What's in a Name?

A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet...

So, how does one come up with a name for a company that will effectively stand at the forefront of all that this company will give the world??

Start with what I want my business to mean, what message I want to say with the products I am developing, how I want my customers to feel about both the company and it's products....does that sound right??

Why then is it so dang hard to do??

And why are all the names I come up with already taken??

My Morning Rant~A.K.A My Quest to change body image

As a mom, we run into many open opinions, comments and observations by friends, family, and even complete strangers.

It starts with the moment our first baby belly starts to show.  People offer advice, misguided or otherwise, and seem to think you belong to everyone, hence the belly touching.

Then you get more unsolicited advice, more pawing and ogling after the baby is born and you finally venture out in the world.

This is where my rant reallly begins.  I appreciate the comments of 'how beautiful' or 'so cute', but how about the awful comments?  Hmm?? 

Yes, they do actually exist and they always come with a smile, a cooing of somekind and the person speaking to your child as though you knew it wasn't directed at you and something you were doing wrong in their opinion.

The comments of 'my aren't you a chunky one' and 'you must be a big eater' or 'that's an interesting way to do...'

Listen up people, this world is hard, harsh and difficult enough without cramming your body image problems into the lives of growing, innocent babies and children!

Can anyone wonder how eating disorders start at such young ages???  They don't learn to criticize themselves without help.

So, if y'all don't mind....leave my baby alone...he is not chunky...and so what if he eats well, he's supposed to grow 2 to 3 feet in two years!  He needs the energy to keep up!

And on that note everyone should leave all children alone about their weight....it is the parents(caregivers) job to make sure their diet is healthy, not everyone else's.  Open comments are no business of anyone else.

Home-made Yogurt

I know I don't write often enough about my Sally-Home-Maker side and this post is meant to change that!  So bear with me a while.

After having read about two methods of making yogurt on keeperofthehome.org and another similar method in the amazing book called The Homemade Pantry-by Alana Chernila, I have decided to try this again!

It is absolutley amazing how much money I spend on yogurt.  Tubes, mini cups, larger tubs...incredible!  And I buy the cheapest priced and sale items whenever I can.

I bought my ingredients (and even splurged for organic milk!)  Then started to make my creamy(hopefully) concoction.  While I was waiting for the milk to warm I did the calculations to see how much it is costing me per cup to buy ready to eat tubs and how much to make my own...

Results?

0.75/cup homemade
1.33/cup store bought at 3.99/750mL tub

So, here it is:

2L.            Whole milk
5 tbsp.      Plain, unsweetened yogurt w/ probiotics
1 ice cube Large pot
5qt or larger crock pot
Candy thermometer

Directions: Take out a large cooking pot and place the ice cube in the pot, as it melts naturally, no added heat, coat the bottom of the pan with the cold water. When it is completely melted add your milk then the thermometer and turn heat on the medium. Take out your yogurt starter too come to room temp, and plug in your crock pot and set it on low to preheat, with the lid on. Wait and watch, stirring occasionally but making sure not to touch the bottom of the pot, use a metal spoong for this so there aren't any errant flavour from other materials being added to the pot. When your thermometer reads 180•F, turn the dial of the stove down a little to maintain this temp without dropping lower and hold it there for 10 mins or so. Then you will need to remove from heat and cool down your mixture to 100•F, so cover the pot with a lid and sit the pot in a few inches ofcold water in your sink. It should take about 10 mins, give or take. I like to put my starter yogurt in a glass measuring cup so when I need to mix in a little warm milk it is easy to pour back into the pot. That being said you need only mix a cup of milk to the yogurt to mix it evenly with no clumps in it then add it back to the pot. Stir it well then pour all contents into crock pot...unplug the unit now and wrap in towels to keep in the heat...let it sit undisturbed 6-12 hours. The time varies according to your taste, the longer it sits the more sour it will be. Carefully transport the crock into the fridge without shaking too much and when it is cold enough you can transfer to smaller containers. Be sure to save some as a starter for our next batch! Have you tried this? How did it turn out for you?

The un-Healthy truth....our food

I have been trying to learn about the food we eat and how it affects our bodies and therefore our entire lives.  I have to say that I have not been happy about what I have learned.  In fact, I believe that it has added a significant layer of stress to my everyday thoughts.

