Country Living in a Cariboo Valley

This Blog Has Moved!

2012-01-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

I'm looking at my Google Analytics and I see that I am still getting a LOT of traffic over here at Blogger.

We've moved - please come over to the new site. At some point, the info here at Blogger will be gone, so please be sure to Bookmark our new site at:

http://www.countrylivinginacariboovalley.com

If you have us on your Blogroll, can you please change your link over to the new one? It will save your readers time.

Spice Up Your Kitchen!

2011-11-29T12:17:00.000-08:00

Looking for a Christmas gift for the cook in your life? Here’s a great idea that all cooks would appreciate. Get them a spice rack for the kitchen – spice up those wonderful homemade dinners with one of these wonderful spice racks.

Whether you have a modern streamlined kitchen or a more traditional theme running throughout your kitchen, you will be able to find kitchen spice racks to fit your décor perfectly.

You will find either counter top spice racks or wall spice racks – there are lots of choices sure to please. Keeping spices handy for use when cooking means they will be used more often. Spices can add zing to any homemade meal and are better for you than using the salt shaker!

Gift certificates are also available on the website in case you would rather have the cook pick out the spice rack that they particularly want.

If you’re concerned with high blood pressure or just wish to increase the healthiness of your family meals, put down the salt shaker and pick up the spice jar instead!

Using Lockers at Home

2011-11-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

Running out of storage room? Is your back door entry way a jumbled mess of coats, shoes, boots and sports equipment?

Why not consider tidying up that entryway by using athletic lockers? Lockers are not just for health club change rooms anymore. These would look great in a laundry room or in your mud room. Assigning a specific locker to each of your children will help them keep things neat, tidy and organized.

Think of how much smoother your school mornings will be if everything needed for that day is waiting inside the locker? Homework, school gym clothes, jacket, hats and mittens could be placed in there the evening before. School lunches could be put in there early in the morning. When it’s time to get to the school bus, no one will be running around looking for those important things at the last minute.

Clean lines, a variety of colours and ventilation options are all part of these lockers. You can use them in your business as office lockers, in gym change rooms as ventilating steel lockers, or at home as tidy and clean looking storage lockers.

www.morelockers.com have the lowest prices and the largest selection on the market. What more can you ask for?

Personalized Stationery, Logos & Branding for Your Business

2011-10-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

If you have your own business or are in the process of setting up your business, you know how important logos and branding are going to be to your ongoing success. The people at thelogoboutique.com certainly know this and they work with you to ensure you have the best brochures, personalized stationery sets and business cards ready for distribution.

If you need help creating a website for your business, you will find it here. Perhaps you need various promotional products with your logo to give out at trade shows, exhibitions or to your existing customers. thelogoboutique.com has a wide variety of products available to you.

It is easy to get started with the process. After completing a questionnaire, in which you describe your company, a consultant will assist you to be sure that you get the end result that is an excellent fit for your business.

Three days later you will be able to see the first draft. There is a special page on the website where you can see your project and make changes if necessary. You can have coworkers or friends look over the draft and get their feedback. You can make as many or as few changes as you feel are needed – this part of the process does not end until you are satisfied with the end result.

You can even have your complete file loaded onto a flash drive, so that you are always able to access your project.

Creating your business logo and branding doesn’t have to be a daunting project – use the expertise and creative talents of thelogoboutique.com.

The Beauty of Stainless Steel

2011-10-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Stainless steel is not just for cooking! We love the look of stainless steel – if you do too, here is a great site to check out.

Full of all kinds of home décor incorporating stainless steel, you will be sure to find something you like at thestainlesssteelstore.com. The problem will likely be restricting yourself to just a few of the beautiful products available.

thestainlesssteelstore.com has a wonderful selection of blomus stainless steel products, both for outdoors and inside your home.

If you know a sushi lover, take a look at this blomus stainless sushi/finger food set. I know someone who would love to get this for Christmas.

For those who love winter fires, why not buy one of the blomus fireplace tool sets? Or perhaps a firewood rack?

