hello September

I can't believe it's already September!  But I think I say that at every month change!

Actually, after our wet and windy weekend, it's feeling very Autumnal! And I love Fall, so I'm okay with that.

I'm sad that Summer feels officially over now, yet I am also so ready for the change. In less than a week, the kids head back to school, and really they've been ready to go back for a few weeks. Secretly. They won't admit it, but they're restless and starting to get bored and rely too much on the computer for entertainment.  I'm happy that with our rain, it's been dark and cloudy, making it not too hard to convince the kids to head to bed on a more proper time. (the Olders need more convincing though)

It'll be nice to start up a new schedule again, with regular things (like school and Bible study group) as well as new opportunities (like a chore schedule, and preschool and even new teachers) I always feels that Autumn holds more promise of New Beginnings than January 1st does. Then I feel Easter is your second chance to start anew, with thoughts on the reason behind the holiday, and with Spring approaching.

Yay for new seasons that give hope and fresh change!

Summer Storm and preparedness

We survived the Summer Storm of 2015. It was no "Great Storm" or "Storm of the Century" or "Zombie Apocalypse", but it was unexpected.

I admit that even though it was predicted that we'd get an "entire summer's worth of rain" (that was the Vancouver Sun's headline, mentioning how we were to get 80-140mm of rain between Friday and Monday. I can't find the article online anymore though.) I had mixed feelings. A part of me was pessimistic. After all, we've had so little fall this summer, that the idea of a huge dump sounded dubious. I also felt torn between being annoyed (I was planning a yard sale this weekend!) and being relieved. (yay, rain!) But we did get the rain. It fell all Friday early morning, so I cancelled our sale (no one wants to walk through squishy grass) and was happy to wake up to pouring rain on Saturday. I don't know how much fell, but the campfire ban was lifted for Metro Vancouver. Woohoo! We could roast weinies and marshmallows---if it weren't so wet outside!

What no one was expecting was the wind. And it was crazy windy! With gusts up to 80 km/h. Leaves were blowing around the yard and the kids had fun running outside in them, but I felt uneasy. I love a good thunderstorm and I like rain, but wind I could do without.

Our power went out at noon, which wasn't a huge deal. We "rough it" when we go camping, so this wasn't anything worrisome. That is, until I heard how large of an area was effected. I couldn't believe how many people had no power! BC Hydro wasn't anticipating it to be back up until the next day at noon, but I imagine they like to over-estimate, just in case. The problem is that I like to blow things out of proportion, you know, just in case! In my mind, I was picturing three days.

 We have a generator, but it needed gas, so Hunny and I set out on a journey. And that was an eye opener. The power-outtages covered a larger area than it stated on BC Hydro's webpage. (which kept crashing anyways) Plus there were so many branches and trees knocked down across the roads. I think that every business we drove past was closed due to no power! We got hopeful when we saw a Chevron gas station that was busy, but were disappointed (along with many others) to realize that even though the pumps still appeared to be on, they would not work without power either. It was a crazy trip. In the end, we found gas from our neighbour, so the trip could've been so much shorter and faster if we had stayed! (We are so blessed to have some awesome neighbour friends)

My emergency-end-of-the-world-preparedness thinking went a bit overboard though. I started to think of how long would it be to restore power to everyone we saw. And I considered that there were no grocery stores or gas stations open, and no one could take money out of a bank machine without power, add in that people's cell phones and internet connections would eventually lose battery power--- it would be chaos! How long before that happened? That people started to panic? It's a good thing that my Hunny could be a survivalist (he's never been dropped into the wilderness with a cameraman, but he'd know what to do if he was)   He made up a huge batch of chilli on our campstove and slow cooker, while the kids watched a movie (generator FTW), which he shared with our neighbours. (When the power goes out, you can usually order dinner from somewhere close by, but it was out everywhere, so many people were stuck)

We spent our evening hanging out with our other neighbours in their carport, roasting marshmallows over their propane firepit, and listening to music by their generator, and watching it pour. It was a fun way to spend a summer night. The kids snuggled up on the couches to sleep since it's less scary in the dark when you have others around you.

Our power returned at 3:30am, but I hardly noticed. (I woke up briefly and heard our fan was on, but didn't even think of it) It was an interesting 15 hours. (there are still so many without power though. But at least there are options to eat out or visit friends with power. But not having hot water and possibly losing food in your fridge and freezer suck.)


