I am just like Garfield on Mondays ")

Blog Summer Event July 25th~!

2011-07-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

Ho la! Bonjour! Hello!   ")

I am happy as I just finished getting over a bad summer cold and I am for sure relieved it's over.
I passed the torch to my boyfriend, so he is now trying to re-cooperate from this illness.
I took extra vitamin C, lots of hot tea and lemon drinks with unpasteurized honey, and extra lemon,
did the D.I.Y. Beauty tips I posted to this blog, and pulled through~! Victory!!
Let's get to our summer events as I know you have been waiting all week.

D.I.Y. Beauty

This week is all about skin wounds and psoriasis! I hope there is good information for sufferers.

Recently, I had to hit the deck to avoid possible lightning that I thought would strike my balcony. Yes, for real and all while trying to capture the most perfect lightening strike picture.
It really wasn't smart and I did end up with a wound from wiping out on the balcony carpet,
so it was really bad rug burn on the side of my hand with a gouge of skin out of my hand. OU-ch!
I cleaned it and it looked really bad as it healed. I kept it clean and also used polysporin*& to heal this nasty looking wound, and it worked. I did heal it nicely compared to what I thought the end results would be. I always use my organic grown Aloe Vera gel, I froze in my deep freeze.

Shea Butter products and some other powerful healing lotions to help speed up the process. One was from the Amber Romance Line from Victoria's Secret and despite a bit of a perfume smell it has Ultra-Softening ingredients in it like Aloe Vera, Vitamin E, Shea and Olive oils. These things make this buttery lotion moisturize, soothe, condition and protect the skin, all while smelling awesome! I love this smell anyways, so I used it up fairly fast.
So, just below that wound, there was a flare up of psoriasis, that had started before I wounded myself, and I was finding it hard to penetrate the psoriasis patch with any type of lotion and it was itching
and flaring
I have not had psoriasis before, and I recently seen Kim Kardashian has psoriasis, which she inherited genetically from her mother. Kim did not have psoriasis before either, and it can appear in later years, or as my friend told me get worse as you get older. Uh-oh.
I resorted to more Shea Butter formulas and it took away the itch to this psoriasis patch, as well as the rough scaly look to it. I also have SPA Resources Hawaiian Ginger Line Body Butter, and I use the lotion in the pump bottle too, that has a bit different formulation and mentions no Shea Butter,
but in the Body Butter it does contain Shea Butter, Aloe, Jojoba Oil, Horsetail Extract,
Seaweed, White Tea Leaf & Grape seed. I had to use this when I thought my patch problem
was coming back.
It's also not good to scratch your psoriasis which only makes it worse, so if you see
dry skin peeling and flaking, or it's itchy don't do it.   I have been simply exfoliating gently on my patch with Eshe's Body Exfoliant. It is a refined formulation, meaning it's small scrubbers in it with Green Tea and Chamomile, to soothe and bring soft skin to the surface. It's also infused with
Vitamin C and Aloe Vera, and is hypoallergenic and irritant free. I recommend this scrub, and it's hard to find out if they have a website but you can pick up Eshe products at Fabutan Tanning locations that I have been to, and is great for indoor tanning bed lovers too!
Anyways, all this talk had me looking into things that help the condition and perhaps some all natural home remedies.

Here's a great link (it does load slow, at least on my computer) to all kinds of help with psoriasis,
and who knew Epsom salts baths are listed as a really big help and I do this quite often for sore muscles and in general a relaxing bath. So be sure to check this out if you need some
help with this condition:
http://www.natural-homeremedies.com/homeremedies_psoriasis.htm

It's best to find out why the psoriasis is happening if it doesn't run in your family, and it doesn't in mine so it could be due to stress or an environmental factor, while it's not curable it can be controlled
to a degree.
Write down or pay attention to what you are doing differently and or if there is are any aggravating chemicals or things around.   If you have sensitive skin, it could be just that it's changing and to adapt we can change everything from laundry or hand soaps we are using, to changing the type of fibres our clothes are made up of.
100% cotton or breathable clothes are good for me, and help to keep from being itchy.
And finally, the psoriasis creams that you buy in the store are made from synthetic ingredients quite often and can actually aggravate some peoples skin, so here's a D.I.Y. recipe to make your own NATURAL psoriasis cream, that I will also be making:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4821140_make-psoriasis-cream.html

Summer Recipe of the Week

Ok, it's been a chore to want to cook after getting a summer cold, and to get better so I am making sure I am eating right and lots of good food with nutritious values.
Vegetables come to mind and are always easy to eat, so if you need a boost perhaps a great veggie drink would work but how many of those can we choke down.
I recommend this delicious medley of summer grilled veggies!

Avocado & Corn Salad

Per Serving (1/8 of the Recipe): 180 calories, 3 grams protein,
9 grams of total fat (1.5 grams saturated fat), 0 milligrams
of cholesterol, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams fibre, 5 grams
of sugars, 330 milligrams of sodium

Shopping List:

6 cobs of corn, husked
1 1/4 cups (310 ml) finely diced red onion
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1 small red or green chili, finely diced (approx. 1 tablespoon/ 15 ml)
3 large avocados, medium diced
1/4 cup (60 ml) Salsa Verde
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely chopped fresh cilantro

Really Easy, heat the barbecue to high. Grill the corn until lightly charred, about 5 to 7 minutes. Cool, then slice the kernels from the cob and into a bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients and serve.

There are many variation to this recipe, and I actually make a version with more tomatoes and colorful peppers too, all chopped and tasty, so use your imagination but you will get better eating this
salad and it's great for your waistline!

Better Body Time

How do you excercise when you are sick??????? Dance! Dance! Dance!

