another 8 things that make me happy!

There are a lot of things that make me happy! The number 8 is one of them which is why I wanted to do another "8 things that make me happy"

1. A good night sleep! Oh how everything is right with the world again after a good night sleep! Every once in awhile I forget this and something bothers me WAY more than it should.....but then I have a good sleep and my clear head prevails! No wonder they often say "why don't you sleep on it?"

2. Having my camera at the right time! Pretty self explanatory.

3. A bargain! Especially when you aren't expecting it! Even when it is just toilet paper, lol a good deal is a good deal! 

4. A good hug! Hugs are magical. They make everything better....even if it is just for a moment, they can turn your day around and your mood! Giving a hug is just as good as getting one! 

5. An uncontrollable laugh! Laughing is great for you, but uncontrollable laughter is a true gift! It doesn't happen often enough which makes me appreciate it all the more! 

6. Seeing my husband smile! I just love him so much! 

7. Taking a risk! Whatever the outcome I am always happy with myself for being brave! 

8. My health! Well actually the health of everyone I love really! 

What makes you happy......and are you getting enough of it?

Happiness during the holidays

For so many people this can be a very hard time of year. There are a lot of factors at play during the holidays and as always, is completely up to YOU as to how you handle the added stresses during this time.

I am a big fan of the word "no". Sometimes when I get stressed and have too much going I like to whine to my parents....they like that right!? My dad will usually let me get through most of it before he tells me to go stand in front of the mirror and practice the word "no". Surprisingly it has worked! I have gotten a lot better at saying no! (I still have a really hard time saying no to a good bargain, or a homeless dog but that's another story)   It is muscle memory. When you get on a plane it is good practice to buckle and unbuckle your seat belt multiple times before take off. You are supposed to do it with one hand. For real. I actually do this every time I get on a plane. The theory is that you will have muscle memory so that if the plane crashes and you live, you will easily be able to undo your seat belt. When you are in a stressful situation and are put on the spot during the holiday season having practiced saying no will come in handy!

We also need to know our limitations, financially and with our time. We have 365 days in the year to get together with friends and have social gatherings, so why do we try to jam it into a couple weeks? When you start to feel overwhelmed during the holidays thinking of all the visiting you "have" to do, remember......everyday is just as important as the next. "Everyday above ground is a good one" Take advantage of the 365 days in every year and  spend time with the people you love throughout the year! Financial stress unfortunately for many goes hand in hand with the holidays. It is really too bad but so common. Nothing like taking away from the Christmas Spirit by worrying abut money. Know your limitations and be ok with them. Planning and sticking to a budget will ease so much stress and allow you to enjoy the holidays......and when the glow of Christmas morning dims you won't have to ring in the new year by playing catch up with your finances!

I am a big fan of homemade gifts. Baking some Christmas goodies for a friend is a nice one and you are baking anyway so just double the recipe. I think a coupon or coupon book is a good one too.....it sounds kind of cheesy but the gift of time is absolutely priceless. Maybe you make a voucher for a card night or dinner date (you cook) at a later date, maybe you offer to babysit your friends kids one night for them in the new year so they can go out! Time is a gift we so often overlook but one that will never go out of style and will always be appreciated. Some people are crafty....like a fox, and some people are actually crafty; if you are one of the actual crafty people then make a craft! It doesn't have to be a Christmas craft, it can be something for outdoors or a home decor item! Have a look on Pintrest or wander around Michael's to get some ideas - have fun with it! Keep in mind how much the person you give it to is going to love it - whether it turns out "Martha Stewart-ish" or it becomes more of a conversation piece to giggle about - they are going to love the thought! 

So get out there and do your best to make the holidays happy and stress-free! 

An early Christmas present!

 I have been lucky enough to volunteer with an animal rescue organization that serves Rural Alberta, I take photos for them when the animals are in foster homes near our place. 

It works so great for me because I love dogs, I love taking pictures and I love the feeling I get from a selfless act!