If you know someone who is building or renovating their home, there is a great variety of blomus stainless steel products for use in the bathrooms, such as paper holders, towel hooks and bars, soap dispensers and more.

Have you looked over the site and still can’t decide? Why not get a Gift Certificate? This would be a great stocking stuffer and some people do like to choose their own gift.

Continuing Education for Doctors

2011-09-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

Are you a medical doctor in the UK looking for ongoing training? You may want to take a look at taking a medical teachingcourse through http://www.medicalinterviewsuk.co.uk/. CME points are approved for these courses. Improve your knowledge and continue to build your skill set in your chosen field. The courses are taught by experts in the field and you can read the program feedback from students on the website. Learn about effective team management and interacting with your team in positive and constructive ways.

The Teach the Teacher course will give you training in the theory of adult education for doctors and other medical personnel. You’ll work on building lesson plans and presentation and you’ll do so in small groups which will mean more one on one interaction with the expert instructors for you.

Consultant Interview Course – Looking to move into a Consulting position? The mock interviews, small group formats and up to date materials offered in this program will assist you in building your skill set to make the move into Consultancy.

Looking for a medical management course? Two are offered, a one day and a three day course covering the essentials and suitable for primary or secondary care. Download copies of the course programmes and decide for yourself!

Who Has Started Christmas Shopping?

2011-09-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I always like starting early, although I am not so ahead of the game that I am finished shopping in August like some people. I’m just not that organized – I usually start my holiday shopping once the garden is all finished with. Once I have winterized the garden by putting mulch over my strawberries and garlic and put all my garden tools away, my thoughts begin to turn to the coming Christmas season.

I buy some of my gifts online and one of the things I am looking at this year are these beautiful personalized address plaques. I love the look of these and I know a few family members who would appreciate some of these custom address plaques.

If you are buying for someone who lives at the beach, they have some residential address plaques with beach themes that would look great at someone’s entry.

Check them out – they have plaques to hang on walls or to put in the lawn. Or maybe you prefer one that can be hung on the driveway pillar – you will be able to find something to suit!

So…have you started your holiday shopping yet? Or is it still too early for you? Leave a comment and let us know!

Riding Hawgs

2011-09-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Do you ride motorcycles? I’m not very experienced with motorbikes – in my childhood, I got the odd chance to ride mini bikes. They were a lot of fun! We had miles and miles of trails behind our house and we would spend hours on mini bikes with friends, zooming around on these trails.

When I was a teenager, my older brother had a motorcycle. He’d take me for rides on the highway or out to the lake where we would go swimming. He was a fearless sort and he loved nothing more than riding his motorcycle…fast! He was all about speed and adventure. I was more the timid sort, hanging on to him for dear life as he negotiated the corners and turns.

Last week, the Gman was asked to take a look at a problem a friend was having with his motorbike. The Gman is very good with anything mechanical and often fixes engines and machinery. Once he found what he thought was the problem, he needed to source out some motorcycle parts. He found what he needed here and was able to make the fix needed. His friend was happy with the results!

The Perfect Baby Gift

2011-08-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a great gift for expectant moms - babywearing slings and carriers from babyhat. If you know of someone expecting, a baby wrap carrier would make a wonderful shower present. You could surprise Mom with a soft fabric wrap with some stretch to it for when baby is newborn or order a woven wrap for when baby is a bit older. These wraps come with complete instructions to help you learn the many ways in which you can tie a baby wrap.
Babywearing products enable babies and moms and dads to carry their babies while doing other things. We all know we could use an extra set of hands when we have newborns. I know I held my babies a lot and I'm sure most other parents do as well. If you have a baby who suffers from colic or other tummy troubles, holding them close to you while rocking or walking can help ease their discomfort. Check out from this pediatrician just why baby wearing is important.
I would have loved to have had one of these when my boys were babies. I did have a baby carrier outfitted with drawstring ties and hooks and eyes, It worked well, although I would have loved to have had something a lot easier. It's hard to hold the baby while trying to tie up the long ties and do up the hooks and eyes! One of these baby wraps or a pouch baby carrier would have been ideal for me.