While you may have laughed this is literally what I did, very carefully and slowly, if you are me. Ok, but I did manage to do some exercises and if nothing else I sweated my cold away by doing this as well.
Almost anyone can do this, and depending on your fitness level, you can start at the right level for your body type. You would be surprised how small movements can bust your into a sweat too, like holding your arms up over your chest, if you are out of shape then 5 minutes of this seems like torture.
I make sure I have a fan near by and water, especially when you get to coughing from the cold and a bit out of air. I also recommend having a sweat towel, something you will be using a lot, if you are going to sweat to the oldies.
Keep cool while you work out and NEVER over do it.

There are dance steps called Zumba shown on You Tube, you could implement these steps into your routine if you feel comfortable with them.    Here's a look at how easy it really is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsSrq3HBa7A

If the last one isn't for you, and it still looks a bit too physical, them moving from side to side works to, but I suggest throwing some arm exercises in there and lift your knees up a bit here and there, and do this as long as you can, I do it for 15- 20 minutes and then do some cool down dancing,
and stretch at then end. You will feel like you at least did something...... just move a bit from the couch potato position I had learned this week so well! haha.

Let me know if this helps anyone, as I am convinced dancing is great motivation for anyone to get into shape!

Fresh Summer Drinks

Finally, the best part of the blog this summer right????
No, but a nice drink after getting better is the best part. Now, I usually do have tea with rum in it sometimes, if I am still feeling like a beer or something else is not going to taste so good, but here's a summer drink that will make you taste summertime!

Cava Sangria

Shopping List:

1/2 ounce amaretto
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1/2 ounce apricot brandy or another fruit brandy
Cava (a sparkling wine made in Spain)
Fresh Fruit like apples or oranges

Combine amaretto, Cointreau, and brandy in a glass, then fill with Cava. Add two or three slices of fresh fruit like oranges or apples. Sip in summer!
-created by Azafran in NYC.

Bonus Topic: Garden Update

Yes, here's another garden update! I have done a good job on keeping you posted and tuned into my garden!
So, those little aphids are on a revenge mission, after I thought I had eradicated them with the insecticide treatment called Schultz Houseplant & Indoor Garden Insecticide, that is a ready-to-use solution derived from pyrethrin daisy and can be used up to one day before harvesting.
I know it's for the "indoor" garden, however, I am trying not to use this product at all.
So, it's not like I haven't had this same aphid infestation or these aphids trying to take over all my houseplants and all the vegetable plants. My question is why are they so bad the last little while?

Does anyone know because I did not have this gardening problem last year or the year before, I had separate garden problems but not this one.
I had tried the organic gardening recommendations but with little results, and if I had let these bugs take over, I would have wasted my initial investment into the garden.
Well, that's my rant and if anyone knows about these super breeds of aphids, I would love another organic tip on how to deal with them.

Bonus Topic: Book Review

I actually have been partially finishing my summer book reads, and ended up renewing all my books due to the lack of time to read them all, but the one I am really working on reading now is;
the 2nd Edition of Entrepreneur Magazine's Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords, which describes AdWords and what they are, how to use them and basically like the cover says, "How to Access
100 Million People in 10 Minutes" by Perry Marshall and Bryan Todd.
Does that seem like a long title?

Well, it's not a long book, but it does detail the AdWord world so it has been taking me a while to read it, and I am halfway through with less than a week to return it.
So, I can review what I have read, and this book it really interesting to me, and if you like to learn about some tips and tricks to marketing in general, the scheme of how to arrange your AdWords
advertisements and how to save money is really covered in this book. This is key to saving yourself
from common mistakes that even the largest companies accidentally make in this type of advertising,
and it costs them a lot of money, so saving myself from making these mistakes is my mission.
Really, this is the 2nd Edition, so it is just more in depth than the first edition. Well, I recommend this book, to those who are looking to find out about AdWords, of which are to drive traffic (people clicking on your ad, and buying from your store or site) then this is definitely for you.
I am not going to rate this book by stars, as I have yet to use what I have read from theory to action, but the authors do recommend not wasting time as you read this book, to take the steps right away
and see results in 24 hours. If you are new to all of this, then I recommend this book, and if you think
you are a pro at AdWords, I recommend you read this book too.
Google sends $100 credits in the mail and can be used toward your own AdWord campaigns and there are additional savings listed in the book, just for reading this book, so it pays to read it if you are
already interested in this topic.

Wow~! It's already Monday tomorrow, and then the long weekend is coming up...... and you bet I am going camping, so I won't be posting to my blog and our next SUMMER EVENT is August 1st.
There maybe an Internet connection where I am camping at Ol' McDonald's Farm, so you never know
but I doubt it as I like to get out and take pictures of nature. Long weekend. Catching up with family.
Cold beer. I will be catching up though either in the week or the following weekend so I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and gets lots of summer time fun in!@!
Happy Camping to my fellow campers and have a great week~!

Blog Summer Event July 18th~!

2011-07-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Stampede is now wrapping up, as it's the last day. Howdy and Yeehaw for another year and it is over.   I may have been able to go down there and enjoy myself for free at the Stampede grounds, but I did catch a summer cold down there. yuck!
I feel lousy tonight, but I will be doing our summer events anyways. I actually don't have the pictures I needed from my friend from Stampede, so I guess I can post it when I get it.
I won't keep you waiting, let's start:

D.I.Y. Beauty

Summer Detox

Since, I caught a cold, and I have been feeling pretty lazy and achy from it. I thought a summer do-it-yourself summer detox drink would be beneficial, and get rid of feeling so lazy, so I looked that up.
Here's an easy recipe to detox our bodies and rid our bodies of toxins and unwanted waste. After doing this you will feel well lighter, more healthy and your skin will not look as dull:

http://do-it-yourself-beauty.bellasugar.com/Detox-your-body-honey-Lemon-8978800 Detox Recipe

I had actually done a green tea facial mask too, along with drinking some lemon tea with honey, as I like the warm temperature when I am sick.
Anyways, you can use a store bought green tea mask, but why when if you have the ingredients you can make it yourself~!
Here's this week's D.I.Y. Beauty Feature, and it's on You Tube's Beauty Guru:
Michelle Phan, and she shows you how to make a refreshing green tea & avocado
facial mask recipe! Come back after :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lr7yVfgcf g

Summer Recipe of the Week

Salad Season is packed with Protein and No Cholesterol!