Taking a closer look at my family and our various daily little health issues I realized that they are speaking volumes to me about what our bodies are going through.  For example, I do me very best to provide healthy food for my kids; milk, fresh fruit juices, fruits, veggies and lean meats.  I try to maintain the four food groups with bread and meat being at the lower end of the spectrum.  So why then, can anyone tell me, is one of my boys (the one that eats the best and drinks the most water of all of us) constantly plagued with diarrhea or constipation?
Another example, why have I been plagued with blocked ears since a horrendous ear infection last October?  Why do I constantly get bronchitis from something as simple as sinus congestion 2 or 3 times every cold weather season?  Why do I suffer from intensely itchy and flaky scalp every fall through spring? or why do I constantly have bowel problems?  why do I have a hard time losing weight?
Another example, why does my hubby suffer from intensely itching shins?  Why does hubby have a hard time keeping weight?


The answer has to be our food.


But what about it I don't know.



So, we will try an experiment that I am sure the kids will HATE......no milk.


http://www.nutritionresearchcenter.org/healthnews/dairy-can-have-a-big-effect/

interesting reading....

This is going to be our step one....no milk....but what is a healthy alternative?

The conversation on soy milk has me worried about the strong points that are made for the con side of the coin....hormone disrupters, endocrine tampering, etc.  so maybe that is not such a good idea.

Almond milk sold in tetra paks are apparently a good choice, I happen to love this in cereal and coffee, however the benefits of almonds are supposedly destroyed by the manufacturing process, hmm.....any suggestions friends?

Making changes....striving for simplicity

     I have finally gotten to the point where I am fed up with clutter.  With 5 people, a dog and 2 fish we have aquired more stuff than we know what to do with.  So my new goal is to reduce the amount of stuff we have around us. 
     It is amazing how we trick ourselves into thinking that 'I've gotta have that' such and such.  But when such and such becomes 'thing-S' that we trip over, stuff into cupboards and closets and spend yet more money on organizational 'stuff' to hold it all in, I think there is a HUGE problem!
     Not to mention the amount of dollars lost.  Ooo the dollars!  Our need to pay our debts and increase our savings has to trump the need for stuff.
     I am going to attack this problem a little at a time. Today I packed up all the extra dishes in my cupboard, leaving us with 4 of everything...I won't get rid of the other pieces though as I may break something and need to replace it.  I will put it in our storage room in our basement.
    Next thing I want to attack is books, schooling stuff,which I have a lot of,  and clothes.
  I have some clothes for the boys, but need to go through them to find the sizing holes and try to fill them in.  Hopefully, I will be able to do it cheaply or even free....so, what else can I add to the list?

Truth from a four letter word?

It's absolutely amazing how many books you can find online and on bookstore shelves about the evil four-letter word: DIET.

Cookbooks, exercise plans, lifestyle methods and counting books line countless shelves with the idea that it will save our lives.  It is fantastic that we have all these varieties to choose from; however, there are too many varieties to choose from!

There are raw, vegan, clean, meat, dessert, bread, slow cooker, BBQ, ethnic and countless other cookbooks to choose from.  There are also too many exercise books to choose from.  There are also countless lifestyle books that aim to change almost every aspect of your life from food and exercise to psychology and the specific health issues that you may have. 

So, how then, is a person to figure out which one (or two or three) books to buy that will teach them the tools necessary to continue to choose the right food and exercises after they close the book?

And, what, may I ask (or demand!) is a Mom to do when there are many mouths to feed, yet different needs to be met??

To answer this question for myself I have decided to figure out what it means to "go back to basics" nutritionally speaking.

You see after having three kids I have a few tires and a couple of saddle bags to un-tether from my frame.  I have one child that hardly eats and when he does his variety does not equal a balanced diet, and another child that finally eats well, but has a protruding belly that (moderately) concerns me.  I say moderately because he is growing taller and it will slim down, yet I wonder if the eating habits he has will cause this to be a lifetime problem unless I help him learn differently.

And then there's hubby, with his intensely burning metabolism which causes him to lose weight and become light headed and dizzy when he doesn't eat every two or three hours. 

I then have to consider our health histories from our families that we are susceptible to: heart disease, diabetes, high and low blood pressures, stroke, blood clots, and cancer which we would love to avoid if we can. 

My next step then, is to learn what to eat to avoid as many health concerns as possible without favouring one method over another to cause an imbalance.  Not a good thing to cause one problem while trying to fight against another!!

