Nolan's Cheddar Ad

News

Would You Trust This Woman With Your Car?

Jewel tones and jersey for spring formal wear

Surfer inspires comparisons to Albert Einstein - 'Theoretical physicist Garrett Lisi made his name with a paper called An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything, which proposes a unified field theory that reconciles Einstein's relativity theory with particle physics. But he's equally known for shattering stereotypes – when he's not surfing wave equations, he's riding the biggest breakers on earth, and loving it'

9 Careers on the Way Out

Inuit must adapt to climate change: study

Full Moon

I wanted to see the new movie 'When in Rome' because it looked funny on the TV commercials. But it's getting bad reviews. I should have suspected when K said he also wanted to see it. The ludicrous comedy must appeal to that demographic.

K and I were driving home last night and noticed a big, bright full moon. The good news is he passed his end of semester exams but Math starts up next semester...eeps. I had such a busy day yesterday running errands.

I'm going prom dress shopping in a trendy part of town with my girlfriend S and her daughter this afternoon. L doesn't have time, so I'm the personal (window) shopper! The other day, I did find her the perfect dress for an upcoming school semi-formal.

It's a cold weekend. Tastefully Done has an interesting recipe called '5 minute chocolate mug cake'. I think I may try this one.

News

Oysters were the popcorn of Shakespearean theatre era, archeologists say

Does your partner share your retirement dreams?

Why Men and Women Get Jealous for Different Reasons


Google Agrees: IE6 Must Die

Social Media Marketing: How Pepsi Got It Right

The Story of My Life

This is a funny video called 'The Story of My Life'



News

Many parents unaware that vitamins carry risks

Study finds drop in age-related hearing problems

Life, etc.

At step class yesterday, the instructor told us there was a massive sidewalk sale at the mall, so we should make sure we didn't get too tired from exercising and be sure to check it out after! Good suggestion, I thought.

I was in a store and chatted a bit with a lady ahead of me in line. I noticed she was about 60'ish years old, pretty and petite with red hair and light coloured eyes. She was casually dressed, in a burnt orange jacket which went well with her colouring. She said she still fills xmas stockings for her grown family, although she should probably stop. I mentioned I was buying an athletic jacket with matching bottoms for my son (he loved it) as it's easy to buy for him since things pretty much always fit. She told me she had 3 granddaughters and said it would be nice to have a grandson, not that it really mattered. She said her son worries about her, since her husband passed away 6 years ago from cancer. You never know what you'll hear on any given day. I felt sorry for her.

I got L some new avocado body butter. I don't think she'll have time to go prom dress shopping until after her mid-February university application deadlines. I may have to courier one of them in, but I warned her not to wait until the night before as even couriers need some lead time.


News

Mid-life Crisis: An Outdated Myth?


Dino tail feathers were carrot colored, study says


Vancouver has world's least affordable housing: report

Exercise regularly, age better: Studies

Surgical procedure best for common heart problem

Olympic Song

Here's the Vancouver Olympic song 'I believe' sung by Nikki Yanofsky.

It snowed lightly yesterday morning and I went for a crisp walk.

We've been having so many pedestrian fatalities in the city, 14 this month already. I think it's that the city is too crowded, growing too fast.

L is so upset that Nadal had to limp out of the Australian Open tennis championship yesterday due to an injury. She is such a big fan.

News

Pole Dancing with Martha - I think Martha Stewart looks great here at 68 years old

Another Accident Claims The Life Of A Pedestrian

Weight training boosts seniors' cognitive abilities

Morning Thrill

So yesterday I took L to school on a dark, wet,foggy morning and on my way to the grocery store, CHUM FM 104.5 radio station announces they have a special guest Adam Lambert that morning. So I listened in the parking lot for the fifteen minute interview and then went about my chores. The radio hosts told him he was 'genuine' and they liked him. They were classy and did not ask him about his risque AMA performance. His next stop later in the evening was downtown at Much on Demand, among other things.

This is the coolest video called 'The Coca Cola Happiness Machine'.

News

Your Brain Can’t Handle Your Facebook Friends

Woman Uses iPhone App to Get Pregnant

The latest tricks for getting found online

More Canadians at risk of heart disease: Report

The Joys of Fatherhood

This is a good one I received in an email:




News

Toronto-Based Site Promises Match-Making For Electronics Consumers In Need

Soup Therapy: Detoxify, Lose Weight, and Boost Immunity

Changing weather conditions cause headaches in children, study finds

Winter Skating Scene

I went for a walk yesterday and took this short video of skaters at the local pond that I thought you would like to see.



