believe, has anti-bacterial properties to it. I also really like the taste. Gary makes it best so if he is home, he is my go-to Honey-Lemon mixer.

3)     Fever: No one likes a fever. It is hot and chills and sweaty and yucky. Why not just take a Tylenol and suppress that nastiness? Here is why; your body has a fever for a reason. The body is raising it’s temperature to kill off the infection. Let your body do it’s thing. Obviously if the fever has been too high for too long then you may want medical intervention but if you aren’t in a life threatening situation… suck it up butter-cup. Your body knows what it is doing. Drink lots of fluids and keep some spare dry t-shirts handy while you sweat it out. Eww but true.

OK, that’s it for today. I need another Honey-Lemon and a nap.

Bitter-Sweet... my love affair with vinegar

Because of my European heritage, a love affair with vinegar was inevitable. I pour it on kielbasa sausage, on pelemeni (yum!) and sometimes as per North American custom, on fries. Now, I use it to make salad dressings, poach eggs and relieve heart burn.  Please open your hearts and embrace one of earth’s finest liquids. Here are just a few unexpected uses:

1. A ½ pint of distilled white vinegar to your rinse cycle kills bacteria, eliminates soap residue, reduces static cling and reduces lint. It also helps with the stinky washer problem.
2. To keep four legged pests out of the garden, soak a few rags in vinegar and hang them on stakes around the garden. Most animals hate the scent of dried vinegar. Replace every 7-10 days.
3. Drinking one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with or just before a meal helps with digestion. It helps by breaking down food into smaller molecules which means your intestines and liver can better absorb the nutrients.
4. Manicures & Pedicures! Soak fingers and toes in distilled white vinegar for 5 minutes to soften cuticles. Clean your nails with it before applying polish to help the polish stick better.

Happy Friday! Enjoy the long weekend.

Hunka Hunka Burning Love!

You didn’t think I would do Love Week without discussing the love of my life did you? Gary is the BEST!

Here are some the things I love about my husband:

1. We are both terrible liars. Our relationship has no trust-issues.
2. We can laugh at ourselves, and at each other.
3. Problems are solved through honest communication. We make an effort to listen and understand each other’s point of view. It’s ok to walk away if a cooling-off period is needed. We trust that it will get resolved fairly and kindly.
4. He supports all of my craziness; staying home with the kids, starting a university degree program through correspondence, taking away the microwave, planning camping trips and having my thumb in just about every pie there it.
5. I love how his eves crinkle when he smiles. So hot. He has a little dimple to that shows when he’s really really amused.
6. Gary never tells me I’m a terrible singer. We both know I am, but he enjoys that I’m enjoying a song.
7. He would do just about anything I wanted if it would make me happy because he knows I would never abuse the power.
8. I will always get his honest opinion. No sugar coating. Love, but no sugar coating.
9. I love that he is so smart.
10. He smells good.
11. He does nothing half way. Gary is an all or nothing kind of guy. It keeps me on my toes.
12.  When we hug, it’s like two puzzle pieces fitting together every time.
13.  I think it’s cool that he can reach things that are way up high and he can open lids that are closed so tightly.
14.  I love how he appreciates the things I do to make his life better.
15.  He shares adventures with me. Gary is up for almost anything.
16.  I love that when he agreed to spend the rest of our lives together, he really meant the rest of our lives.

Alright, you get the point. I am so blessed to have a partner who supports me, believes in me and puts up with my nonsense. Gary enriches my life by helping me explore and experience everything I possibly can. He doesn’t always understand it but he supports it. That, my friends, is a good man.

What does he think about my newest project (this blog)? He read it a couple of times and had this to say: “It’s interesting to read and kind of all over the place. I have no idea what is coming each day. It is a very accurate expression of you.”

Thanks Babe! I love you!

I nurture nature and nature nurtures me

One of my big loves is nature. The sounds and smells are soothing. The sights are awe inspiring. Have you every laid on the ground under a giant tree and enjoyed how the sun flickers through the leaves? Study a plant or flower that you planted from a tiny non-descript seed and be amazed what it becomes with just some sun, water and TLC.  Never mind the fact that eating a fruit or veggie within minutes of being picked will always taste better than something that took a ride in a big stinky truck.

I am really looking forward to spring. We have a little veggie garden and a few of flower beds. Some ladies have an expensive shoe problem… I have an expensive dirt problem. You could call it my ‘dirty little secret.’ I buy a LOT of dirt. In my defence the dirt usually comes with a plant in it.  To save a little money this year and to really get the most out of one of my favourite hobbies, here are some of my plans for spring:

1. Start veggies and annual flowers from seeds. This is also a fun activity I hope will keep the boys busy for a morning.

2. Try my very hardest not to start a new garden on the right side of my house. I really don’t have the time to take care of another one.

3. To satisfy my urge to create a new garden space, I will help a friend who is sadly without a garden to build one. I have set aside a bunch of split perennials from the fall and kept them in pots buried in the garden for an easy transfer this spring.