We did really well, but it wasn't a challenging 15 hours. We had some branches break off a tree in our back yard and land on the neighbour's trampoline (thankfully it wasn't damaged and no one was hurt) and our pool overflowed and collapsed overnight due to rain (it looks so pathetic right now! There goes the end of our summer pool) and we had the fastest take down of our gazebo due to it blowing around in the yard, but it really wasn't too bad. Partially due to our camping skills, but mostly due to how short it lasted. Our power returned and the wind died down the next day. But it really has me thinking about our emergency preparedness. How ready are we if the Big One happens? (there were two small earthquakes in Abbotsford and Mission this past week) or for the Zombie Apocalypse? (which I actually don't believe in, but it's fun to say) We'll need to have gas stored, as well as water, and emergency cash. Plus we'll need to buy a new can opener; ours really wasn't up to the challenge of opening a can of beans yesterday. (so disappointing and so frustrating) A generator sure is nice. Maybe we should start putting things aside for if that day comes, or in case we're stuck with another storm this year.

 A good book to read is How to Survive the End of the World as We Know it. by James Wesley, Rawles. (of course my Hunny has it) It has many good survival skill tips....as long as you don't get your mind too panicked. (I can get pretty imaginative!)

I'd love to hear your tips of how to survive a power failure. What do you do if you have young kids? What if it's longer than a day? Are you prepared for a natural disaster? Please share in the comments!

not a morning person

 Actually, I'll say "sort of" or "I guess"!

Gandalf said it first..
"Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

this is why I suck at small talk

Thankful Thursday

Welcome back to Thankful Thursday, a feature started by Louise at Talk Nerdy to Me, where we look back over our week and remember our blessings.  It is so good to see all that has happened, especially if you have had a particularly tough week. Being grateful is good for the soul. Here are just a few things that I am thankful for...

1. trees to climb

2. dinner with friends

 I am so thankful for the friends that we have and that we could go out and enjoy an evening together, and that our kids play well and that it is just like being among family.

 3.new sunglasses

 {I'm Batman}

4.  swings that make you fly

4. texts that give you hope again

 I received a message from a friend that I hadn't heard from in such a long time that I had just about given up on our relationship; she just wasn't responding to me and it hurt.  I don't know what will happen in the end, but I am thankful that she sent something. 

I am thankful that even though friendships change, He is always faithful.



5. sparklers

 {yay. sparklers.}

{that's better. that's the spirit!}

6. music that makes us move

This is currently Rhys' favourite song:  Build Your Kingdom by Rend Collective.  (he also loves their song "Lighthouse")  He will play it over and over and sing and dance, and it is so wonderful to see!  I love his spirit!  (and, seriously, how FUN is Rend Collective???)

7.  front yard visits with neighbours

We live in a really good neighbourhood and have been blessed that the people who live on either side of us are great people. We have known eachother for 12 years and our kids have grown up together and we have shared in each others' lives!  It's nice to be able to sit in our yards and just visit!  I am thankful for the women I live by!

8. water to splash in

9.  rest

I am so thankful that after several busy days, when my body is fatigued and I feel overwhelmed, that He gives me rest.  I am given a day of quiet, where I can rest on the couch without the kids needing much. My body needs this every so often!

10.  laughs at the dinner table

My Hunny was teasing Abi about something and told her to "suck it up, Princess!" Eden stood up on her chair and pointed her finger at Abi, hotly telling her father, "She's not a Princess!  I'm a Princess!"

What a funny girl!  Apparently there can not be two princesses!


So that's my week in a nutshell. How has your week been?  I'd love to celebrate your Thankful list with you: share it in the comments!

pick up lines

This came across my newsfeed on FB this past week that made me laugh so much: Christian Pick Up Lines!!!  

Some are terribly cheesy, but some are really good.

Haha. Clever.

Would a pick up line work on you?

I think they are silly, and I've had a few dumb ones, but when I look back, I realize that in some ways they did work. It got my attention and it did get a conversation out of me. Even if it didn't turn into anything, at most it made for a funny encounter and memory.  (like this one guy who asked me if I dropped a quarter....while we were in the hot tub at the pool!!! I looked at him dumbfounded. Where would I put a quarter in my bathing suit???)

Sunday thought

My friend posted this on her FB and it made me stop and think it over a few times.

How about you?  What do you think would change?

Wordless Wednesday: why I love BC

strong enough

To the magenta-haired woman in Walmart tonight

Hi, Magenta-haired woman. 

I saw you arrive at Walmart the same time that I did. I was getting out to pick up some tape and milk, and to get a breather away from fussy kids. (Basically, my Hunny made me go because I needed a Time Out from my own grouchiness). I don't know why you were out with your three young boys, but I heard you warn them that they had better not ask for anything while shopping. That made me smile.

I found you here and there as I wandered. Mostly I heard you. You kept telling Riley to stop touching things. And hanging off things. And climbing on things. And running around. Dear Riley was just plain getting on your nerves.