Got Gaps?

2011-08-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

If you've got gaps in your Medical Insurance, you may want to look at coverage designed for exactly that. An online friend mentioned that she is looking into gap coverage. I didn’t know what that was and had never heard of it before, so I checked it out. Coverage with Medigap Insurance can include things like deductibles, co pays or other expenses not covered by the basic Medicare.

Check out Medicare Supplemental Insurance site and read about their Gap Coverages. You can even fill out a free quote form to find out how much such a policy would cost you. You may be surprised at the affordability of the premiums.

You can get a policy without a medical exam, which is something people with pre existing conditions (like my friend) would benefit from. Medicare Supplemental Insurance has various Medigap plans for you to look through. It’s hard for people with a pre existing condition to find medical insurance. Here you are guaranteed a policy as well as the option to renew.

Pick your home state from the list on the right hand side of their website – you can get more information there and then fill in the quote form on the same page.

Why Not Take Online Courses to Get Your Degree?

2011-07-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

I believe in lifelong learning. Isn't that what life is - one big learning experience? My years of working at a University may have solidified this outlook of lifelong learning as we were constantly taking courses at the same time as working.

Post Secondary institutions are making more of their offerings available online. This makes it a fair bit easier to go back to school. If you are already holding down a full time job and have other daily responsibilities such as raising children, Online Degree Programs may be your first choice for ongoing learning.

There is a flexibility with Online Programs that appeals to a large group of people who already have busy lives. You can complete online degree programs in business management by taking one course at a time. Yes it will take you longer to complete your degree program, however you are still able to bring in a wage while you are going to school.

Alternatively, if you are not working you can still greatly benefit from online education as you can usually complete your Degree at a faster pace than in a classroom setting. If you're willing to take many courses at one time and buckle down and get them completed as soon as you possibly can, you may be able to take your Degree a full year earlier than the traditional classroom schedule.
There are some federal funds available to help you - check them out at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

I would still really enjoy taking Computer Science - I should sign up myself! I could certainly use the knowledge with my websites!

Automobile User Ratings, Reviews, Repair Estimates and More

2011-07-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Seen this website yet called Repairpal.com? If you are having car troubles, you should head over and take a look. At Repairpal.com you can fnd prices to get your car fixed and the site will even help you find a repair shop close to you.

This site would be worthwhile to look at, if you are in the market for a new vehicle. You can find out which makes and models have the best driving records and which makes are known for specific problems that occur. You may save yourself a lot of money if you peruse the pages here prior to making a deal for your next vehicle.

All Recalls are noted here as well, just enter the Make, Model and Year of your vehicle to find any recall notices issued by the manufacturers. Having a problem with your car that you can't figure out? Before you take it in for servicing, check the Questions and Answers section of the Repairpal.com site to find out if anyone else has mentioned the problem. You can post your problem on there and see if you can get some feedback.

Come On Over to our New Site!

2011-06-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

You have checked out our new site, haven't you? I noticed while reading a few blogs that some people still have THIS blog listed in their Blogrolls . Unfortunately, this makes me look like a loser who doesn't blog, because I am not updating this Blogger site very often anymore.

Please come on over to our new site! You can use Google Friend Connect to follow it, and it is just like following someone using Blogger. You'll see the box as you scroll down the page.

There's also Facebook buttons and Twitter buttons too, so you can follow there if you like. I am trying to get more followers on Twitter, so soon I will be having a contest that will be open ONLY to Twitter followers.

So follow today - we are @CaribooValley Just do a search for us in the box at the top of the Twitter page and then click Follow when our page comes up. Hope to see you following!

Who Wants Free Products?

2011-06-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of TheFreebieSource? It's a website with all different kinds of Free Stuff. Not only do they have Groupon, they also have Freebies such as stays at Starwood Hotels, free DVD's, Vitamins and a host of other Free Products.

They have a variety of online Contests that you can enter, as well as Free Baby products, Cosmetics and more - much more! If you are a Vendor and want to get the word out about your product, you can easily do that here.