Why do I love gardening so much? It reminds me that anything can grow into something wonderful with a little care. People, like plants, come in all shapes and sizes; they each have their purpose. The little sprout you picked on as a kid just may grow to be the big tree that either protects you from the wind or drops nuts on your head.

I challenge you to, get a pot, bucket, or old dish… whatever; put some dirt in there and grow something special from a seed. Let me know how it goes.

Girls Girls Girls!

In elementary school, I saw first-hand how mean girls can be. I had a very hard time trusting the nasty little creatures after that. In high school, I befriended the guys. They were easier to understand. If a guy is ticked-off at you he will look you in the face and say “I’m ticked off at you and this is why!” It is a beautiful thing! I have since learned that there is nothing in the world that can keep a woman healthy, relaxed and informed like a solid pack of girlfriends.

Top 10 reasons why my girlfriends are the best:

10. A really good girlfriend will laugh to you face about your weird habits and embarrassing moments. Never behind your back.
9. You can walk into a room of girlfriends and, without saying hello first, announce that you need to vent for 5 minutes before you can be social. They stop talking and let you roll with it. Pleasant conversation resumes immediately afterwards.

8. “Sasha, you need to fix that haircut”.   Need I say more?
7. If you have an awkward ‘lady issue’ you can talk to a girlfriend about it.

6. They will schedule a play date with you where the two of you have at least as much fun together than the kids.

5. A girlfriend will do you the solid of yelling at your kid for throwing toys when your face is full of zucchini bread.

4. Girlfriends expand your world by exposing you to new things. Baking, books, career options, pole dance classes…

3. Some girlfriends have a knack for fashion and share their skill with us who want to look good but really don’t know how.

2. Girlfriends know not to ask you if it’s ‘that time of the month’ if you seem a little cranky. They can tell automatically from the huge zit you sprouted overnight.

1. By confessing that we are all in some way totally insecure, I have gained an incredible amount of confidence.

I may know many people, but I prefer to keep a small group of true friends by my side to help me see the variety, beauty and humour that life has to offer. You ladies know who you are.  I am grateful to you for enriching my life. xox

I was born a fool for love!

One of my favourite things in the whole world is love. I love being in love, seeing others in love, friend-love, family-love, love of food, love of creativity, love of nature… Love is like crack to me. This week my experiment is to focus on my ‘favourites’ and to appreciate how they have enriched my life. I give you experiment #4… love week.

I invite you to do this experiment along with me. Please, leave comments and tell me what you do to feel the love. Give me a hit of that good stuff!

I enjoy this Hallmark holiday. It’s not only about being a couple or romance. It’s about showing those around you that you care. My son’s nursery school class has it right, today they will have a friendship party. How will you celebrate?

Heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast (the pink colour comes from strawberries added to the batter). I also bought some gummy hearts to snack on. Who knows what other nice things I will do for my family, friends and myself today? I think I’ll let it be a surprise.

My teenage sister is spending a week with us while our parents are on vacation. She was surprised this morning by a big red box of candy that I stuffed in the sleeve of her coat. The kids and I painted a masterpiece for my husband over the last week. I let them add one new colour each day.  I also have a little stash of dollar store surprises to pull out throughout the day. I’m not one to spoil the kids but I love doing it on special occasions. Tonight I am having some family over for a Valentine’s dinner. There are little shiny cupids are dangling over the table and I have little valentine treats picked out for everyone too. We should all feel special today.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, my face smells like a sandwich

 Improving one’s life can be serious business. I am already way too serious. I officially declare that Fridays will be reserved for light-side experiments. May I introduce you to experiment #3: a facial.

Months ago, I saw Kym Douglas promoting her book of beauty secrets on the Ellen show. The woman is hysterical! She and Cindy Pearlman wrote a book called The Beauty Cookbook.  Today I will try the potato salad facial without the carbs. The one ingredient in this miracle beauty treatment is Miracle Whip. Apparently the vinegar causes exfoliation and rejuvenation of skin cells and the oil helps sooth and nourish skin. Kym writes that after six to eight weeks of doing this everyday, my skin should be completely renewed. Let’s give it a shot.

The result: After a couple of minutes it started to tingle. I washed it off and found that I looked sunburned. My face is as red as a tomato. My skin is a little smoother though and after applying my usual moisturiser, the vinegar smell is gone. Too bad, I love vinegar. I will try this again another day.  All of the blood rushing to my face left a pleasant warm sensation that was rather welcome on a chilly February morning in Ottawa. 

Achieving the elusive BOD

I was volunteering at the Kanata Wellness Expo a couple of weeks ago. There was a nice pair of firm-bodied twenty-something representatives from a local gym. They had a great little set-up in their booth where people could get their BMI (body mass index) tested. There was a plastic lump to represent a pound of muscle and one to represent fat. They tested my BMI and I was congratulated for being in the ‘lean’ category. Great, I’m lean. Super. That does not help me lift heavy things or feel energetic. I feel weak and tired a lot of the time. Does lean equal healthy? My answer is no. I currently take a 20 minute walk three times a week. Sporadically, there are some crunches, push-ups and a little resistance band work; Thursday night is yoga night at Goodlife Fitness. I LOVE my yoga night. This brings be to experiment #2. 'Achieving the elusive bod.' My body should be able to do whatever I want it to do.