Grilled Oranges with Quinoa & Almond Salad

Preparation Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes, Serves: 4 Per Serving (1/4 of the recipe): 180 calories,7 grams of protein, 4.5 grams total fat (0.4 gram saturated fat), 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 28 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fibre, 6 grams sugars, 170 milligram sodium

Shopping List:

1 cup(250 ml) quinoa
1 cup (250 ml) of water
1 cup (250 ml) of Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 navel oranges, preferably organic
1 tbsp. (15 ml) chopped red onion
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground cumin
1/4 cup (60 ml) sliced Natural Almonds, lightly toasted
and chopped
8 finely chopped Organic Mint Leaves

Heat Barbecue to high. Rinse 1 cup (250 ml) quinoa and cook according to package directions using 1 cup (250 ml) water and chicken broth, preferably low sodium chicken broth.
Peel 1 navel orange, then slice it crosswise into 1/2 inch (1 cm.) rounds. Cut another unpeeled navel orange in half crosswise. Grill all oranges just until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes
per side. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) finely chopped red
onion, 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground cumin and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of sliced natural almonds, that you lightly toast and coarsely chop.
Squeeze juice from the orange halves over the salad and add 8 finely chopped fresh
organic mint leaves.   Mix well. Place grilled orange rounds on top of salad.

Serve warm or at room temperature and bon appetite!

Better Body Time

Walk Your Way There~!

A good thing to do, to get over all health and better body results is go for walks. I often start doing more of this in the spring and summer, and it helps me to maintain energy, so I can do more vigorous walks or jogs. The many benefits of walking are things like reducing cancers, and all diseases, and getting dramatic physical and health benefits in as little as 6 weeks! Start walking boots. :)

The benefits of walking are discussed here on about.com and there is lots of information out there. I really wanted to recommend this as part of your exercise routine, as it's enjoyable and fun too!Check it out:

http://walking.about.com/od/healthbenefits/Benefits_of_Walking_How_Walking_Reduces_Health_Risks.htm

Fresh Summer Drinks

I need this drink right now, but my Neo Citron is making me feel better too. haha. I hope this one hits the spot for me later this summer when I can enjoy it!

Cherry Punch

Shopping List:

1 ounce cherry vodka
1 ounce triple sec
Splash of Rose's
Grenadine
Splash of Cranberry Juice
Garnish; A fresh cherry

Shake together all the ingredients but cranberry juice with ice. Pour into glass and top with cranberry
juice. Garnish with cherry.
-Created by: Brooke Isaacson, Club ONE, Baltimore.

Bonus Topic: Pet Corner Talk

Does your pet have bad breath, and it's worse in the summer when it's hot and all that, well here's a little summer refreshing product to help them with that! Minty mouths for all our pets!
First, I make my cat organic pet toothpaste, by steeping organic mint leaves with hot boiled water in a tea pot. I eyeball all of the amounts quite honestly. Sometimes, it may be too minty but it's all natural and organic, and I feel the minty leaves can do no harm to a pet.
After it's cooled down, I put the leaves and the green mint water juice in a airtight container and I put
this in the fridge to keep or even freeze in smaller individual portions. Then you can thaw, as you require.   I use this to brush the front and back of Kiki's teeth with a sterile toothbrush, and it doesn't matter if he gets some greens in his mouth too.

The product I think helps the most is an oral hygiene solution called "Slurp 'N' Fresh". It came in a 250 ml ( 8 fl.ounce) plastic bottle at Wal-Mart for around $7 or $8 dollars. I am not sure, but it wasn't
over $10. Anyways, it helps eliminate bad breath and reduces plaque and tartar build-up in the pets mouths. I just follow the instructions of adding it to fresh water in my cat's bowl. 1 Capful to every 700 ml (24 fl. oz.) is recommended.
"Slurp'N'Fresh" is formulated to also protect your pet's natural oral environment, and is part of a regular oral care regime for your pets. It is prescribed by veterinarians, but I am not sponsored in any way by mentioning this product. I found it all on my own, as my cat has old man's breath, and I use this along with the organic D.I.Y. pet toothpaste, I use and also pet teeth wipes, I also pick up at Wal-Mart and last, is the "Dentabites" complete oral care treats I feed him. These are made by Whiskas brand and they help remove plaque and tartar build up as well, and contain Chlorophyll. I pick him up
a pack of the Tasty Chicken Flavour Dentabites for about $1.50 when they go on sale.
In combination, all these products improve Kiki's oral health. So, yeah check "Slurp'N'Fresh" out if you have it at your local Wal-Mart.

Bonus Topic: Movie Review

"Unstoppable" is the movie I watched recently. It starred Denzel Washington, Rosario Dawson and a great cast. I thought it was suspenseful as Denzel and his partner have to try to stop a rogue train that got away, that is carrying dangerous and hazardous chemical tankers. Long story short, it's a lot of action and a but different I found, as the character sketches in the movie are very touching.
I give this movie a 9 out of 10! Great movie to watch on a long summer's night.

Well folks, I hate to say but there are no extra, extra bonus topics, as I need some rest. I will have to keep up with updates, and so I have to rest up and get better. If anyone else is sick with a cold right now, I feel for you and get better! Go get some chicken noodle soup in you. Have a great week!

Calgary Stampede Friday Update~!