Check out TheFreebieSource today and enter to win some great Contests while you are there!

Who can't use some Free products? It seems that now most people are having to tighten their belts when it comes to everyday costs, so benefit from this website!

Embarking on a Journey to Self Grow - Guest Post

2011-05-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

When you make the choice to begin growing your own crops, it can feel as though it is an insurmountable endeavor, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. When you think about how many benefits in the long run that growing crops can provide, there’s definitely reason in doing so, and there are some easy ways to become involved without making the next step into full person sustainability. Whether attempting to be completely self sustenance or just starting your own garden, the choice to grow your own has a wealth of positive benefits.

With the rising price of food these days, making the choice to grow your own foods is becoming a much easier one to make, and help to drastically cut down on food expenses. Just looking at the average expense of vegetables versus that of a pack of seeds, one can see an extreme difference. More often than not the pack of seeds is drastically less expensive than one or two of the vegetables. For the expenses put toward fruits and vegetables, there is much more value in growing from seeds at home.

Another unbelievable benefit of growing your own food from home is the positive influence it can have on general health. If you grow your own vegetables, you can control what exactly has an effect on your food. There have been many cases of toxic chemicals and carcinogens like bisphenol A, melamine, harmful chemicals and fertilizers and even asbestos exposure being related to mass produced food. Cutting out the middle man and growing your own crops can ensure that you oversee all aspects process from growth to ingestion, keeping any potential health issues at bay.

The enjoyment as well as taste of growing your own food is reason enough to start your own home gardening projects. By removing delivery and shopping times, you can ensure a large increase in the reduction of food miles and maximize the freshness of the food, as well as having any foods you may want right at your disposal for the taking.

While home growth isn’t something to be taken in completely overnight, making a few small steps is a great way to begin this great experience. Even growing small berry and fruit plants can be quite a great start, and are incredibly easy to maintain. They live long and continue producing throughout their lifetime. With the growing knowledge of the benefits of beginning on a path to self sustenance, the amount of people trying out their own home gardening has grown in a big way; helping newcomers with resources and general knowledge.

Ryan Halston recently graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelors degree in English. Homestead and eco-friendly living is a major passion of Ryan's. Ryan can be contacted at rhalston.qa@gmail.com

Freeze-Dried Food Storage

2011-05-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

Over the last few years we have heard over and over again about food prices increasing. This year alone there have been droughts in parts of the MidWest, extremely cold winters even in the SouthEast and flooding all over Canada and the USA. Many of these areas provide vegetables and fruit for much of the country.

We are able to provide a lot of our own food by growing it ourselves. Two big gardens and a barnyard full of animals allows us to provide roughly 85% of the food we eat. Over the last couple of years, gardening centres and seed companies have seen a huge increase in sales. Obviously, more and more people are recognizing the benefits of growing some of their own food.

My concern is that grocery prices are going to increase more and more - actually I feel they are going to skyrocket. What can we do about that? There is only so much money from the paycheque to go around.

What about people who live in cities or in the suburbs with a small backyard? If they can't grow a good portion of their own food, there are other options. The Freeze-Dried Food Storage website is a good option. There you can buy food today, have it on hand for tomorrow and pay less for it.

Check out their website for good information about inflation and hyperinflation, which I believe is what we are moving towards.

You can buy fruits, vegetables and even milk through Freeze-Dried. Freeze drying enables you to store large quantities of food in little space. It preserves the freshness of the foods as well as the nutritive content.

The company is organizing "Try-n-Buys" in towns across the USA. You are more than welcome, actually encouraged, to try the food before making a decision whether to purchase. You will learn about freeze dried foods and their storage needs.

At one of the Group Try-n-Buys, because you would be ordering in bulk (with other people) you get discounts off the food.

Purchase a 3 month supply and get a special bonus pack for free.

If there is no scheduled Try-n-Buy in your town, they will happily organize one for you. All you have to do is give them a call, and for a group of 25 they will be more than happy to set up a Try-n-Buy.