I felt bad for Riley and I wondered why you were so grouchy with this boy, who only looked about three years old. He was bound to get into mischief in the store. Plus, it was past his bedtime. (that is, it was past my girl's bedtime; she went to bed early because of her naughtiness!) 

As I wondered about how you were possibly being too harsh on children who did not know any better (they were boys, in a store, at night, bored.... But I will add that they weren't badly behaved) I also saw a refelection of myself.  Yes, before you start thinking this is a post about mothers who are verbally abusive in public, or those who 'shouldn't be mothers' or something about poor innocent children, this isn't that at all.  Dear Magenta-haired woman, you were annoyed shopping with them and you were acting rushed, and all at once I understood.

You stood in the shoe section, telling Riley not to pull all of the shoes down, while telling the older two to try something on. And I browsed the toy aisle for birthday ideas, and I remembered.  That annoyance of having to last-minute shop for a child. "What do you mean you need new shoes? We just bought you a pair two months ago. Where are....what did you do to them???" I remember having to drag children out to the store at a time when you hoped would be spend quietly and politely doing homework or pre-bedtime ritual stuff (not that it's usally quiet, but I always hope it will be). Instead, they are running around a store, touching eveything, asking for junk, laying on the floor, driving you bonkers.

And I remembered the frustration I felt today for my own three year old. Who wanted to assert her own will, her own personality, her own demands. And I just wanted her to be quiet and obedient.

Remember how I said that I was out shopping alone because I needed a Time Out?
Yeah. I get it.

So, as I found you and your boys checking out at the same as I did, I did give you more Grace. Because we all need it. And we've all been there. Some days just go on so long, and are so tiring and you are grouchy, and you are just longing for your own Quiet Time.  For those days, I give you the Solidary Pound It!  I did avoid your check out line though. But I wanted you to know that I was thinking of my own behaviour today. It was less-than-steller. 

Tomorrow I will offer more Grace. And Patience. And Kindness. We could all use it.

Especially my three year old. Maybe I'll let her bake cookies with me.

New Ventures

This is a post that I have been working on a while now. I've had trouble putting thoughts into words, so I kept putting it off. How do I explain ideas, hopes, and fears over things that aren't even to pass yet?

If you remember, back in October I took a huge jump and booked a table at a local craft fair. Without a clue what I'd be offering as a vendor. But with a ton of ideas and excitement to carry me.

I met with my parents on the day I agreed to the craft fair, and my excitement was catching; my Dad wanted to join in and make projects too! I showed him some pictures of items I was going to make, and we talked about what we could do and what we'd work on, and it was just a quick meeting that made me feel energized and ready to start something new! It was amazing how stepping out and doing something completely new and unusal for me could make me feel so happy!

I decided to tackle making projects that I'd always wanted to try and had pinned to my Pinterest boards, which is what got me started in attempting to make my own chalkboard paint and my own chalkboard frame to greet my husband when he returned from his trip in October. That was quite the challenge!  I have decided that even though making your own chalkboard paint at home is much more cost-saving than buying a small jar...it is also a lot more work, and a lot more frustrating!

I used this tutorial on making and colouring your own chalkboard paint found on A Beautiful Mess.

Just a FYI: unless you are doing a huge batch, don't be deceived into thinking that stirring a cupfull will be enough. I tried various methods and I used less or more amounts on the paint and on the grout mix, but each and every one ended up lumpy. It was seriously disheartening. I have no idea how these other DIYers were able to make theirs without any lumps just hand stirring. After a good six attempts, I had to give in and just accept the bottle of chalkboard spray paint from my Dad!  If you do happen to make your own chalkboard paint up, please please tell me how you did it! I am obviously missing a step (or two)!

Now you know. Just a few tips because I care. 

And because I remember how frustrated I was. 

You're welcome.

I ended up distressing and painting frames for the chalkboard. I was pleased with how they turned out! I also hand painted some signs. My Hunny, the Mountain Man, had found some pallets at work that he was able to take home for me, so I tried my hand at that. I also painted some new pine wood signs, which I wasn't too sure about at first, but ended up liking the most. Go figure!  My father made shelves and sconces and votive holders that turned out beautiful. (I grew up with him always building furniture. He has made almost all of the cabinets and shelves in my parent's home. I admit to wishing that I could build like him.)

 {my favourite sign. I was torn on even wanting it to sell!}

 {I made some chalkboard labels for these mason jars. it wasn't easy, but they turned out so good in the end....after four attempts. I also made some shabby lace rosettes, which I love!}

 {I had to make a Canadian flag sign!}

  {my dad's beautiful rustic wall candle holders}

When the day of the craft fair came up, I admit to having feelings of doubt (would we have enough stuff? would anyone buy our items? what if we didn't sell anything? what if we sold out too soon? what if I just sucked at this?) and to having thoughts that we'd do great (who wouldn't like our products? or us? we're fun and our hand made items are beautiful and priced well.)