L and I have caught miserable colds, we're using lots of tissues. However, it was bright and sunny yesterday morning. The snow plows have sat idle and the city is saving money as a result.

K is studying for exams this week, it's a stressful time.

News

If Your Password Is 123456, Just Make It HackMe

High levels of vitamin D cut risk of colon cancer: Study

Internet generation at risk of rickets: Study

Avoid inheritance battles by planning ahead

To all my intelligent friends

Here are my nephew's new CHOW CHOW puppies. His latest comment is 'Man.. lookin after these two is hard. Look at the time and they are still hyper!' But he refers to them as his 'babies'.


Got the following in an email:

To all my intelligent friends
See if you can figure it out - NO PEEKING!

I am sending this only to my smart friends. If I said I figured it out I'd not be telling the truth; I had to look at the answer.


See if you can figure out what these words have in common.

1 Banana
2 Dresser
3 Grammar
4 Potato
5 Revive
6 Uneven
7 Assess

Are you peeking or have you already given up?
Give it another try Look at each word carefully.

(You'll kick yourself when you discover the answer.)
This Is Cool.


Answer: No, it is not that they all have at least 2 double letters.









Answer:
In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word.
Did you figure it out? No? Then send it to more people and stump them as well. Then, you'll feel better too.


News

OPINION: Toronto’s Street Food Failure

Non-stick pan chemical linked to thyroid disease: study

The Writing's on the Wall

I think the internet won't be free for much longer. The New York Times announced it will start charging for news from its website next year, and now Youtube will be testing the rental of movies from its site. The writing's on the wall, for lovers of free stuff anyway.

Last night, M, K and I went to a Swiss Chalet Restaurant with the idea to use a coupon we had to buy one chicken dinner and get one free. The restaurant turned out to be extremely busy because everyone had the same coupons! They are only good for a certain time. L had gone to her friend's 18th birthday party and afterward her friend decided to purchase a lottery ticket because she could, now that she was of age.

On the radio yesterday morning they previewed the Vancouver Olympic theme song called 'I believe', sung by 16 year old Nikki Yanofsky. I couldn't find a clip of it, but here is an introductory clip of her on Youtube.



News

Salt reduction could save 92,000 U.S. lives a year

Paper Records: What to Toss, What to Keep

YouTube to test movie rental service at Sundance

Text ed to be offered to grade 7 classrooms

Susan Boyle

I watched Oprah's TV show the other night, Adam Lambert and Susan Boyle were the featured guests. Adam was fantastic as usual (wearing lots of makeup). They asked one of Susan Boyle's fans why they loved her so much and this lady said Susan showed her that dreams can come true at any age and that life is not over just because you're in your late forties, sometimes it can just be the beginning (or words to that effect). You know Susan is setting all kinds of records with her album sales and this may be the reason why.

My 21 year old nephew that lives in Florida is reporting much happiness after the arrival of 2 new 'replacement' puppies at their home. Their other dogs have died off from old age, although a fifteen year old dog is still there. I guess he'll be the doting grandfather.

News

CONFIRMED: New York Times to Start Charging for Website in 2011

Want to appear more attractive? Tell people you're spiritual

Omega-3 fats may reverse aging at cellular level, more study needed

Sitting too much could be deadly, even if you exercise

Global Warming

The weather has taken a mild turn lately (above freezing).

I just found an empty bag of Lindt Almond (milk chocolate and almond pieces) in the kitchen, a new kind I would've liked to try! I think K was the culprit.

The other day, I took K to the braces doctor to have a loose wire fixed. I passed by another medical office in the hall, they had a sign by the door that said 'buy one hearing aid, get one free'. It must be a sign of our aging times.

News

Exercise protects and improves the aging brain

Scientists closer to finding anti-aging drug

Creative Tuesdays - Window Pane

Here's my contribution to the 'Window Pane' theme for Mr. Toast's Creative Tuesdays. Remember you have until Monday January 25th to submit your own entry. Creative Tuesdays is growing weekly under Mr. Toast's stewardship, way to go Mr. Toast, hope you can keep up with all the entries! I love window pane pictures, this one is done using watercolour pencils.

Some Recipes

Smitten Kitchen has a recipe for tomato sauce with butter and onions and it looks delicious. The only problem is that M will be looking for the meat to go with it, but I can always have a meat dish on the side. It's a great vegetarian option.