So, if you are concerned about the price of food and the availability of food for your family, think about this option. If you live in the City and are unable to garden yourself, think about this option. Do you have a large family, one that eats more than what you can provide from your vegetable garden? Then think about attending a Try-n-Buy.

Freeze-Dried Foods are doing Try-n-Buys in all states this summer. Reserve your spot for when they arrive in your town!

Wordless Wednesday - Seedlings Taking Over!

2011-05-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day to all you Moms!! Enjoy your Day today - the Gman is taking me down to our cabin for a couple of days.

Is it strange that we drive 20 minutes of gravel road to get to our Home....and yet we drive on pavement right to the Cabin door? I think so!

A Totally HomeGrown Meal in Early May

2011-05-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

The other night, we had Smoked Ham with Garden Potatoes and Carrots from last year!

I thought I would post these pictures to show you that we are Still eating out of our last years Garden.

Because we have a Cold Room down in the basement, where we can keep the temperatures between 32 and 40F, we can store all kinds of veggies down there.

These potatoes and carrots were put into the Cold Room last September. Eight months ago we pulled these veggies from our garden and moved them downstairs.

We leave the dirt on them and actually bury the carrots in buckets of garden dirt.

Here's Dinner....totally HomeGrown using vegetables harvested eight months ago and tasting as fresh as the day they were harvested. The Homegrown Ham is from our Pigs.

Do you have a Cold Room? Or a room that could be turned into a Cold Room? It's not hard to do, it just needs venting. If you have a window in that room, that can be your vent.

Find a spot in your home that you can use as a Cold Room and then get your Garden planted. You will be able to enjoy your veggies all Winter long!

Wolf/Canada Goose Encounter

2011-05-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

You all know about Tobias, right? The Canada Goose that our Valley friends have raised up from an orphan Gosling.

Tobias is now trying to make friends with the other Canadian Geese that fly up and down our Valley at this time of year.

The other day I looked out over the pasture to see this lone Canada Goose hanging out on the big rock. I don't know if this is Tobias, but my guess is yes!

Yesterday Marion (Tobias' Mom) had to go to work. Tobias decided to fly on down to our place.

For awhile he hung out in our yard. I admit to now being leery of Tobias. He used to be such a friendly Goose, but now that he is older he is, well....stretching his wings. And he no longer likes Me.

When he sees me, he starts moovin' and groovin' with his neck. When I see him doing that, I know it is time for me to go. He has attacked me from behind a couple of times now. I am not sure if he is nailing me with his feet or his wings and I don't much care. I just know I want him to Stop it.

Marion says he is doing the same thing to her sometimes too. She thinks he is getting ready to take off with a flock of geese (I am hoping this happens sooner rather than later). The funny thing is, he doesn't mind Gman at all.

Perhaps he has an affinity for males - he doesn't do this with Charles (Marion's husband) either.

Our dog is Half Wolf, Half Malamute. You'd think he would act agressively towards Tobias, but he doesn't.

Here's the two of them hanging out yesterday.

They are friends!

Da Wolf is completely unperturbed that there is a "wild" Canada Goose snoozing less than 10 feet away!

What? These were not the kind of pictures you expected when you read the title of this post??

Yes, we're a bit surprised too! Enjoy your Friday!

Are you following our new website yet? If not, head on over and follow us using Google Friend Connect!

And...while you're at it, follow along on Twitter too - @CaribooValley

Wordless Wednesday - Wells Gray Provincial Park

2011-05-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

For Wordless Wednesday, I've posted some pictures of a trip we took a couple years ago. Wells Gray Provincial Park is pretty much just a hop, skip and a jump away from where we live.

It's a very well known park, known for it's beautiful meadows, numerous waterfalls and wildlife like grizzly bears!

Check out the pictures over at our new website!

And The Winners Are:

2011-05-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

The Winners of the 3 Great Giveaways over at The Journey to Homesteading have been announced. Come on over and find out who won!

Thanks everyone who entered! We have doubled our membership on the forum and are looking forward to seeing more new members.