The craft fair was a super short one. Just only four hours, and the first hour was spent walking around and seeing if we could barter with other vendors for items before the doors were opened. I had my eyes on some jewelry, some essential oils, some lotion and books, but not every one had items to trade or wanted to, which was disappointing, but I guess that's ok too. The more I traded, the less I had to sell.

 {All ready to go!  Abi helped out and even made a few items too! Craftiness runs in the family!}

Except it was so poorly attended that I really didn't have anything to worry about. It sure would've been nice to sell out early that afternoon! Instead, we spend our time chatting with the neighbouring vendor (check out Dirty Hippie Naturals on FB. She has some great lotions and soaps, plus she's nice!) and trying to keep warm in an old school gymnasium with open doors on a chilly October day.  I made two sales. Just two. And one of them was an item that Abi had made. I guess technically I made three since I had traded one of my chalkboard frames with another vendor for some earrings and rings. If you include that, I ended up making just a measily $5. (taking into account the cost of the table at the fair) So it really wasn't worth our time and efforts at all.

A part of me blames the organizer. After all, it was up to her to promote the craft fair. (There were no signs at the school when we arrived and none to be seen as we left at the building or at any intersecting streets, or even a handmade one at the main street in town) I did see that she posted about it on a few FB groups though. But I really think that she was hoping that we'd all tell our friends and customers (for those with existing buisinesses. There were a lot of home-based companies there, like Mary Kay and Usborne Books and Jamberry Nails and Fifth Avenue Collections, plus a good 7 others!) I'm sure we all did our part. But it wasn't enough.

Despite the fact that there was such a poor turn out and so little sales going on, I was encouraged by a few things. First that it wasn't just us that didn't sell, but every vendor. It was a good thought that it wasn't our products or our prices. Second, we enjoyed ourselves despite it being disappointing. It wasn't boring or awkward. Thirdly, we met some great people (like Jen at Dirty Hippie Naturals!) and were introduced to the crafting business world. And for our first venture, it wasn't terrible. 

We went away feeling hopeful for our next show.

But with the holiday season so soon upon us, and us being so busy with up coming events, and some fairs being too late to join in, we weren't able to attempt another show. Which was also disappointing. So much for recouping our costs somewhere. But we have to remain hopeful and confident that our items will sell, just not now. Instead, we spent our time checking out the other fairs that were happening. We looked at what other companies were selling, what was similar to ours and their prices, and what we could change. We checked out the bigger fairs too, the ones that have been around a while that had attracted a following (such as Crafty Affaire and Great Candian Craft's Fall fair we went to) And while I do have a healthy dose of inadequacy in comparison to the many other established companies out there, we are also willing to try this out!  And that makes me excited!

Watch out for more crafty goodness and more challenges and more posts about this new venture!
 

Olliebollen

I pulled out all the ingredients for Olliebollen today. (Well, that is, after my Hunny picked up some of the ones that I needed.)  That must mean only one thing: it's New Year's Eve!

For those who don't know, Olliebollen is a Dutch donut, traditionally made on December 31st. I grew up with my Mom always making it, and when I got engaged, she added it to a recipe book for me. After missing it our first NYE (I didn't make it and we didn't make it out to see my parents), I decided to make it myself.  It's actually quite easy, but it does take some time. And concentration. (you need to be able to deep fry, and prepare the cooked ones, at the same time, while not burning anything or yourself. Hot oil can be dangerous to cook with.)

After mixing the ingredients, you let the dough sit for about 2 hours to rise.

 Then you prep for all the steps.

Step one:  you deep fry those little balls of dough. Yum!

Step two: let the balls dry out for a few seconds on some paper towels (just to catch some of the oil)

Step three: drop the donuts into icing sugar and coat them good.

Step four: eat and enjoy those yummy balls of goodness!

I had a family member suggest that Olliebollen was similar to Dutchies at Tim Hortons. I had to laugh when my brother responded that they were" similar in the same way that hamburgers were similar to steak!"  Olliebollen contain raisins, pineapple and apple; they are also lighter. I think Dutchies also have cinnamon, where Olliebollen doesn't.  My Hunny said that the old fashioned fritters that Timmys used to have were more similar, but I don't know. I never ate them. They never looked good to me!