A few weeks ago I was able to take photos of a cute little pup named Larry! When I got home I told my husband what a cute and gentle little guy he was and that I just knew he would love him and could we, oh could we please bring him home.....I also used my best puppy dog eyes on him. After some discussion, he agreed and we started the adoption process. He already had a family interested and so we let it go - happy that he was going to get a good home. A few days later I noticed that his photos were still up on the website and so I emailed to see what was going on and to let them know we were still interested! It turned out that he was available for adoption and as they say the rest is history! 

We have had him now for three weeks and he is settling in to his new home and his new name....Rusty! He is a puppy - which isn't something we have dealt with before so we are doing our best to enjoy the puppy stage and to be patient with this little baby dog! He is learning how to interact with the other dogs, he is trying to figure out the kitty and horses and he is learning that our shoes are not chew toys!! 

Rusty is bringing much happiness to our lives at the moment; we are looking forward to getting to know him better, seeing more of his personality and teaching him how to be a good boy! 

Cookies!!!

There is something about homemade cookies.........the smell, the taste, the oooey gooey melty chocolate! I like baking and I love sharing my food with the people I love. This recipe started as an experiment and has evolved into a staple in the freezer! 

These cookies are a favourite at our house and I am sure they will be at yours too!!! They are simple to make, I get so many compliments on them and they freeze very well! They are gluten free of course and if you trade the chocolate chips for nuts or raisins then they are dairy free too! 

Ingredients:

Dry

1 cup sweet sourghum flour

 (if I don't have any I use millet and brown rice instead of the millet flour below - taste is the same as the millet flour is great for adding a sweet taste to baking)

1/4 cup millet flour 

1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp xantham gum

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg 

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

3 cups oats 

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Wet

3/4 cup shortening

1 tbsp vanilla

2 eggs

You will need a 350 degree preheated convection oven.

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients less the brown sugar.










 In your mixer combine and blend the wet ingredients. Add the brown sugar. Mix well. Slowly add the dry in ingredients. Blend well. 

Add the oatmeal and chocolate.
 Mix by hand.

Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.








Remove from oven, serve immediately or put in freezer bags and save for later. Good in the freezer for up to 6 months and it could just be me....but I think they taste better coming out of the freezer! 

They will go fast so make sure to taste test a couple before you freeze them! 

WHOA! Where did September go?

September and October may be my favourite months!

So beautiful.

So sunny.

So red and yellow and orange.

I don't love winter.....and although I know fall is just the prelude to winter I can't help but love these beautiful last days of summer. Mother Nature really out does herself during autumn. I mean, spring is nice - but fall is just incredible. 

I suppose it is like everything in life - you see what you want to see.  You can see the good, the positive, the beauty - or you can see the bad, the negative, the darkness. It is a choice. It is always a choice. In every situation there is always the option.....and it is always up to you.

Every once in a while we get knocked off course; something happens in our lives that takes our attention and redirects it for a moment. These events are often unexpected, they are big, they are small and sometimes they are even traumatic, sometimes they are preventable and most of the time they are not. No matter what they are - they are. They get our attention and if we aren't careful we can lose focus on all of the good and beautiful things in our lives, we can get carried away and overwhelmed and forget what is important.

They can cloud our vision like a dirty pair of sunglasses so that all we can see is the negative.......the bright side is gone.....everyone is an asshole, the weather is too cold, people are taking too long to do things, this restaurant sucks......and so on and so on.

So much better to see the good, the positive, the beauty. So much better to be happy.

Not always easy - but certainly better. 

 So remember, as you travel the road of life - to look for, find and share goodness everyday, you will feel better - and so will all the people around you!  

a fun appetizer

 I love Pintrest. For so many reasons.


Here is one.

So these mini blt bites are oh so good! 
I saw them on pintrest awhile back and finally one morning I had all the ingredients and was craving a toasted tomatoe sandwich - so I made these!