And Thanks to our Sponsors - Lawrence from RetroRoad Vintage Signs who created a beautiful Welcome Sign for our First Prize.

And to Tattler who donated 4 dozen Tattler Lids and Seals for our Second Prize.

We contributed the Third Prize, one of our 2011 Calendars, along with a 50% off Certificate for the 2012 Calendar.

Thanks again everyone!

Staining Siding Boards for the Shop

2011-05-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted about all the siding we bought that will eventually go onto the outside of the shop and the house.

Yesterday I saw my Dad while we were on the Coast and he asked again about the colour of the stain we are using. So, here's some pictures so that he and you can all see what I've been up to.

Stained board on the left, plain board on the right.

See those pieces of wood on the floor? This is where the wood will be stack after it is stained and dry.

I took this one right as I started the job. At this point, all those long boards on top are finished and are stacked on the other side of the shop.

Sigh...there are a LOT of boards to be stained.

I can do 11 boards in one session. I have only so many places to set the boards as they are drying. I have been trying to do 2 sessions of staining a day, so I can get 22 done. One day I managed to get 33 done.

Here's the finished boards. I'm now taking a few days off from staining as we are doing other things around the homestead. The Gman is going to drag the tiller out of the Greenhouse where it has sat all Winter. After a tune up, he's going to get started on tilling the garden.

I have peppers to transplant now into pots. We came home to find another 4 pepper plants sending up flowers. The living room is inundated with transplants. We have had to move one more table and one long bench up in front of the windows, in order to have enough room to place all the transplants. The tables downstairs in the seedling room are full as well.

I am hoping the evening temperatures start warming up a bit so that we can start moving things into the Greenhouse.

Peppers, Broccoli and Corn Seedling Update

2011-04-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Peppers I started growing from seed this year are doing fantastic. I'm very happy not only with the germination rate, but also the growth. If you look closely, you can see pepper flowers forming in the picture above.

It's too early for the flowers. If I pinch them off now, the energy will instead go into the plant itself. I want better root growth and plant growth instead of flowers at this point. I pinched off all the flower buds on the 2 pepper plants that were sending them out.

I'll benefit by enjoying even more delicious peppers this year. The picture above is from last year and all the pepper plants were loaded.

My second round of broccoli seeds germinated very well. I planted several seeds into each up. Since my first germination did not go so well, I need all of these small seedlings this time around.

Yesterday I got them all separated and planted into their own cups. They will stay in the cups until it is time to transplant them right into the garden.

Here is one of the two corn varieties I am growing this year. This is Simonet and I seeded them mostly one to a cup, but there are several with two seeds per cup. I will have to transplant these into their own cups very soon. Maybe even this afternoon if I get a chance. This corn will be planted soon into our Greenhouse.

I also need to get my other corn seeded. I have many things on my plate right now. We are heading for the Coast tomorrow. It will be just an overnight trip, but one that needs to be made.

If Samantha is reading this post, I did receive your comment. I will try to get a diagram up next week of our various gardens. It's on the list!

Backing Tracks for Singing

2011-04-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

Do you like singing at parties? Or in the shower? Either way, give this website a try if you are looking for backing tracks. You can pick music from a huge list of artists and genres. The Sing Pro Sound website has over 10 000 different song titles to choose from. You're sure to find your favourite music here, then just download backing tracks for singers here at Sing Pro Sound.
If you know the name of the song or who sings it, just do a Search and the song will come up.You can also search according to artist, type of music and even by the length of the song. If you're looking for some nice Classical, early 70's rock, Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus, you will be able to find it here.
Once you find just what you're looking for, add it to your cart and find another one. You do have to pick at least two songs, but we can all think of two great songs we want. If you want more, just keep making your choices. Once you are finished shopping, head over to the Secure Checkout, where you will Register for your account. After that's finished, just click to download your music.
Great quality sound at a reasonable price. They also have a Rewards program you will want to look into. If you're looking for a gift for someone, why not buy them a gift card? Fast, easy and lots of fun.