Do you have any special traditions for tonight?  I'm the late-night person in this house, but my husband isn't. After the Youngers are in bed, we may watch some tv shows or a movie together (he really wants to see the Duck Dynasty special where they are in Scotland, which is on tonight), then he'll be in bed by 10:30pm.  Then the Olders and I will stay up and watch a movie. Last year, we watched The Hobbit pt 1 until 3am! (we had to watch all of the extra features, of course.)

Have fun tonight! May it be fun and full of memories over the blessings of the year, and may you be surrounded by those you love.  Happy New Year!

Holiday List (Wordless Wednesday)

Bad things only come in threes, right?

 It's been a rough few weeks. Not that I noticed it as being out of the ordinary or anything. Sure, some of these things don't happen often at all (thankfully) but really, it wasn't a concern of mine. Until a co-worker of my husband pointed it out.

He said I have a curse over me. Or maybe he said Hex. Or maybe just a stroke of bad luck. Whatever his actual sentance, he implied that bad things were happening to me.

Starting with my minor-almost-major accident mid-October.  I was innocently backing out of a special order parking spot at a fast food restaurant I'd rather not name but it starts with an Mc. I shoulder checked, saw it was all clear, looked in my side-view mirrors and noticed the large black garbage bin, and then reversed until I heard this horrible Crunch sound. That noise of breaking plastic, and crunching fibreglass. Oh the horrors! I parked and realized, to my shame, that not only was there a large garbage bin to my left (the direction I had to back up in), but directly in front of it was a tall, bright yellow, cement piller. How did I not see that???

My bumper looked terrible! My tail lights were completely gone!

We would have to pay for it to be fixed, but thankfully we do have good insurance coverage, but wow. I felt so silly! How did I not see that tall yellow cement thing? I'm so embarrassed!

But it gets better...

A few weeks later, as I am pulling out of a drive thru lane and onto a busy road, I decided to take the corner a bit tighter so that drivers in the second lane don't get too nervous. You know how it is; you see a vehicle pull into the lane beside you but it always looks like they're going to go into you. I am good at keeping my van in my own lane, but thought I'd be consientous, so I took the right turn more sharp. And heard a Thump and Bump and a large Groan. (The groan was me, along with some frustration.) When I was able to pull over and inspect my van, I see this huge dent in the passenger side sliding door! You have got to be kidding me!  There was a pole just at the corner of where the road and lane met and when I took the turn sharp, my van introduced itself, much to my chagrin.  

Sadly, and coincidentally, this happened in the exact same drive thru lane that my earlier mishap occurred.  My husband thinks that it is a sign that I should stop going through fast food drive thrus. Silly man. It just means I avoid that particular one!

Although I really do need to cut back on those drive thrus. They're just so convenient, and I really do not like cooking!

My third event happened a few weeks later...

I had innocently placed my glasses on my head as I usually do once I get home and started to prepare dinner. I am supposed to wear my glasses all of the time due to my near sightedness, but find that when I am inside and doing basic things I am okay. There isn't too much that I need to see far away. (I do need to put on my glasses if the kids want to show me something from across the room, or I want to watch tv though. And I definitely need them for driving!)  I don't know if this is a normal thing or not, or if my eyes are getting better or what, but it's been this way for a year now.  

With my glasses on my head, I leaned my head down to look at a recipe, and my glasses slid down and hit the floor. Into two pieces!

 That wasn't very impressive!  Of course, I don't have a replacement-back up pair.

(think anyone will notice?)

I tried a hot glue gun repair, but that didn't work. I even tried some pretty decorative washi tape, but that was only a very temporary fix.  Finally my sister suggested Gorilla Glue, since she had seen a commercial on tv how it fixed some glasses. And, hey, look at that, it worked!  The only problem is that they made my glasses look so terrible and messy, and the strong glue chemicals (or whatever it was) made my eyes sting and hurt after a while.  But I could see. Mostly.  Just until I could get a new pair of glasses, which I ordered from clearlycontacts. (If you haven't ordered contacts or glasses from them, I would recommend them! They have great selection and even better prices! I managed to pick up my new ones by Bebe at only $69, which was a blessing since we didn't have an emergency glasses fund.  Since Clearly Contacts is based out of Vancouver, it only took 3 business days for the pair to arrive! Yes!) *

So there you have it. Three accidents within 5 weeks!

I am really hoping that my Hunny's co-worker is correct and that bad things only happen in threes. That means I'm covered for a while, and things will go more smoothly now, right?



* I wasn't paid to say that about Clearly Contacts, although that would've been nice!  This is just my own opinion based upon buying glasses from them online for a few years now.

Wordless Wednesday (Cold Outside)

How to help a sick friend without putting an effort out.

