Holy Shit Guys I'm Published!

I know this is 2 posts in one day! Freaky.

Check it out. HERE
Leave a comment.

So exciting!

thanks guys

Green School Lunches

Taking about Green school lunches and how to get started over here at A Balanced Lifestyle.

Positive Habit

Just did a post on A Balanced Lifestyle that I thought might be helpful.

For those of us who are overwhelmed, worn out, stressed and feeling out of control.

This positive habit is not for everyone as I know some of you are already getting up at the "crack of the vampires have not gone to sleep yet", but others may find a way to adapt to their own reality and make it work for them.

What am I worth?

The job search has happened upon me once again. A great job ad appeared in our local paper this weekend and I would be a total DUMBass (again) if I did not apply for it.

It is probably a payscale higher then the job I have now, but similar to duties I have done in the past. So the big questions is what is my salary expectation? In this case i believe more than my current wage is warranted. But how much more???

My experience has been if you do not provide a number on your inital letter... you do not get a call for an interview. So I have to come up with a number.

So I used a little program you can find called Pay Scale which you can find on Workopolis.com. So you plug in your info and the job info and it gives you a range.

In the end I gave a range that was between 25% and 75% of the Pay Scale range. the beginning of the range was just a bit higher than the average wage for this position in my city.

I hope I did not just price myself out of this job.

I am assuming they are willing to pay as they asked for 8 years experience and there is no way you are going to find too many candidates with 8 years expereince that are willing to work for peanuts. (I hope)

Please Please Please let me get a call and at least get an interview.

This job has many of the things I am looking for :
More money
more challenge
CLOSER TO HOME (major major one here)

So keep the fingers and toes crossed. I hope I hear from them before the end of the week. that would be FANTASTIC.
Do you

John Travolta Do we really need to know?

Can I just say....do we really need to know.
Thispopped up yesterday on my yahoo news.

I turned on the TV last night and there was Mark Steines from Entertainment Tonight, station in Florida, ready to provide me with the "lastest" upto the minute details of the Funeral arrangements for Jett Travolta. I felt the bile rise in my throat.

I'm in a paradox (is that a correct way to say it) on one hand if it was John Travolta's arrangements I may have a morbid curiosity that would make me look for this type of information.

But this is his CHILD, so I find myself revolted by the fact that we can't just let this family be, to grieve and handle their arrangements without press releases, statements, and decoy hearsts.

I buy the magazines (although not this year 2009 magazine free Day 7), I read the gossip blogs and watch ET. This has gone over my line I do not feel good about this.

My heart goes out to this family as it would for any other family that has lost a child. As much as you want to know information, sometimes its not for us to know and that needs to be OKAY.

-

Friday Nite Lites

Ahhh Friday night. Everyone is in bed. There is peace and quiet. Have you noticed the theme in my life right now. I am just aching for the peace and quiet. I just need to think, to listen, to hear!

I picked up some great papers at 2SF my favorite store. I went in there just to pick up some of my GLUE. And had two minutes to look around.....very dangerous. Tomorrow I will post the addition to my stash from My Mind's Eye. Hopefully next week I will get a project done.

Tomorrow we have a sitter coming and hubster and i are going shopping for some new dress clothes. We have both lost some weight and have not had anything new for the last 5-6 years so we are due. then we are off to a birthday party for my dearest friends husband. Well I consider him one of my dear friends too. they have always been there to support me in my life and I appreciate them alot. Happy 40th T.

It will be fun I'm sure a few beers a few shots. Good times!

Well hubby is looking pretty cosy on the couch and he has saved a spot for me so I had better get over there. Hope y'all have a great weekend!

I Love Sunday Mornings

Hubby let me sleep in a little, well I guess not really because of the time change, no matter I feel like I had a little more sleep.

I think my theory for Hallowe'n candy is working. The kids are allowed one item after each meal. Yesterday they were like pavlov's dogs gobbling up their food to get the treat. Today not so much. Yesterday we didn't have an huge meltdowns so that was very nice.

However, The bug requested to bake peanut butter cookies this morning so now that we finished that they are having a picnic with their peanut butter cookie.

Now I have to get everyone dressed so we can play BINGO, my they are full of requests today!