2011-07-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!! T.G.I.F.!!
I had to give you the 411 on this~! I went to the Stampede for basically free yesterday, and got to enjoy the Midway rides with an All-Day pass, and exhibits down at the grounds. I ate lunch for free too, as my friends supplied that too, we actually went off the grounds and went to Wendy's to fill up,
and then figured we could sample the Stampede treats as a snack later on. We actually didn't get too
much, just some candy in the evening. I was really feeling not well from the rides we went on.
I spent $5 on parking is all. I also got free ice cream from a booth, other free samples of foods and things. Sweet!!
So, I must say though, I don't love the rides, as I am finding them too scary and they make me nauseated........ this year. I literally had anxiety and fear, and maybe partial whip lash from some of the rides. I even almost got sick after riding the "The Skyscraper". I had the shakes bad from the "The Mega Drop" and don't even ever ask me to ride "The Fireball" again! I get more fearful every year, as I realize what mortality is or something...... if you ask me, it's not really fun getting tossed around in the air anymore. lol
I am just grateful when the rides are over, but my friends persisted and wanted me to go with them on more and more rides, until I suggested we go on the scariest ride to get it out of the way, as I knew it would be coming.......so the 3 of us went on that "Mega Drop". 10 seconds of Yikes, is all I can say.
It goes so fast, but is the scariest that I ever have been on. I like the ferris wheel, of which I suggested to go on, and we actually caught the nights fireworks from there at the perfect time! I will be posting a video of that, from my friends camera this weekend and maybe some other pictures he took of me,
so stay tuned!
I did have fun with them, as I always do, but that is the last time I ride with them. I will be the camera women wingman next year, if anything. :p
So, I also got a chance to look at this years vendor and merchant booths at the Round-Up Centre. There were many, many interesting booths and things to buy. I spent $0, as I did find everything to be twice as expensive than if in a regular store, so I just peeped my eyes on ideas and neat innovations, which is good.
So, it was a nice day, and it was actually not too hot, and not rainy, with slight overcast for parts of the day..... I find that perfect and I didn't require as much sunblock.
Here's a sneak peek of some pictures! Again, there will be more so enjoy and have a wonderful weekend! Cheers :)

Blog Summer Event July 11th~!

2011-07-11T02:46:00.000-07:00

How's your summer going so far? Some rain, or some fun in the sun?
I can say it's been a slow start for fun for me this year.
School is out for the summer, but the rest of us have to work.
Make sure you get some relaxation in while the good weather lasts.

D.I.Y. Beauty

Today's D.I.Y. Beauty will be something you can make to
treat those pesky mosquito bites during Stampede or
camping!! After all, we have to have camping beauty tips and tricks.

It's important to learn how to treat a mosquito bite too,
and then there are steps to reduce itching so be sure to watch this tutorial:
http://www.ehow.com/video_3041_treat-mosquito-bite.html

Recipe:

So, then mix baking soda and vinegar to make a thick paste, and then apply the paste to the bite. The paste will neutralize the acid in the venom, and give you relief from itching!   When the paste dries out, it will make a barrier that protects the skin, over the sting, allowing the bite to heal more quickly. Wrapping the area in gauze is recommended, because the paste is going to flake off as it dries, but if not at least it shouldn't be itching.

I could have really used this at our July 1st (Canada Day) BBQ, as I got bit a lot. Well, hopefully there is not a next bite, but if there is, you now know what to do!

Summer Recipe of the Week!

Grill It!
Grilled Scallops with Summer Compote

Preparation Time: 35 minutes and that includes
marinating time Total time: 40 minutes Serves: 8
Per Serving (1/8 of the recipe): 190 calories,
14 grams protein, 11 grams of total fat (1.5 gram
saturated fat), 20 milligrams cholesterol, 10 grams
carbohydrates, 2 grams fibre, 3 grams sugars, 520 milligrams sodium

Shopping List:

2 packages of wild Atlantic or other scallops, (800 grams),
thawed and patted dry
1/3 cup (75 ml) sun dried tomato pesto
1 lemon, zested and juiced
4 cups (1litre) grape tomatoes, quartered
2 cups (500 ml) finely diced, peeled English cucumber
2 cups (500 ml) finely diced anise (fennel) bulb
1/3 cup (75 ml finely diced shallots
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh Organic Tarragon, chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

In a bowl, combine the scallops, pesto and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat well-oiled barbecue to high. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients with 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Divide among 8 small plates.

Grill scallops for 2 minutes per side or until lightly charred. (For a wide-set grate, place scallops on top of aluminum foil to grill). Divide scallops among plates. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and serve.

That was easy huh? :) Enjoy~!

Better Body Time

Facial Workouts: The Yoga Face

Ok, I know we all work hard on our bodies, well, most of the time, but I think we are forgetting to exercise our faces. It's amazing that we can do this, and I think avoid all that crazy plastic surgery stuff. Here's a great video that I will be subscribing to on You Tube, and you can actually watch them all~!
It's the Howdini Guru:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WOI1Ce5L4A

Now that you have checked it out, there are also a neck and jaw toner
video, so you check this one out and I think I will do this
one too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZkEdPotnDE&NR=1&feature=fvwp
You will be looking more slim in the face in no time. Good luck~!

Fresh Summer Drinks

Mango Lassi

Shopping List:

1 big scoop of ice
1 ounce of vanilla flavoured vodka
1 ounce amaretto
2 ounces of mango juice
Garnish: mango slice and maraschino cherry

Chill a stemmed glass. Combine ice, vodka, amaretto, and mango juice in a mixing glass. Shake and strain into the chilled glass. Garnish. Enjoy~!
-Created by Astral Plane in Philadelphia.