I have bought  500 Low Glycemic Index Recipes by Dick Logue  with the idea that it will keep everyone balanced for now and will research more steps later on.  Wish us luck!!  I will post the recipes every once in a while to encourage you to try something different too!

If you are eating a healthier diet....what cookbooks do you favour?  Please share them with us as we can help each other sort thought the thousands of cookbooks by recommending our favourites.

Hey! What's your dream?

What amazes me most about my life is the seemingly random things that are brought to my attention, when I don't think  I'm looking for them. For example...my hubby and I have been on a long journey of self-discovery.  We  are attempting  to discover  what we truly want and were put on this earth for.
That being said I was extremely excited to see a familiar name to blogging come back on the  scene with more of her humour, insight and a good strong dose of inquisition.  Lerner has created a new outlet with a fantastic angle that  is  helpful as well as entertaining.  


So, as I attempt to  figure  out my dreams I get to read others' answer to the same burning question everyone has...Hey! What's Your Dream?

Thinking Things Through

Many of you may remember  a post I made months ago about the all natural diaper rash product I wanted to develop...right?  If not, catch up here.   Well, I have not dumped the idea, nor will I ever.  But the question has come up about credentials.  To make this product with essential oils should I have an aromatherapy certificate/ degree?


What do you think?


Would you buy from a Mom inventor that has learned on her own what will work...or from a certified aromatherapist who has learned what will work?


Tell me... I need to know!

My Third Birth Story

I can't believe how long it's been!  I wanted to spare all of you loyal readers the day to day tirade of pregnancy, hence the lack of posts.  When all you are thinking about is baby and delivery there seems to be no point in trying to come up with something clever for an original post idea.


However, I thought I would get this last post on what seems to be a a series of birth stories coming from me and I swear it will be the last!  It is a short story though, as I didn't have any of the nightmare situations come to me as they did the first and second time around!  Thank whomever!!


I was chatting up a storm with my homeschooling-Mom friends and was completely convinced that the best way to NOT have another nightmare was to "hire" a midwife.  Here in Ontario midwives are completely covered by the OHIP medical coverage that enables us free medical care.  Yippee!!  After some minor research I found an office that had literally just opened in my area of town that week!  Even better!  They had been working out of a West-end office and had been midwives for years!  Hallelujah!  They convinced my hubby of their credentials, who then helped me try to convince my in-laws....which were never convinced of the safety of this "method", oh well...to bad so sad! 


I had a different pregnancy this time compared to the last two in that I was the traditional basketball belly bearing mom!  How exciting!  Yes, I can be considered a sadist, I thoroughly enjoyed the swelling, the difficulty in tying my winter boots(and even being able to put them on at all) , the lack of closing jackets, and even the repulsions of certain foods that drove my hubby nuts!
But, other then that...all was incredible!


After searching through my friend Nancy's website:  www.yourbirthcoach.com I realized there were incredible options that I had never known before!  I decided then and there that I was going to have a home birth.  In fact I wanted a water birth.  Yup, a great big pool in my living room.  I was even contemplating renting my friends pool, which was in fact a horse trough! Heehee...Try to get the In-laws on board now!!


May 7th started very early for me....430 am in fact.  My midwife came by around 6 am and found me in the bath tub.  I am so very happy that I hadn't rented any tubs or pools for this process because I was incredibly uncomfortable in the water.  Not nauseated per se, but slightly dizzy by the sloshing around the water was doing.


I will spare the intimate details, but we had our third baby boy at 845 am on May 7th....the day AFTER my birthday, at home with  my family with me.  I was relaxed, happy and fully in charge to what was happening to me and around me.  I can't tell you how much that has made the difference for my recovery.  It is now 9 weeks later and I am coping better than I ever have before, even with all the lack of sleep! 


How??  It helps to know what my weaknesses are. 


I know that I can't take care of everything and everyone right away. I know that there are things that are just not going to get done today, and I have given myself permission to let it go until tomorrow or the next day.  I have given myself permission to feel the emotions that are inevitable (especially for two bouts of post-partum depression teach you alot about yourself), and because of that permission those emotions are not being fought against, held back or ignored (which makes them worse in the end).  I have also given myself permission to ask for help and not be ashamed or embarrassed for it. 


Now that I have that off my chest, on to another adventure....because I am not busy enough!