This recipe by Bonnie Stern seems like a good healthy one to try:

MASHED SWEET POTATOES WITH APPLES AND MAPLE SYRUP

One of the healthy outcomes of the low-carb diet was the popularization of sweet potatoes. They are one of the best sources of the powerful antioxidant beta carotene.

2 lb (1 kg) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
3 tbsp (45 mL) maple syrup
2 tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil or butter — optional
1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt

1. Cook sweet potatoes and apple together in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender. Drain well and mash coarsely.
2. Mash in maple syrup, oil and salt until mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Makes 4 to 6 servings

News

New York Times Website May Charge: Will You Pay?

10 Excellent Accessories for Your Amazon Kindle

Shampoo repeat question - this says maybe you don't have to lather your hair twice with shampoo, that once is enough. I was told by a hairdresser that the first lather softens the hair for the second lather.

World Peace

Kay from Musings
has been doing lovely posts of her world travels that moved me to ask her
"how would you say that travelling the world has enriched your life? Has it changed you in any significant/particular way that you've noticed?"

She had such a thoughtful answer, worth sharing and a reminder that understanding each other is the route to achieving World Peace:

"Has it enriched my life? Definitely! When we hear news from around the world it's a lot more real and you feel the pain acutely. When we read books or see movies, we can relate more to the words because we've been there.

Has it changed me? Yes! I think we've always tried to be open and kind to everbody we meet so I don't think we treat people differently. However, it's just a warm and beautiful feeling to know that everybody around the world is just like us. They have the same needs and wants. They love their families. They're curious about others and they want to be friends.

We were sitting in a very small Jordanian neighborhood eatery with a couple of Aussies, a Brit and another American and everybody around us were so friendly. They loved it that we were having a meal with them and enjoying their food. We couldn't understand their words but we understood their smiles."

I walked to church yesterday and we coincidentally sang "Let There Be Peace on Earth". They did a second collection for Haiti. My sister said that Bill Clinton is making it his life's work to rebuild Haiti, he is the U.N. special envoy to Haiti and even spent his honeymoon there.

News

Sondra Gotlieb: The ballad of the uneasy traveller

Iris Robinson

My sister brought the story of MP Iris Robinson from Ireland to my attention recently. The 60 year old woman had an adulterous affair with a 19 year old boy, and used her political clout to set him up in business. My sister is calling her a cougar and is upset in part because she has a son close to the same age and just the thought of something like that happening to him... I think I'm more upset that she used her influence to get people to invest in the boy's business. What do you think? Most of her friends (mature ladies themselves, I might say) don't seem to have a problem with the cougar bit.

I had lunch with a friend yesterday and she sent me this recipe that she thinks is really good. I can't wait to try it, although I may use olive oil instead of butter (cream in my coffee is bad enough):



NUTTY CHICKEN BREASTS

Serves 4

125 g/ 4 oz pecans, finely chopped
1 C/ 60g/ 2 oz breadcrumbs
4 chicken breasts (scallopini)
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 C/ 125 ml/ 4 fl oz vegetable oil
90g/ 3 oz butter

1. Combine pecans and breadcrumbs. Spread each fillet with mustard.
Dip in egg mixture. Coat with breadcrumb mixture. Chill for 1 hour.

2. Heat oil and butter together in a frying pan over a medium heat.
Add chicken. Cook for 5 minutes each side or until golden and cooked
through. Serve immediately.


News

Weekends Are Good For You, Study Finds - "Our findings highlight just how important free time is to an individual's well-being,"

Scientists turn stem cells into pork

Sarcasm gets its won emoticon

Record house sales revive bubble fears

Big Mac

According to 'eat this, not that', a McDonald's Big Mac has less calories than a Burger King Whopper with Cheese. The Egg McMuffin also compares well with other similar offerings.

L has started to think about a prom dress for graduation in June. Some girls already have their dress and a few are having them custom-made. I wonder what that would cost? The rationale is that this is the last time they'll get to wear a floor length formal creation until their wedding day...sheesh.
Some kids have set up school Facebook groups that you can join to display your prom dress, in an effort to prevent duplication.