Bonus Topic: Mighty Herbs of the Garden

This week, I thought I would talk about strong or hearty growing herbs, bug resistant and disease resistant herbs, that almost anyone should be able to grow.
I would like to try to stick to these types in my garden, as I have had my run-ins with
growing herbs and start an indoor garden.
Versatile and easy to grow is dill, oregano, basil, sage,
thyme, rosemary, sweet marjoram, tarragon, parsley, garlic chives, mint and lavender.
Dill is super easy to grow, and just requires a little space and it can really spread in a garden so beware as it can "take over" and choke out other plantings.  It tastes great and also helps in the digestion of
certain foods like cabbage, bread and other rooted veggies.

Oregano likes it in the sun, and the soil should be poor to average fertility, like a neutral and well drained soil type will allow it to flourish. It should be the easiest to begin with starter plants or start indoors from seed. These lovely herb plants are found in Italian cooking recipes, and a little
adds a lot of flavour. They make a pretty border in vegetable or other gardens.
Marjoram is very closely linked to oregano, and is in the same genus.

Basil is my personal favorite, as I add it fresh on top of pizza or chopped up into
various recipes. It grows best in a warm, sheltered location in full sun.
I have success with green types of basil, but my purple types of basil I have generally
over watered. You can grow basil in your garden or in pots.

You can pick up books at your local library or research about the other herbs in the list
on the Internet, and then you can get even more tips for growing herbs.

My parsley has turned out splendid and plentiful, however, oregano and rosemary have not been winners for me, but I will try again and I certainly plan to opt for clay pots instead of plastic ones, and this is because clay is porous so the soil is easier to keep damp if required for the particular type of
herb.
Put the pots near a window sill that gets about 4-6 hours of direct sunlight everyday. Herbs don't require fertilizer and grow best in low or medium soil conditions.
So, I hope this helps to your success in cultivating an indoor or outdoor herb garden!
*Types vary according to zone you live in.

Bonus Topic: Stampede 2011 Review

So far, I have watched the parade on television this year, and I missed seeing the Royal couple, but I heard that there was not a great opportunity to get pictures or meet them, due the mass number of crowds.
So, not feeling the best that day, I decided to stay home and get a really great view of the parade, the Royal couple and everything happening to do with the Calgary Stampede.

What you can do this year at Stampede!! Yeehaw~! -as they say in cow town. We are a couple days into Stampede and the rodeos here, as it all kicked off July 8th and runs until the 17th.
If you don't know where to catch the highlights, then basically re-caps of the chuck wagons and rodeo's of the day are on channel 10 (Shaw's rodeo coverage) and then of course the national CBC is covering it as well.
There is a Calgary Stampede Guide that is mailed to occupants a week or so prior to the Stampede.
There is a lot to do down on the Stampede grounds, and if you can afford the admission and money for
the expensive food, you can get in and eat all kinds of greasy and delicious treats. Some burgers and BBQ'd beef can be found at Bronco's Beef Barn or Bull's Eye Cook shack, I am sure both are delicious.
There is much more too, many concerts on the Coca-Cola Stage, notably I would like to go to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on July 16th.
Even Kevin Costner's band Kevin Costner & Modern West is playing on the Coca-Cola stage on July 14th.
I really suggest finding a Stampede guide for yourselves if you plan on going, as there are valuable savings and tips where to get free things, and all the events there, as there are too many to list.
So, I gotta get down there perhaps, if camping doesn't drain my wallet.

Next year, is the 100th year of Stampede, so it should be well celebrated. I plan to rent a kiosk or booth, and this upcoming year I plan to be well organized and ready. I wanted to do it
this year, but with the late notice that the Royals were coming to Calgary, and then the prices seemed to put a kink in my plans.
There are a few rules too, that I will have to get around, such as not being able to sell t-shirts, and many other things  on 8th Avenue downtown Calgary. To rent a kiosk at such venues on the grounds is pricey and many business people I know say they don't rent a booth, so I have reservations about it all. I will keep you updated, as the deadlines start early for securing a booth or kiosk.

Super Bonus Garden Update!

This update is coming out in regards to one of my prize winning tomato plants had snapped in the wind. I attempted to repair and heal the break in the plant, but unfortunately, it didn't manage to grow back together and the branch fell off.
Well, the tomato plant actually benefited from it, as the branch was not the main stem of the plant,
and it did take some weight off the plant.
Well, I then decided after tending and weeding my plants, to re-arrange the whole scheme, so here's the picture if you wanted to check it out~!
TOTALLY FORGOT TO ADD THE PICTURE ;) Sorry, here it is:

It looks better, it certainly makes more room on the altogether cramped balcony garden, and the plants have more light!
Next, I will be running outside tonight, if this thunder storm and rain keeps up, and get catching some rain in pails for these thirsty plants. It saves on water consumption and the plants like it better, because it is softer water than tap water.
If you like to talk about gardening, leave me a note! :) I'd love to hear from you.

So, that concludes Blog topics for July 11th~! Wow, is it already well into July??
This summer is flying along, and I hope you are all enjoying it!! Have a great week.

Blog Summer Event July 4th~!!!

2011-07-04T00:09:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July to my American Subscribers! We just celebrated our 144th Birthday here in
Canada last Friday, a Happy Birthday to all!

So, after the celebration you might want to relax, getting on a roll this week's summer event topic:

D.I.Y Beauty segment:

For today, I am going to share a wonderful summer time face spray one can make, and it's wonderful for your skin and so refreshing when you need a quick wake up skin routine.
I simply will wash my face in the morning, using my favorite face cleanser and then after
rinsing, I have been spritzing this formula on it.
Now, I grew some of my herbs for this organically, and then saved them from the aphids, I told you about in previous topics, you can do that or you can purchase them at the organic produce section or store, which can range in prices. I had lemon thyme, sage, and rosemary and the combination is truly nice on the skin and is a light nice smell, when you make this spray.