I have to go into work this afternoon. I just really want to get caught up before this week from H E double hockey sticks (so 80's) sets in. We are hosting a seminar at work and guess who is in charge? I have final testing to complete on some new monthly reports for our IT department, plus finalize the ticket count for our client theatre night (thank goodness I don't have to do the seating arrangements)all that on top of an abnormally busy month of claims for my regular job. It never rains it pours.

Hopefully I will be able to keep up my posting for
NaBloPoMo. It's always such a fun challenge. Last year not so much. I started out well and ran into post block. this year I am going to give it a go. If you want to help me out leave a topic in the comments and I will give it a whirl.

Not that I like using the T.V. for a babysitter but I love the 20mins of peace that Toot and Puddle allow me on a Sunday Morning. Long live travelling Pigs!

Have a great day!

Still crazy busy Wednesday

What a whirl wind week. On top of being sick which is totally hindering passion for life. I had/have a lot of commitments this week.

Work is crazy busy we are testing a new report format and I have to get it done by the end of the week. Others are depending on me to get it done.

I had a great workshop with my Mom's group - we did a special project I whipped up on family trees using a preprinted family tree page and the Creative Memories leaf punch. I wish I had one to show you but I had an extra person show up and did not even get to do my own :( That's okay the ones that the ladies did were absolutely fabulous I know they will be treasured keepsakes in the years to come.

Today just concentrating on getting a little caught up at work.

I also wanted to get my submission in for the 2Scrapbook Friends Design Team call . Since it is my favorite store I thought I would apply. I had a few layouts that I thought would work. Now that I met the deadline I feel more inspired so I don't really know what to do about that. Re-submit new layouts of just hang tight. mmmmm. We'll see how much time I have left before the deadline on Friday.

Hubster is out tonight so maybe I will get some time to myself to contemplate after I get the kids off to bed.

I'm really looking forward to my "empty" weekend. No real plans we'll just go with the flow.

Birthday Party List

I am Turkey and Pumpkin pied out. What a weekend. The weather was fabulous. I made dinner for 12. I made it packed it and traveled it 40 mins to my sisters house, so she wouldn't have to move a muscle from her house with her 2 week old baby. Not only was it thanksgiving but is was also her daughter, Button's 2nd birthday. Here was my plan:

Mini Pumpkin Painting with glitter glue option
Fresh Veggies and Dip (my brother)
Cheese and Crackers (my brother)
Party hats (made by my kids 4 and 2, very interesting)
Roast Beef (me)
Oven Roasted Chicken (me)
Steamed Carrots (me)
Hash Brown Cassarole (my mom)
Green beans with Almonds (Granny)
Mushy Peas (me)
Garlic Bread (store bought by me)
Backyardigans plates and napkins (me)
Lots of photos
Lots of grass to run and play on
Awesome bare feet weather

It was great!

Oh by the way I found a link for the Bugaboo Baby Stroller Here

Have a great Tuesday!

Cerebral Palsy Topics

I haven't written about this topic in awhile, alot of things have been floating around in my head. I am getting considerable hits from several search engines on this topic and feel a responsibility to provide information that I have acquired.

So Look for folks next week a series of posts on Cerebral Palsy, I'm thinking the topics will most likely be:

Coping with Diagnosis
Treatment and decision making
Equipment
Our marriage and having a child with Cerebral Palsy
The future
how others see us
Links

And of course..... buggies I've been doing some more research.

All my Canadians have a great thanksgiving weekend and enjoy this fabulous weather.
To all my American friends Y'all keep going - 6 weeks till Thanksgiving for you.

Till Tuesday!

Friday Post - I'm ill'in - But I have good news!

After the oh so fun bout with Tonsillitis. I am happy to announce that I have a wonderful sinus cold and I'm lubbin it! Work is so busy I can't really take any time off. I am looking forward to a quiet weekend to recoup.

So. Grab a cup oh joe and catch up with me.

My sister went into labour on Monday (my brief day of wellness, thanks fate)and had her baby on Monday night (two weeks early) 1/2 hour of hard labour and 3 pushes (what a bitch)she knows it she owns it and she flips the rest of us off.

So I have a beautiful, no handsome new nephew who was 6lbs, 10oz and he is positively adorable. I wish I could tell you his name but I don't have permission so I will call him Baby B. Not to be confused with my niece Baby Button.