I got K a bunch of new long-sleeved shirts (stripes, checkered patterns in various colours) and he's been wearing a new one to school every day. It seems he's been receiving a lot of compliments from friends. It can be freezing cold and they wear their winter jackets open, displaying the unbuttoned shirt over a t-shirt, with a chain dangling at the neck. He connected his bluetooth phone attachment so that he can share music and other files with his friends regardless of where they are at the moment.

We're having a warming trend, yesterday was so sunny and gorgeous, it warmed up to at least 2C (36F) and it should stay like this for the next few days. It was a good day to dust the house, the dust being so clearly visible in the bright sun!

News

How To Donate (in Canada) To The Haitian Relief Effort

Pants on the Ground: American Idol Season 9’s First Viral Moment [VIDEO]

Men After 40

I noticed that the local convenience store is carrying a Labatt De-alcoholized Pilsener beer.

I felt the passage of time when we got this letter from our Home Insurance agent saying that he's retiring after 21 years. I think we may have been one of his first customers.

Yesterday I made dinner in half an hour. It was baked tilapia fish with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, sauteed mushrooms in soy sauce and garlic, a spiced rice and a tossed salad.

It's sad about the earthquake in Haiti, the fact that it struck the capital city and the international airport and that it's such a poor nation to begin with.

News

Calls for Haiti donations spread thru social Web

Feel empowered by cooking for yourself everyday

Great Chemistry

I've noticed the gym is now open 24 hours a day from Monday morning until Friday night, how wild is that? They've had to hire 2 managers, so it must be good for the economy. One of the ladies I talk to told me she is there some days for 3 and a half hours and certainly every day.

While on the treadmill, I was happily watching a local show called 'Cityline'. It was food day yesterday, so they had 3 local chefs demonstrating superb Canadian cuisine. (that would be oka cheese, wild blueberries, split pea soup, maple syrup, salmon) It was enjoyable to watch as I could see they had the greatest chemistry, including the lively host.

The central court of the local mall was getting ready to stage a TV show taping for a new show 'how to look good naked', I think it's called. You can be an audience member at the actual taping today.

News

Facebook's "reply by e-mail" feature now live for everyone

“Glee” Returns For a Second Season With an Online Twist

The Twitter Flatline: Why Doesn’t Twitter Grow?

Make it or break it

Barry, at 'An Explorer's View of Life' has a wonderful post about how he unexpectedly made a difference with his blog review on a self published author's Rwandan experience.

Kay is participating in Microfiction Monday
which is being hosted by Susan at Stony River. According to Kay, 'you are to use the picture that Susan posts and compose a story up to 140 characters including spaces and punctuation. Then go to Susan's blog and leave your name. ' How creative is that?

L found this great new TV show called 'Make it or break it'. I like it too. This is how Wikepedia summarizes the plot:

' The series follows a group of elite teenage gymnasts training at top-notch gym Rocky Mountain, known as The Rock. ...With the help of their reluctant coach, Sasha Belov, an Olympic champion, the gymnasts must overcome rivalry, betrayal, familial crises, and financial difficulties to advance to Nationals.'

News

Improv group goes pantless on TTC (Toronto subway)

High School Grads Compete With Jobless Adults Headed Back To School

World's most amazing views

6 Gross Food Habits To Drop In 2010

How to buy an e-reader

Learning Styles

L decided to record her lines for the school drama play and then study them over the holidays by playing them back to herself. The reasoning behind this is that she is an auditory learner and it seems to have worked. She was one of the only ones at rehearsal that knew her lines perfectly, all 30 pages of them. There is something to be said for catering to your learning style.

Since I learned that I'm highly visual, I realized that for me, 'out of sight' is 'out of mind'. I've always instinctively stayed away from chests of drawers because I can't remember/

see what's inside them. Open shelving and tables are best for me where I can see everything. It explains why I like to hang my favourite art on the walls.

K lent out one of his Xbox controllers and has been chasing it down since the New Year. The boy wasn't home yesterday, so he asked his mom if he could still come and get it and he did. Those things are like $60, so he didn't want to lose track of it.

It was frostbite weather on Saturday (-15C) but warmed up to about -4C yesterday and it was beautiful and sunny. M noticed a rabbit huddled up against our back door, trying to stay warm. I heard it's snowing in Disneyworld, Florida if you can believe that. They are in a bit of a shock because they are not used to being so cold.