Recipe:

Herb Toner Face Spray

* 6-7 sprigs with leaves and stem of Lemon Thyme, chopped
* 7 leaves of Sage, chopped
* 7-10 leaves of Rosemary, chopped
* 2 Cups Purified boiled water
* A Clean Kettle or at least rinsed out
* A Large Heat proof bowl
* A clean and sterilized plastic bottle with sprayer,
like one from a body spray (recycle them is the best)
Tip:Choose one that is has a light mist sprayer on it, you can test it by filling it up with water and see if its to your liking.

Put the combination of chopped herbs into the large heat proof or heat resistant bowl, one that will not melt or break if you pour hot boiling water into it. Kids, please ask for Mommy's help.
Boil in the kettle, 2 cups of purified water. When the water comes to a boil, and the kettle whistles
unplug the kettle or turn it off, however the kettle works. Then slowly pour the scalding water over the herbs in the bowl, until you cannot fill any more, leave a bit of room.
Let sit, for awhile to cool off, and then cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let sit for another 2 hours or so. Once the steeped herbs are cooled off, separate the herbs out of the bowl, by spooning them into another small bowl you may have,  and then you can use the herb pulp for a quick facial mask.
Wash face and apply the herb pulp facial mask, let sit for 10 minutes, then remove pulp and rinse your face.**
It will clear up your skin and help it feel refreshed. Then pour the liquid into the clean sprayer and seal. Jar any remainders that will not fit into the spray bottle, and refrigerate those. You can use this
to refill the sprayer bottle when it is running low.
Now, mist your face with this herbal blend face spray, either after you have washed your face or when you want a nice cooling spray to cool down in the summer.
To make it really cold, refrigerate the sprayer and remove when you want a spritz, otherwise this organic face spray will last at least a week but do not leave it in direct heat or it will speed up
the fermenting process. I used a smaller spray bottle too with a really perfect mist, so that it is more portable for on the go use this summer!

Summer Recipe of the Week

You might feel like the heat in the kitchen is winning, and you are all exhausted after cooking a meal, but I am here to help you beat that heat with this chillin' summer time recipe. Try it at your next summer luncheon!

Devilled Eggs with Chives

Preparation Time: 10 minutes Total time: 35 minutes
Serves:4 Per Serving (2 halves): 110 calories, 7 grams
protein, 8 grams total fat (2 grams of saturated fat),
225 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram
fibre, 0 grams sugars, 210 milligrams sodium

Shopping List:
* 4 Large Organic Eggs
* 1 tablespoon (15 ml) mayonnaise style dressing
* 3 tablespoons (45 ml) finely chopped oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
* 3 tablespoons (45 ml) finely chopped sliced green olives, organic preferably
* 3 tablespoons (45 ml( fresh, finely chopped organic chives for garnish
* 1/8 teaspoon (0.5 ml) cayenne pepper

Place eggs in a large saucepan, add enough cold water
to cover the eggs by an inch. Cover the pan and bring
to a boil. Remove pan from heat and let eggs stand,
covered for 10 minutes.

Remove eggs to a bowl of cold water and let cool, about 15 minutes.
Peel eggs, and cut in half lengthwise and remove the yolks to a bowl. Set aside the whites.
Use a fork to mash the egg yolks, with the remaining ingredients. Put the yolk mixture back into the
groove of the cooked egg whites, it will be about 1 tablespoon into each half-egg piece. Sprinkle
with chives and serve! You also can chill these in the fridge on a nice lunch time platter and cover with plastic wrap, and prepare other appetizers for your luncheon

Better Body Time

Baby Got Belly?

No, seriously let's tackle this one a little at a time, so we can have that better body this summer.
One of the best exercises to knock the belly off, is the exercise I featured in last week's blog, and that's the squat.
http://backandneck.about.com/od/deskexercises/ht/wallsquat.htm

I am seriously going to start doing these tomorrow and let's track our waist size as we go along,
which requires a measuring tape and recording your measurements of your sizes, weekly to bi-weekly.
A cardio work-out will also help and if you jog for the time as recommended by your doctor and it will melt off. Chest Presses are recommended, and also jumping rope.
I recommend checking out the proper way to do a chest press first, or perhaps consult your local gym
instructor so he or she can show you the hang of it, or check out this link as it shows a picture:
http://weighttraining.about.com/od/toptenexercises/ss/chest_press.htm

Fresh Summer Drinks

Oh yeah, this is summer time to me: a nice cold one on the balcony, watching the sunset.
Try this one at happy hour tomorrow, after work or at your July 4th party!

Berry Mojito

Shopping List:
5 fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
4 lime edges, juiced
2 ounces of Bacardi Razz
1/4 ounce Chambord
1/4 ounce blue curacao
Splash of club soda
Garnish with mint and berries

Crush mint. Add sugar and lime juice; stir. Add Bacardi, Chambord and blue curacao; mix this. Top with club soda and garnish. Enjoy!
-Created by Woo Lae Oak in Los Angeles

Bonus Topic: Aromatherapy

Roses
One of my favorite flowers and smells, and so useful is Rosa rugosa. I am talking about roses, they contain the highest amount of vitamin C of any plant in the world ! That's why they make an excellent plant for DIY beauty recipes, aromatherapy, cooking and so much more!
Roses have a rich past in the culinary arts, crafting, medicine, perfumes, religion and in stories of folklore. Roses petals are still to this day, what rosary beads are made of, hence the similar name, very highly fragrant, and also have a nice flavour.
Perhaps, rose petals in a fruity salad sounds so delis.  I will let you know if I try this.
Speaking of rose aroma, this is what we will focus on for a moment.
Dried rose petals and whole flowers can be dried and used in potpourri sachets and in fancy bowls you
would display such a mix of flowers. You can sprinkle rose petals in your bubble bath or put them into
a herbal bath mix, or use them in making a rose face toner. It is quite the process to make rose essential oils, as they have to be extracted from the plant and is complicated, so I suggest purchasing it from your local health food store if you wish. Then you can use rose oil in your baths, or sprinkled into any craft like a potpourri mix where ever you'd like to freshen up.
Use the petals in cooking by preserving in butter, syrup,and vinegar.  Preserve flowers like violets, borage flowers or roses in crystallized sugar, and make lovely cake decorations.