My grandfather is doing extremely well recovering from his triple by-pass surgery, he has experienced a few panic attacks which where scary for him but not life threatening. I would panic too if a doc was holding my heart in his hands and picking and poking at it.

I found these beauties that have solved my problem of Labeling all of the things BugaLoo has to take to school, equipment, lunch containers, hats, sweaters and stuff. I love them! Canadian company to boot.

Held a scrapbooking intro class for a group of parents at my children's treatment centre. It was so fulfilling to be able to introduce these parents to memory keeping and documenting their child's lives and their own thoughts as they work through parenting a child with special needs. Loved IT!

Gearing up for a workshop in October and teaching a session on Christmas cards and tags! Sweet.

Both hubby and I have this cold so far the kids are doing well. The thing I hate the most is no kissing my hubby. We have declared abstinence for a week period to see if we can stop passing this back and forth and clear our house. But I miss him! Sigh!

I still have people search for Buggy info so I am going to post THIS again since it kinda got lost at the bottom of a previous post.

If you are looking for some art inspiration HERE at KAL's is my favorite place to go.

Also planning a book review for Monday or Tuesday. check back to find out who.

Friday Post - Buggys and other stuff.

No real topic today since I didn't get my act together to do a poll. I know I still owe someone a post on Scrapbooking but I will save that for next week.

Here's mish mash of what I'm thinking about.

Grey's Anatomy - anticlimatic. Do they really expect us to believe that Hahn never kissed a girl before??? Sorry be we knew by the second or third episode she was on that she dug the gals over the guys. I think they could have done better with that.

Izzie's Denny flash back WTF? No idea maybe Izzie will go insane this year.

Derek and Meredith - whatever? Same old Same old. I liked it the first season I guess I will deal with it for another season.

Crazy nurse Rose could have been played a little better but oh well.

But of course I will continue to watch it's like a train wreck you can't bare to look at it but you can't look away!

My Grandpa is doing excellent and is home and we are so happy. He has been checking his email and going about his business and after being the hospital for three weeks he is just ecstatic to be home with his "lady". I think my Nana is very happy he is home too.

I wonder what it is like to be in love with someone for over 60years and know that your time together is getting shorter and shorter. I wish them many many more years of hanging out together.

Our apple tree is killing us, we have sooooooo many apples. I got a great tip for making pie filling and freezing it from A Frugal Housewife. So that is what I will be doing this weekend.

And for all of you who come looking here for BUGGY INFORMATION I have done a little research and found THIS to help you out.

Okay I seriously owe you guys a post!

Well first of all I'm so sorry I blew the ole Friday post. No computer not ability to upload photos, no NOTHIN!

So, just bare with me for a little rant and all will be well soon.

DH and I have been sick, that kind of sick where you have a headache and you feel nauseous but you never actually get sick. So together we were just really lazy sacks of shit all week. DH called in sick two days. I managed to make it to work but don't kid yourself people...I had to lay the ole head down on the desk once or twice a day.

Now I think the kids have it a little bit so I hope they don't get it quite so bad.

My Grandpa aka Choo Choo Bob had a small heart attack last tues and was admitted to the hospital, where he had an angiogram and ANOTHER small heart attack (AT THE SAME TIME). Currently that leaves him awaiting a Quadruple bypass operation THIS MORNING. I was able to visit him twice over the weekend and that was a great comfort to me and I hope to him and my Nana. I'm the first grandchild and a big suck hole for my Nana and Pa-Bob. He is 82 years old and in pretty good health, he exercises regularly and eats a fairly good diet. He really has all the factors going for him. If something happens it will be truly a fluke and truly just his time to go. So I wait and hope and keep my fingers crossed that all will be well.

We had alot of rain this weekend and it was all I could do to get out and do the groceries so TOP of the LIST this week is COMPUTER SHOPPING.

Oh anyone out there EXPECTING...my sister is and I found this Cool Sleepy Wrap so I am going to order her one is the dark brown I think.

The Bugaloo is doing well in school and adjusting to the new routine of going full days. He made it through his first two days but on his third he had to have a little nap. So Cute!