  This week, I caught a nasty cold that stuffed my sinus', ached my muscles and gave me migraines, and even though I was handling things okay for the most part, I felt bad for my kids. I couldn't do anything for them and we couldn't go out and it was basically just a weekend of tv watching instead of fun trips like I had planned. Boo!  The Olders could entertain themselves by playing with neighbours, but the Youngers still need someone to watch over them (being only 3 and a delayed-6)  I had posted on FB on Saturday asking if someone wanted to take them since they were so restless, but I was prepared to deal with them myself.("Sure, you can watch fifteen more episodes of Dora and Diego!")

It's been said that you find out who your "true friends" are when you ask for help during a sickness, and it's true. Partially.  My parents and mother-in-law wanted to help, but they were also just recovering from colds and didn't want to expose themselves to more sickness. (I was sick, as was Abi. The others were coughing and sneezing with allergies, but didn't get it like we did. Thankfully)

And I get that. I really do.

I did find out who my "true friends" were and it was a nice surprise. My neighbour, Jenny, offered to pick up stuff for me (like groceries or even just chocolate to keep me going!) and sent over some cold medication for me, which was so wonderful. We were close a few years ago, but then our kids hit a stage where they were hanging out with only their friends and it seemed as though they faught every time they were together, so we didn't see much of eachother either. But I am happy to say that things have settled and has been good again and I am so happy! My friend, Rebecca, also offered to pick up groceries or do anything else I needed, and even called to see if she could take the Youngers for me. (it ended up being at dinnertime and I had things sorted out, so it was too late, but she took the time to call and ask and it was genuine, instead of just pretending to call all the while knowing it was probably too late!)

As for my "other friends"...

I do not begrudge any of them for not responding. And maybe I am just too forgiving (if there is such a thing), but seriously...I understand Life and how it gets in the way of doing things for others sometimes. I know how sometimes you can't seem to figure out how you can help out when you already have so much on your plate. Suddenly your day goes by so fast and you realize you didn't get to do all on your own list; how could you possibly add someone else' tasks? 

I understand not wanting to come into a germy house and face the chance of infection. Especially if you have young children at home still.  I get the idea of not feeling comfortable taking on childcare too, if you don't know the children very well, or if it's not your gift. I know how you can feel unsure about even how to help.

These are legitimate worries and concerns. They can also be excuses. Are they real reasons or are you avoiding offering help? Sometimes I have to ask myself that honestly too.


I offer you a guilt-free list of ways to help friends who are sick and you just don't know what to do, or just can't help out since your own To Do List is too long, or you want to put a minimum effort but still make it look good:

1. call them to let them know you are thinking of them. tell them you will pray for them. (*this may not always work. praying doesn't get the kids' dinners made, but depending on the friend, it may make them feel better knowing that you do care about their illness.)

2. give flowers. pick them from the side of the road, or a neighbour's yard, or buy them, it doesn't matter. Flowers always look pretty and are a good pick-me-up. send them through someone else if you aren't able to drop them off.

3. drop off a dinner. even if it is something bought like McDonald's (kids love McD!), or oven-pizza, or those handy roast chickens from the grocery store already cooked. But maybe you don't find it difficult to make up an extra helping or two of dinner while you are making up your own, how wonderful!

4. send a get well card (even one from the dollar store will do...even if you think they may be better by the time it arrives). or email one. or even post on their FB a get well message. It doesn't take a lot of effort.

5. drop off a gift. nothing expensive. chocolate. small toy to keep kids occupied. even a movie of your own for them to watch (include popcorn!) or a book. or bubble bath. (baths are cozy when you are sick)

6. offer to pick up their laundry and wash it at your own home if you don't want to go inside their home. If you aren't worried, do their laundry for them while you visit! (feel free to clean up their laundry room too, and organize it!)

7. offer to clean for them. Maybe not deep clean (but wouldn't that be an extra blessing?) but everyone talks about having to clean the house during a sickness, and oddly enough, sick people don't seem to find the energy to do that, so maybe you could? (you could even offer to do this as they are starting to recover, then there is a chance that they will help you out and so you don't have to work as hard!)

8. send over a get-well pack: tissues, Halls or Ricola, hot water pack, chicken noodle soup, Neo Citron (love that stuff), vaporub... you get the idea. If you don't want to do all of it, or can't afford it, then even one is a sweet gesture.

9. offer to pick up/drop off any healthy children to and from school.  Sick people don't like to leave their house, and school is usually outside of the home and requires driving. Sick people shouldn't drive. Sick people like to sleep instead. This would be such a great thing to do!

10. check in after a few days of their sickness and see how they are faring. Maybe they are better and you can rest easy in not having to do anything at all! But calling (because it is nicer than texting, c'mon!) will definitely lift someone's spirits!