Run a nice warm bath, I like to run it hot, and let the roses soak a bit and then the water cool down
before I get in and you can use your favorite bath salts as well. Sprinkle the petals in the water, inhale the scents, as you run the water and feel the water which will become softer as the properties of the rose disperse.
Then when it's time to get in, you can light candles if you have some bathroom safe ones, preferably soy candles, and enjoy the nice aroma of the rose and relaxing time in the tub perhaps with the faint sounds of jazz or classical playing in the background.
A wonderful rosewater face toner can be found on the following link, check it out, I have saved it to
my favorites, or I can always come here to this link:
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/rose-water-toner.shtml

When it comes to harvesting, petals can be picked throughout the blooming season of the plant, and you can either dry them or use them fresh. Each species differs so experiment with what you like for flavor or smell of the plant. You can make a merry-mix-up of rose petals blend, if you so
fancy. The very darkest ones are the most flavorful and potent in fragrance, however, I am partial to the wild rose variety from Alberta myself, since they are a lovely pink and have a beautiful fragrance.
I am not sure about picking these from the city as there may be residue of pollutants, anyways,
the best time to pick flowers and petals is mid-morning after any dew has evaporated but before the afternoon when it is too hot, and the UV index is it's highest where the petals will wither and almost melt to nothing.

Choose flowers just as they open fully but before they are withered and faded. The flowers can be cut at the stem, approximately 4 inches to 5 inches from the flower base, then cut away the leaves and greenery from the stem part. Clean the petals from the flowers, removing any dirt or bugs.
Remove the inside or base often white or green from each petal. The hips should be picked when they are full in colour, very ripe and largely plump but don't wait until they are overripe.
Just pick off the hips and not any stem of the plant, when harvesting these. The hips can be
used fresh or dried and should be prepared quickly after picking, simply slice and remove the blossom
end, then cut in half and remove the seeds and fibrous material with a spoon.
Dry the hips in halves, spread them onto a screen in a shaded and airy room, or at least well ventilated.
Store in an airtight container, once they have completely dried. You can make rose hip teas, or other
recipes.
Check out the benefits:
http://coffeetea.about.com/library/weekly/aa021003rosehips.htm
Now, you can smell the roses and know just what to do with them!

Bonus Topic:
Summer Camping Party Favor

I am going to be at Old MacDonald's Farm & Campground, this upcoming August Long Weekend. We are going and I promised I would keep you posted on camping, we may go a few days in July somewhere else, but we are headed to Old MacDonald's Farm- just makes you want to say EIEIO~! Well, at least I do, haha.
So, we are going to need a new set of camping cookware and I will post my final list a little later.
A better cast iron pan is needed, as the one I bought last year makes all the food stick. I have treated it but bacon cakes onto it and burns. We are going to need another camping cooler, perhaps some better new gadgets, camping tablecloth, and it would be nice to find the wipe able ones that can be wiped and re-used. This as well as cheap cutlery can be purchased at the local dollar store or Wal-mart. I also like to buy the plastic and reusable plates for our day to day camping use, but for guests, I prefer to bring out the disposable china, and then put it into the garbage can. I usually like to take large plastic bowls with lids, and many, and you pre-make some potato or macaroni salads for the first night out camping.
I pack them into our cooler, with ice along with the other perishable food, and keep it cool with lots of ice and in our case until we park and get the fridge in our motor home cool.
We run it off electricity than using all our propane, we save the propane for heat and the stove.
Then dinner the is simply some smokies or hot dogs and a buffet of salads.
Whatever is leftover and you don't eat can be put into the fridge for a snack later or breakfast or lunch the next day. I suggest eating it all if you can, or making manageable amounts depending on the size of your family.
Next, we will be getting a new awning cover for our motor home as we weren't able to use ours last year. I then can set up our entertaining area better this year, and have the campfire close by.
So, those range in price and I haven't yet looked into it. I like to be prepared and have lots of tinfoil for making campfire baked potatoes and stuff like that, then if you do have extra guests to your campsite you can offer them dinner and have lots for everyone.
We bring our steaks frozen, and then keep them in the little freezer of your fridge, as it will
thaw after when you want to take them out, then grill and bon appetite!
Happy Long Weekend Camping Folks! There will be more on July topics but look forward to camping pics of this year!

Until next week, have a great week and don't forget to catch the Calgary Stampede Parade this Friday July 8th, 2011! It's early, like 7 am I dunno, so find out for sure how early you want to go and have a
safe Stampedin' time~! Also, The Royals: William and Kate, will be in Calgary town and in the Stampede parade, so this will be a big highlight of the summer! Have Fun!

Kick-Off & Summer 2011 Events Calendar

2011-06-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday Everyone!! Well, you are going to be happy when you are done reading
my weekly blog I hope. If you find my topics this summer at all helpful or interesting,
then subscribe to my blog people!!
You can have my weekly newsletter mailed right to you in your e-mail inbox!!
Or hey, you can follow me~ anyways, if you like it let me know. If you don't well,
I am still going to be doing this. haha!
To kick off summer, and my summertime events blog topics, I am going to get right to it.
I am going to outline what each topic will be and then there are some bonus segments.
Who doesn't like bonus??
Don't forget to scroll down IF you want to skip through and check out Summer Events Schedule/ Calendar.
Have fun!