Peanut is totally pissed that she has to stay home but I guess that's alway the way for the younger sibling.

We are getting ready for an election here in Canada and I'm sad. I'm sad because voting is going to be such a burden this time. It's like a multiple choice question: Which one of these candidates is the Least Asshole, jerk, two faced, lying , backstabbing, complete idiot on the planet. There are no GOOD choices only the least bad choice. mmmmmmm

Alright that was a little bit of everything to get you caught up and understand the infrequent posts. I'm planning on a great post in the next 48 hours to let you know that Choo Choo Bob is out of Cardiac ICU and on the step down unit and they are sewing his chest back up and he is doing as well as can be expected.

Have a great week all!

Don't forget to vote!

Don't forget to vote for a post topic for tomorrow!

Clutter and Organizing

The votes are in and it looks like this will be a post about clutter and organizing.

What the Key? - Throw some SHIT away! kidding....

What is clutter? Everything that doesn't have a home. All the crap that you have no where to put. Ity Bity treasures that your kids find outside, gifts your kids get from the doctor or the dentist for being good patient. Magazines, flyers (ugh), the shoes, the bag of hand-me-downs that you haven't gone through yet or given away yet.

It all just piles up. After reading Peter Walsh's book It's all too much I realized that it really is a mind set. You need to deal with clutter as it happens, get rid of the flyers that you are never going to look at, for example for us right now in our lives we never look at the Nevada Bob's Golf store flyer, neither one of us are going golfing anytime soon, even if we had to play tomorrow we have all the equipment we need to get us through 1 or 2 tournaments there is no need to read that flyer. Same goes for grocery stores that I just won't go to. For me the Price Chopper is just not convenient- EVER. So I turf that flyer too even if they have cheese on sale for 50 cents I know I will never go there so forget it.

Another tip I have read from Marilu Henner is "Never leave a room empty handed" I think that has proved very useful. You would be amazed what gets picked up one handful at a time.

In our household we have found that the family calendar with a to do list and grocery list attached or posted in close proximity is a life saver. All activities nights out, etc get put on the calendar as they are booked. Items used up or requested get put on the grocery list. Anything I notice around the house that needs to get done goes on the to do list ie sweep the floor,vaccumming, laundry, dishwasher, oil change on the car. Then when me or hubby has a few minutes we review that list and prioritize those little things that keep the house running.

We try to chat once or twice a week to check in and see if we have any scheduling conflicts or if one or the other is feeling too rushed or worn out and then we may have to make some choices to cancel some engagements, this also happens if we notice the kids are getting a little out of sorts and need some down time.

When I put away laundry which is about once every 10 days I go through each child's clothes to see what fits what they haven't worn and I keep a bag going on the back of the bedroom or closet door, when this bag is full it goes to the donation holding area in our garage to be picked up with the next donation day.

A great resource for tips is Peter Walsh's website which has a Tip of the Day.

I find the best way to deal with clutter and organizing is little steps at a time. Start with the daily stuff, picking up after yourselves and organizing your family activities and time when you have that under control you will be able to carve out an hour here or there to deal with one pile at a time.

With just a little bit at a time you will begin to feel the weight lifting and the air starting to move again which will motivate you to keep going one hour one pile at a time.

Have a great long weekend! Till next time! don't forget to vote for next week's topic.

Home office

I have been trying to get my home office/studio organized. I put up shelves, I brought in a few dressers with drawers. I just plain don't have room for everything that I want to do in this room. It's 10 x 12 for crying out loud, it should be okay. But When I put two 6 foot tables in there I effectively cut the space to 7x9 Damn Throw in a desk in one corner and suddenly things are getting kinda cramped.

I would post some photos but I don't have my computer up and running in there yet.

ahhhhh!

Here is an article I found on MSNBC on clutter. Maybe I will try some of those tips to get organized.

I am soooo tired.

My grandparents 60th anniversary party was nice. I wish the Peanut would have been nice then I wouldn't have had to leave so early.

I did get a chance to talk to 2 of my second cousins that I haven't seen in at
least 10 years or so and it was so neat because our kids are all around the same age.

Daddy and the Bug had an awesome time in St. Thomas at Thomas the Tank Engine. Daddy shot a whole role on the 35mm so I can hardly wait to get that developed.