Most of these items don't take a lot of time or effort, and most of them don't even require you to enter a germy sick home (you can leave things at the door), but all of them tell your friend that you care and want to help them out! Sick people appreciate that!

If you ask a friend how you can help, to be honest, most will say that they are okay or answer "nothing", but we all know what it's like to be sick! And we can all think of ways that we'd like to relieved when we're sick! We just need to start applying these when our friends come down with colds and flus. 

Be a blessing!  Be intentional!



**to my "other friends"...I really do get it. But next time, you have no excuse!  ...and now neither do I! So we'll both have to try harder and put this into practice!

Another PSA just to let you know

Another Public Service Announcement (PSA), just to let you know.


If you run out of eggs in your house, but you don't want to pack up all of the kids to run to the store just to pick up some since it will result in a full basket of extras and whiney children all asking for junk food snacks.... but you NEED eggs so that you can make some cupcakes for the other kids since they aren't exactly invited to their brother's pool party and you feel guilty and are trying to make things better....

If you happened to read online all these wonderful ideas on how to successfully substitute eggs from a recipe and thought that it sounded easy....

If you are wondering if you can possibly use something else instead of eggs in your box cake recipe, I am here to help you out!

You can not substitute eggs with water, oil and baking powder in a box cake.  Although it will make your cupcakes super de-dooper fluffy, they will just make them all crumbly.


We were not able to take a cupcake out of the pan without it falling apart. It was disappointing. The Youngers didn't get to have cupcakes...or go to the pool party. Boos all around!


Now you know.


You are welcome.




***If you are wondering about making your own crayons in the oven, here is my other PSA

New Yoga Positons

I am partial to the Limp Dishrag, but I will admit that I do rock that Waterfall!

Brain Fog

Brain fog. It's a real term. Look it up. Actually, I don't know if it is.... *going to check* Oh, hey it is!  It's not medical-based (although it may be called something else medical-y), but it is a real term, used by many people.

It's used a lot to describe symptoms of forgetfulness, confusion, lack of clarity, and inability to focus, and can be brought on by numerous things: poor diet, toxins (like copper or mercury poisoning), autoimmune diseases (which I have), medications, ....the list is more extensive than I thought actually.

I don't know if that is the reason I have been so dumb this week, but I'm going with it. That, and maybe a lack of adequate sleep (also autoimmune related)  And I am sure that I have given half of my brain cells to my children; unfortunately it appears to have been the best ones!


Earlier this week, I received a new debit card in the mail to replace my aging one. That was nice; I wasn't expecting a new one, but great. My well-used card has a big crease in it from accidentally sitting on it. (it was in my back pocket and I sat on it while driving. How I did that without even feeling it confuses me too.) I was looking forward to replacing it.  So I take it to my nearest ATM and follow the instructions on activating my card. You insert your new card, use your existing PIN and then conduct whatever business you wanted. (I needed to deposit a cheque) Except that no matter what I did, what action I attempted, which machine I put it into, it always said my PIN was incorrect. ARGH!  How is that possible? I use this card all.of.the.time. Seriously. I use it way more than I should and sometimes forget what real paper money feels like. (it feels weird with the new plastic bills, but way less dirty than the old ones, but more flimsy and I worry they will blow away or slip from my hands. That's how they feel actually, I remember now.) So I return home in frustration that the instructions don't work and that I couldn't deposit my money.

A few hours have passed and I relay the story to my Hunny, and as I am telling him, it occurs to me: I am an idiot!  I could've deposited the money!  I could've used my old (and still current) debit card! Duh! It was in my purse still! I can't believe that I didn't even think of that! I am laughing at how slow I was! (Abi is laughing because she recognized this at the ATM, but didn't tell me....how nice!)  *sigh*

The next day, I pop in to the bank and manage to get my bank card working. I don't know why I couldn't set it up, I followed the instructions, but the teller gave me tips and it all worked out. Hooray. I successfully deposited my cheques and all was well.

Or so I thought.

The next night, I mentioned to my Hunny how I put the money into our account, but he says I didn't. There has been no deposits made yesterday, and it wasn't there today. Where did I put it? I feel frustrated because I *know* that I put it in the account. I am not so confused as to make up memories, sheesh! So it must be at the bank end; for some reason they don't have it coming up in their system. There isn't much we can do about it now as they are closed, but I will call them in the morning. But just to double check, I go online using my new card and look into it, and yes, there it is, the money I deposited, I can see it!  

My Hunny points out that it is in my own private account, not the joint account! oops!