News

Top 6 Skinny Foods for 2010

Adopted girl's fantasy life becomes series

Leap Year: Romance and Irish gig

Leap Year

L drove to the movies the other night. She met her friends for dinner first. Apparently they all drove except for one of them. It is so much easier for us than having to chauffeur her around. She enjoyed the movie 'Leap Year', proclaiming it 'good, different, funny and cute, although nothing special'. I'd love to see it. The theatre was crowded, although full of mostly women. L said she saw this poor guy with his date wondering why she had dragged him to this one. But he seemed to be laughing during the movie. L's friend was enamoured with the leading man.

This is a funny animated video called 'Adam Lambert's duet with Susan Boyle'.

News

Moosewood author's new cookbook is aimed at kitchen newbies - this looks like a great gift for a university student living off campus: 'Get Cooking: 150 simple recipes to get you started in the kitchen (Harper Studio, Harper Collins Publishers, $32.99)'

Fabulous at 50: Fashion and beauty tips

Staying Alive

L had a checkup yesterday at the children's dentist and it occurred to me that she will be over 18 years old at her next checkup. So we made one last appointment for the summer, but I think the next one will be with a dentist that caters to adults. It's also time to switch her from her pediatrician. Growing up can be hard to do. She will miss both doctors but it's almost time to move on.

Life is funny, on any one day, I can be bursting with pride at L's latest accomplishments and in the next minute, a teacher can call about K's progress in a subject. And just when I'm despairing at K's academic performance at school, he comes home and surprises me with a decent mark on a recent unit test. Staying alive is what I call that.

I bought some beef short ribs that were on sale at the supermarket. I asked the butcher to slice them up and was surprised when he did them so finely, as per 'korean short ribs(bulgogi)'. So luckily there is 'google' and I found a recipe that I'm going to try today. It seems you marinate them and then you can simply stir fry them for about 3 minutes per side.

From this website, I learned that
'The typical Korean marinade has soy sauce, ginger, something sweet like honey or sugar and some simple seasonings. The marinade should also contain some kind of vinegar or alcohol to tenderize the meat and carry the flavors deep inside.' And this recipe seems like a good place to start. I'll let you know how it turns out.

News

15 simple ways to be happier in 2010

Obesity Replaces Smoking As Biggest Health Risk In North America

Attached Handset

One of my sisters caught a program on Erik Demaine and found it interesting, a genius kid that did really well (she surmises that they don't all do well). He started university at age 12 and is an MIT professor and does mathematical origami artwork.

I got a newsletter from our hydro-electricity company and it says you should have at least one phone with an attached handset so that in the event of a power outage, you can phone someone because cordless phones won't work. These are little things that never occur to you.

News

Bra colour Facebook status updates

Is 'happy fat' to blame for mothers' weight gain?

Astronomers: We could find Earth-like planets soon

Tech giants step towards tablet revolution

Quick Apple Cake

This recipe is from 'The Best of HeartSmart Cooking' by Bonnie Stern. My girlfriend made it recently and K loved it, so I had to ask her for the recipe.

Makes 12 pieces
1 egg
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/3 c vegetable oil
3 tbs orange or apple juice
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 apples, peeled and sliced

1. In a large bowl, beat together egg and granulated sugar until thick and light. Beat in oil, juice and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into egg mixture and combine until just blended
3. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon
4. Arrange apples in bottom of a lightly oiled 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture. Smooth batter on top. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture.
5. Bake in preheated 350F oven for 35 to 40 mins, or until cake slightly comes away from sides of pan. Cool for 10 minutes before serving from the pan.

******

I heard this lady at the gym yesterday saying in an almost guilty manner: 'You know, I'm glad the holidays are over, it's hard work'. I agree with her. Then I heard this one young woman say that she was suffering from a painful bout of tendonitis in her arm, and suffered a debilitating migraine at New Year's. Maybe we all need a trip south to some warm weather!

A recent 'Eat this not that' newsletter surprised me by saying that an english muffin with egg, cheese and bacon is healthier than a plain bagel with light cream cheese.

L is planning to see the new movie 'Leap Year' with her friends. I wouldn't mind seeing that one myself.

News

Vitamin C can stop premature aging: Canadian study

Slightly Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I thought I would share this 'slightly sweet and sour' meatball recipe that I concocted. It's great with some fluffy, steamed white rice and only takes about a half hour to make.

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs worcestershire sauce


Sauce

1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs white vinegar
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1 cup water
1 tsp corn starch

Mix the first set of (non-sauce) ingredients together . Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and brown them in hot oil. Mix the sauce ingredients together and pour over the meatballs. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked.