You need baby tomatoes of some kind, bacon of your choosing, a spinach or arugula type green and  mayo. 

Step One: cook bacon (I like a 350 degree oven, a cookie sheet and some parchment paper)

Step Two: cut the top off of a baby tomatoe and scoop out the guts.

Step Three: add a piece of greenery.

Step Four: toss in a piece of bacon.

 Step Five: Add a dollop of mayo and plate!

Thank you Pintrest! 

A lot of water....and a whole bunch of love.

All eyes were on us, the news was focused on us, the country was watching. Just over a month ago we were overcome by the worst natural disaster Alberta has seen. 

The rain started falling, the water started rising, people started scrambling and then it happened. The banks of the rivers spilled over and reminded us how little control we have when up against Mother Nature. So many communities were effected, so many lives turned upside down in an instant. It happened very fast, so fast that a lot of people didn't even get the chance to move the most precious items to higher ground, pets were left at home as people scrambled to get their children out before the water took their vehicle down stream. It happened in areas that had never seen water before, areas so far away from the normal flooded areas that some people didn't think they needed to leave and later had to be rescued from the top of their homes. Homes, vehicles, trailers and unfortunately even a few people swept away with the fury of the water plowing through trees and streets with no regard for what was in the way. 

When the water receded and the sun came out we were left breathless and heart broken by the devastation left behind. It was hard to see, hard to imagine and hard to take in. 

 

 

Nothing prepared me for the emotions that flooded in along with the water......relief, guilt, pity, encouragement, empathy, anger, overwhelming sadness, pride, happiness and love.

We were lucky. Our home was safe and so were all the people we loved. So we counted our blessings and were grateful  to be safe and dry. With relief came the feeling of what can we do? Where can we be of help and how can we help? Then the phone rang and on the other end was my little buddy Courtenay, who also happens to be one of my soul mates, asking if I would be interested in going out with a team to help feed the volunteers! Without a moments hesitation yes yes yes! 

We went out everyday for that first week. It was unbelievable and indescribable. We met some truly remarkable people and saw some incredible acts of kindness. The feelings were overwhelming and there were a few drives home clouded with tears, but always a feeling of love was in the air. 

 

One of my favorite memories was standing in a backyard with about 20 complete strangers all covered in mud, muck, gloves and masks singing happy birthday to the the man who owned the house who was turning 90 years old. His belongings completely destroyed, strewn across his front yard, random people coming together to help out a man they had never met. I felt an overwhelming sense of love at that moment as tears were falling down my face, looking around at this amazing group of people who just wanted to help out their fellow man. I was also overwhelmed with admiration. I have always known that my friend Amber has a very special purpose here and seeing what she pulled together in less than 24 hrs was a gift. Seeing her there with her mom covered in dirt and mud eating a piece of vegetarian pizza smiling and laughing with the other volunteers there made me so proud.....I can't imagine how proud her mom was. 

The next week we were able to go out of town to help a neighbouring community. Again the people we met, the stories we heard and the sights we saw were completely overwhelming. I was so proud of the company we work for, the people that came out to volunteer and my husband. He is such a good man with a huge kind soul. A relationship he made was the catalyst for this act of kindness and his willingness to jump in and do whatever was necessary to help these people left me bursting at the seams with love. We were able to once again provide a service and fill a need to a group of people dealing with an overwhelming situation. There is still so much to do,  so many uncertainties, so many people in need and we will continue to help however we can.

There are so many examples of extreme generosity and kindness that I could go on forever and I feel so so lucky to have been able to be involved in these events and to have these amazing people in my life. These events have not only confirmed to me that I am on the right path in my life and have done a good job of filling my life with amazing people but also renewed my faith in humanity. The events I have witnessed have reminded me that there are so many good people out there. 

It is way too easy to focus on what is wrong in our world,  this was a nice reminder of what is right in our world and I am going to focus on that. I am going to hang onto this feeling and continue doing whatever I can to keep it alive and inspire it in others.