How did I not notice this?  I just assumed it was a replacement card for my well-used debit card, not my unused account card. Silly me! No wonder it didn't recognize the PIN when I tried it---that account has a different one!  But oh great!  Since I got the new card to work, I diligently cut up my old one and tossed it away!!! Now I am without any money! (that made my husband happy, which is slightly annoying since I am not a shopper...except if it is for all of those add ons at the till, those get me good! That and the dollar store, man I spend too much money there!)  *with me no longer doing SU, I don't have any money coming in, so I am on a tight budget again. phooey.

Oh my goodness, how did I get so dumb?

Blame it on brain fog. Blame it on lack of sleep. Blame it on my thyroid. Just don't blame it on me.

Night Market

It was already nine o'clock, and I was exhausted, but I decided to go anyways. Abi had been asking, and I had been intending to go all summer, so the two of us went for a walk to the Surrey Night Market. 

This was the first year having a Night Market in Surrey and I hadn't heard too many great reviews, but I was curious. (on opening night, they grossly underestimated the amount of people who would be going, so there were line ups to get in and not enough food at the vendors. The night we went, there weren't any problems and the crowds were good enough, so they figured things out.)

I am not a swap meet type of person. I have no problem with buying second hand or finding great used treasures, it's just that I find the typical swap meet is all junk. I don't need rusty tools (although my Hunny disagrees with me! He seems to love to collect them! We could open our own museum!) or old crappy toys or cell phone cases (actually, no, I do need one of those...) There does seem to be an awful lot of dollar store type vendors selling kitschy stuff, like marble creatures (made out of actual marbles) or fuzzy cat figurines, and a lot of them selling bras and panties. (because people go to swap meets for their intimate apparel) Despite knowing that, and having gone to the Richmond Night Market years ago (when Bryn was still in a stroller. We did a lot more things when it was just the three kids, apparently!), I was expecting to see much of the same.

And I wasn't disappointed. It was a lot, and I mean mostly, food vendors. A lot of ethnic foods, and your typical mini donuts, and curly potatoes on a stick. And a good three or four vendors selling cell phone cases (I couldn't find the kind I needed; they were all mixed up). There was a huge bouncy castle for the kids, and a main stage though, so those were neat. (although, the night we were there, the band had more of a karaoke feel to it) But I have to admit that there was nothing interesting there. Nothing that kept me thinking I had to hang out longer or even return another night.

But for just a $2 entry fee (kids under 48" were free. I wonder how old that would be typically? I suck at numbers that I can't picture visually) it was an okay night. Somehow Abi and I managed to walk around for an hour, trying to decide what to do. We tried one of those potato sticks, and chose Cheesy Cheddar as our flavour, but found them really salty and unappetizing. (I ended up approaching a group of teens to see if they wanted the rest of ours, since we only pulled off the top two pieces, and didn't lick them or anything! They gladly accepted and were very thankful!)  

I took a picture of Abi holding her cheesy potato stick, but it somehow got deleted off of my phone. Boo! So here is a generic picture of one I found online:

There weren't too many interesting vendors, that is, nothing that I felt that I needed or even could be tempted to buy.  But I did see these East Asian tapestries that looked beautiful. Just not something that I would put into my house. 

At 10:30pm, they do a draw for a free laptop too, so we had to stick around for that. (You get a ticket for each person when you arrive)  We didn't win. It would've totally changed my perspective on this had I won! That would've been nice! A free laptop for just a $2 fee? Ok, so maybe it isn't really "free" anymore, but still a $2 laptop? pretty cool!

I guess it just depends on why you want to go to these things. If you are looking for an evening to try out different foods, then yes, this is a cheap way to do it. It is different and can be seen as fun. If you are looking for a way to be entertained and enticed, then I would say that this fails in that area.  I was looking for something fun, but there was nothing like that.  I came home with thoughts of what could be done to make next year more enjoyable. Maybe more artisans? I love seeing creative people. Maybe some midway-type games? I'm thinking of opening up a ring toss game next summer! Something cheap and fun. It would entice people to come for a cheap date night! Who doesn't like stuff like that? Or how about  one of those huge human hamster balls? I've always wanted to try that out but haven't actually seen one yet! A ferris wheel would be neat too, even though they scare me! I'm not talking about having West Coast Amusements pulling out their rides and such, because they are expensive (even if they are fun). I mean something cheap and fun! Like one or two games.

Human Hamster Balls would be fun!

Yep, so I think it needs more. More fun. More different vendors. More versatility.  But for $2, it was a pretty good evening spent with my daughter.

If you are wanting to check out the Surrey Night Market, you have this weekend left. The last night will be held on August 30th.


*and, no, I wasn't paid to give my opinions. That would've been nice!


ETA: I just found out (two days later) that they did have those balls at the Night Market. For some reason they weren't there the night we went. So bummed! And a bit confused why they weren't....