My goals:

• An all over increase in muscle mass 
• Increased lung capacity
• Decreased butt size
• Particular attention to strengthening around hip and knee joints
• A six-pack is an obvious bonus (show me one person who wouldn’t mind having that)

The method… I haven’t been getting results by leaving Tony Horton’s disk in the box. I will remove the DVD from the box and do asTony instructs. I will do this at least 4 times a week. I think that is a reasonable start. Cardio work is the only way to increase my lung capacity. Maybe soon I will figure out a way to fit that in to the schedule. At this point, vanity holds me back from posting a before photo. Maybe later... 

The results of experiment #1 ‘The Plan’

 I have to say that having a list made the day a lot smoother.

It was ridiculously cold out, instead of going outside I made play dough. School work didn’t happen, a visit with mom took priority. My plan for the boys to colour went out the window. They used the pencil crayons as missiles and shot them over the edge of the table. Snacks were a hit. Playing with a bucket of water in the kitchen kept them happy for nearly an hour. A HUGE triumph was dinner being ready at 5:59pm. I made a lemon caper pork tenderloin, broccoli and long grain rice. I usually ruin rice but by some magic it was good this time. The biggest thing to take away from the experiment is to be flexible and roll with the punches. I will make another list for tomorrow.

Let’s get crazy and plan the day!

Nothing makes me feel as easy-breezy as a well planned day. Seriously. Laugh at me if you want to, I have two sisters and am used to being ridiculed. With a plan of action, the stress of the unknown is gone. 

Here is how I did a plan. We have a tiny whiteboard in the kitchen so; I grabbed the handy dandy marker and made it happen. Since I am in the experimenting phase of planning a day, I tried to keep it simple.

Stage one - Try something.

Stage two - Evaluate the effectiveness.

Stage three – Make changes where needed.

Stage four - Season to taste and get the sucker down into a hard copy that I can use every day.

At least for today I know what food I am making and have ideas of how to keep the kids busy. My workout is Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer (he sais that he can transform my life in 10 minutes) the kids can play with balloons while I do that. Time is scheduled to do my course work. The boys should be happy with time outside, their favourite snacks, making art and playing with a bucket of water in the kitchen.

I am most confident about the snacks, reading stories and getting Nik to school on time. I am feeling less confident about Leo napping, being able to focus on school work and dinner being ready on time.

Shall we begin?

I am feeling excited about my new adventure. I ALWAYS get excited at the prospect of a new adventure. You should probably know that my definition of adventure is this: any activity where a minimal or major degree of planning is required and the outcome is unknown. Yes, that includes anything from camping, grocery shopping, creating a new muffin recipe on the fly to my first trip to Vegas. (Flights were booked last night. WOO!)
In the interest of keeping my experiments legitimate, I feel that a moderate level of planning is required. So, experiment #1 is this: create a plan. I think I will start with something as simple as a making a plan for the week. I use the term ‘simple’ optimistically. It needs to include enough activity for the boys to keep them entertained. It would be lovely if this included a little bit of learning and some outside time. I can’t seem to get them out every day. Who am I kidding? Other than walking Nik to preschool three times a week, we don’t go outside. Planning what will be for snack before they are in the kitchen begging for food would be a bonus.
Speaking of food… I need to fit in time to get meals made. I am guilty of a severe lack of planning when it comes to dinner. Five PM hits and I am trying to figure out what I can make from half a tomato, a box of minute rice and a potato. Can I thaw and cook some kind of meat before the natives rebel and storm the cereal cupboard? OK, so, meal plan is on the list too.
There is also that little project I started last winter that I like to call “Getting my University Degree.” My kids turn into cling-ons if I sit down with a book and get even worse if there is a pen and paper involved. Use of a laptop results in total chaos. I am brain-dead by the time I put them to bed. The three-month-per-course plan I intended is NOT working out. School work…. It makes the list.
To recap, I want to fit in an activity filled week for the boys, feed the family as close to Canada Food Guide standards as possible without stress and have dedicated time to do school work. Is it too much to hope that I will fit in time to work out, paint, read, watch TV, interact with my husband and clean the house as well???
Wish me luck with experiment #1. May the result be a reduction is stress, cranky kids and indigestion. I will let you know how that turns out.

Welcome, why am I here?

Why am I here? That is a great question. People have been asking that very thing throughout the ages. I do it every day. I walk into a room and then wonder why it is I am there. I'm sure there was a reason I just forgot why.
So lovely reader, I welcome you to my blog where I will be conducting several experiments to

1. Find my purpose here on earth.
2. Find the best way to organize myself and family to achieve maximum fun, goal achievement and relaxation. 
3. How to look great, feel great and do great.

Welcome to my experimental journey. I hope that we can all learn together and share a few laughs along the way.