Me and the Peanut did a little scrapbook shopping I was looking for this Tag Curler.

I went to 3 different stores and none of them had it in stock. So I am ordering it from My favorite store. Hopefully it will be in soon. I'm also placing an order with Creative Memories for some basic supplies so that will be exciting to be stocked up for the fall. Then I will have the new Catalogue and product launch in September. Woo Hoo excitement!

Today, Gotta get some work done, pick up my niece at Volleyball camp and get some scrapbooking done. Have a great day!

Ah the bog calls to me.

I can't believe it has been 4 days, honestly.

So, reflexology treatment on Monday - AWESOME Thanks Jenn

Quick stop at two of my favorite scrapbooking stores 2 Scrapbook Friends and The Scrapping Turtle to look for some elusive paper I need for a project. No Luck Pooh!

Spent the rest of the days with the kiddos making crafty shit around the house. They were pushing my patience by the end of the day I was pretty happy to see them sleeping that night.

Tuesday, back to work and start training my summer student. Yes the irony is not lost on me that it was JULY 22nd when my summer student started to help me out. Double Pooh!

Some quick training a 20th anniversary celebration for a co-worker and then I was off to pick up the Bugaloo for his therapy session.

We met out new Physiotherapist this week since we are losing our PT and our Therapy Aide due to Government funding cuts to Childrens Treatment Centres. Don't get me started whole new post. The Bug seemed to take it well and gave our new therapist a hug at the end of the session so I would say it went well.

Wednesday, more training and working on a scrapping project that I am really excited about. Can't tell you about it for another week or so. It's a SURPRISE.

And now today, the pressure to post was eating at me, so here I am. Sorry it is sooooo lame but I have a few irons in the fire and will have some more posts coming up. Including some scrapbook page designs, another instalment of my thought on disability and some work life balance stuff. Well assuming I have enough to actually write a post about that.

Running is going well although I am not losing any weight my body continues to change shape and my pants are looser, can't complain about that.

Switching it up!

My regular running partner is gone to a conference for the rest of the week. So I decided to switch things up a little and will be running with a BOY today!

A co-worker who used to sit across from me has also joined our little running club and his regular partner is not running today either so we decided to give it a try.

We'll see how I do considering he is 6'2" and I am 5'4". That and he is used to running without a break and the longest I have run consecutively is 5 mins.

Hopefully we can compromise and both of us will make it back alive!

Not much creative stuff going on lately...I guess I've been a little SWAMPED at work.

I really have to start studying for my Life License exam soon. I will have to see if I can extend my deadline to write. I really did not focus on it and it has snuck up on me.

That's about it for now. Tracey has a great post from yesterday about why men are so willing to let their wives do everything (lazy).

You may find it interesting.

Big Thanks to JENN I still feel great. Although I'm sure this noon hour run is not going to help.

Wicked Biker Chick!

You know how sometimes people will do a small meme with questions and answers? One of my favorite Q&A is Name one thing people would not know by looking at you? This is always a hard one for me because I figure I'm so transparent. I where my heart on my sleeve, if you ask me a question I will give you a straight answer. I mostly speak my mind and say what I think, usually asking if you REALLY want to know what I think.

But apparently there is something about me that people can't tell by looking at me.

I'm a wicked biker chick!

Yes it's true. Hubby and I just returned from our 6th year attending Friday the 13th in Port Dover, ON. This "event" started in 1981 when a group of guys who ride motorcycles decided to play hooky from work and go for a ride and stop and have dinner in a little beach town. They enjoyed themselves so much someone said we should do this every Friday the 13th. This past Friday I shared this little town with over 40,000 motorcycles and probably close to 100,000 people.

I can't tell you how many people were surprised to find out how I was spending my long weekend. Just goes to show that everyone can have a little mystery about themselves.

Hubby and I packed up our camping gear all week and loaded our shit on the bike on Thursday night to head into Port Dover. We met up with about 50 of our friends and spent the evening drinking and shooting the shit, generally just catching up on what's been going on for everyone.

We had a great weekend doing our own thing. Love it!

Although I am tired and wish I had a few more days off. And it's going to take me a week to de-program the kids from being at my brother-in-laws. Small price to pay.