So I decided to go back to my regular hairdresser yesterday. Back in November there was a mishap which was forcing me to reconsider. He seemed to be extra careful and even bought me a coffee from McDonald's. He was celebrating Orthodox Christmas that evening.


News

Canadians banished from dating site for holiday weight gain

Early bedtimes may protect teens from depression

Creative Tuesdays - Cheerios

Here's my contribution to the 'Cheerios' theme for Mr. Toast's Creative Tuesdays. That's right, the theme is 'Cheerios' like the cereal! I was inspired by the Olympic Rings in Vancouver, Canada, and added some cheerio fireworks to complete the picture. I used watercolour pencils on the back of an index card. Remember you still have until January 12th to submit your own entry.

Driver's Licence

Too cute not to forward:


A mother is driving her little girl to her friend's house for a play date.

' Mommy ,' the little girl asks, 'how old are you?'

'Honey, you are not supposed to ask a lady her age,' the mother replied.
'It's not polite.'

'OK', the little girl says,
'How much do you weigh?'

'Now really,' the mother says,
'those are personal questions and are really none of your business.'

Undaunted, the little girl asks, 'Why did you and Daddy get a divorce?'

'That's enough questions, young lady! Honestly!'

The exasperated mother walks away as the two friends begin to play.

' My Mom won't tell me anything about her,' the little girl says to her friend.

'Well,' says the friend,
'all you need to do is look at her driver's license.
It's like a report card, it has everything on it.'

Later that night the little girl says to her mother,
'I know how old you are. You are 32.'

The mother is surprised and asks,
'How did you find that out?

'I also know that you weigh 130 pounds.'

The mother is past surprised and shocked now.
'How in Heaven's name did you find that out?'

'And,' the little girl says triumphantly,
'I know why you and daddy got a divorce..'

'Oh really?' the mother asks. 'Why?'





'Because you got an F in sex.'

It's cold

It was cold at about -9C (15F)yesterday. M and I went for a walk anyway and we did see a few people out, they were even running horse and carriage rides on Main Street. We stopped in at a coffee shop for low fat lattes and split an apple spice cake dessert. It was yummy.

M's family will be gathering at a restaurant for lunch today to celebrate his mother's 80th birthday. He had gone to the party store with K yesterday and bought a bunch of decorative balloons to tie on to the chairs.

L is busy working on her supplementary university application forms which all come with their own deadlines. She also has homework due this week as they are back at school. I think she could use another week off school or maybe that would be more opportunity to procrastinate. She is admittedly one that works well under pressure (it takes all types to make a world).

We seem to be staying up until the wee hours of the morning, like 2 and 3 am, so it's going to be tough getting back to an early morning school routine.


News

Jennifer Sygo: Dietary directions for 2010 - 'local food takes hold and raises questions'

Ten Resolutions

Yesterday, I won an Amazon gift certificate from Lissa. What a great way to kick off the New Year. She was running a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway.

L is so funny, she's using her new hair straightener to curl her hair, apparently it's the new thing!

Ten Resolutions to Thrive (not just Survive):

1. Face the future with courage and creativity, and don't let fear be your guide.

2. Laugh a lot, and see the humour in our own stumbles as a healthy balance to more difficult times when there's little humour to be found.

3. Greet the people you meet day-to-day with a ready smile, unforced politeness, and respectful patience.

4. Indulge every child you know with excess encouragement.

5. Since there's no escaping it, better to embrace the need to learn about treating the body we've been given with knowledgeable care, good nourishment and healthful movement. There's only one body per person.

6. View spontaneity as a present of time and inspiration, and not an intrusion.

7. Admire lovely things without an accompanying need for possession.

8. Learn and care about the environment as much as about the economy.

9. Focus your mind on the things that matter. If some of these present problems to you, resolve not to be held back by a tendency for denial, or by excuses.

Instead, look for solutions that work and be open to compromise.

10. Cherish the people you love every day, in every reasonable way. And don't feel awkward, or wait too long, in letting them know you love them.

News

Feeling old and blue? Green tea may help

Webby Awards name top 10 Internet moments of the decade

Self Esteem

Happy New Year!

Momgrind has a lovely article on Children's Self Esteem that I had to share for the New Year. I think adults can also benefit from just reading it.

News

Conquer New Year's Resolutions with mySomeday

Tsunami 5 years later: Part one

Tsunami 5 years later: part two

Tsunami 5 years later: part three