Do-It-Yourself Beauty:
An IamjustlikeGarfieldonMondays") Summer exclusive that will
feature natural, simple and easy do it yourself
ways to make your own beauty solutions.

This week:
Lip Exfoliation

Take some sugar and some lemon juice mix this in a small, clean container, and then
rub this on your lips. It is a great way to exfoliate dry skin, as recommended on about.com
Follow-up with some vitamin E and honey and use this to condition your lips in between exfoliating.
Enjoy smooth lips this summer!

Summer Recipe of the Week:
You will see a new summer inspired recipe each week, featuring something mouth watering and
a great recipe, to help you host all your summer time gatherings!
I plan on letting you know the facts on the food, so check out the health facts on the recipes I post.

This week:
Herb Rubbed Steak with Pepper & Arugula Relish

Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Serves: 4
Health facts to this recipe,
Per Serving (1/4 of the recipe):
250 calories, 25 grams protein, 13 grams total fat
(3 grams saturated fat), 55 milligrams cholesterol,
7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fibre, 4 grams sugars,
230 milligrams sodium
Shopping List:
1 lb (500 g) Top Sirloin Grilling Steak
1 tbsp. Italian Herb Seasonings; oregano, thyme,
basil, rosemary, made into a paste
1 red pepper, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. (30 ml) olive oil, divided
1 tbsp. (15 ml) aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. (1 ml) salt and pepper, divided
1/2 cup (125 ml) finely chopped arugula

Heat barbecue to medium high. Rub the steaks with herb paste and set aside on a plate.
Set the red pepper, onion and garlic on a double layer of foil.
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Seal foil tightly into a packet. Set on the grill and cook with the lid closed for about 8-10 minutes.
Drizzle the steaks with the remaining olive oil. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side on medium (160*F/71*C reading on an instant thermometer). Season steaks with remaining salt and pepper.
Let rest once finished cooking for 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the washed and chopped arugula into the red pepper and onion mixture to make a warm relish, seasoning to taste. Thinly slice the steak and serve with the relish.

Hey, if you have no BBQ, in a roasting pan, combine the red pepper, onion and garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Set the pan in the top third of the oven and broil for 10-12 minutes or until the vegetables are caramelized, stirring occasionally. On the stove top, sear oiled steaks in an ovenproof skillet
over medium-high heat, 1 minute per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil for 2 to 3
minutes per side for on medium (same reading as above on the instant-read thermometer).

Better Body Time:
You can try a new exercise this summer to help
you look better this summer. This article will
feature easy, peezy and lemon squeezy small exercises
that you can fit into your hectic schedule.

This week:
Bun Burning Wall Squat

This exercise is not necessarily easy, but the time goes by fast enough and anyone
can allot 15 minutes from their day to do this quick routine.
You will need to be wearing unrestricted work-out clothes, a dedicated wall to squat against and support your back and have no obstacles around, and proper running shoes for support.
The technique is not hard but I would recommend you see the below link from about.com, I decided it's the best way to describe the exercise and the best to follow their guidelines and I do not
want to plagiarize.

Important****
If you have any further questions or concerns before you start any exercises, and you should consult your doctor if you have knee problems, pain or other physical disadvantages.
Please do this first as this may not be the exercise for you.
Here's the link that leads you directly to about.com where they discuss the proper technique to
a wall squat:
http://backandneck.about.com/od/deskexercises/ht/wallsquat.htm

Interesting there are many reasons as to why to do the squat exercise:
http://www.healthline.com/hlbook/strt-why-you-should-squat

Here's a link to the proper way you should look when doing this exercise; in case you need a visual.
http://www.healthline.com/hlbook?bookid=strt&imageid=Incledon Ch11_img_7c.jpg

Fresh Summer Drinks:
Whether it be a refreshing, cold, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, fruity, berry, tropical or delicious drink,
this summer exclusive will feature a new summer time inspired drink weekly.
Get ready for your thirst to be quenched!

This week:
Spicy Peach

2 thin slices of serrano
A few slices of lime
2 ounces of Stoli Peach Vodka
Splash of Rose's Lime
Splash of simple syrup
Stir or mix gently the chili slices and lime in a
shaker. Add ice, vodka, Rose's, and the simple syrup.
Shake and strain into a stemmed glass.
Created by: Sam Fowler, Olive or Twist, Portland, Ore.
Now I am thinking this can also be done with Pear Vodka.
That would be a nice spin on this refreshing cool one.

Balcony Garden and UPDATE! Picture revealed today!

I thought I would load a picture to show you my small but flourishing balcony garden, or at least
most of it is shown in the picture. There was a bit of a set-back, when it came to
my small herb planter. Aphids attacked and killed almost everything I was growing, and despite using
recommended organic ways to kill these pests, they took my plants down with them.
I finally purchased a spray product that can be used up to a day before harvesting, if need be. I don't
plan to have any more aphids or pests. If you want to know the product that has worked so far,
then please comment a question below, and I will answer. I want to hear from other gardeners!
The bug killing product was purchased at Wal-mart for about $7.00 and it worked to kill off these aphids before they kill my basil plant.
Now, I will be purchasing some more herbs, and will replant that section.
It had set me back about $17 dollars, between plants and remedy to solve the bug problem.
I do have strawberries growing in the hanging containers, and we have ate a few so far. These are totally organic, and contain no pesticides as store bought strawberries do. I did not have to
use any bug killing agent or anything on these so far. I still give the berries a wash, and then pat
them dry and cut them up over my favorite cereal.
My tomatoes are doing very well, and I have some more started in my small greenhouse, as seen in photo. I will have full and grown tomatoes, from my mature plants soon I hope.
I also have sprouted squash, pickle cucumber plants, assorted pepper plants, lettuce, spinach, parsley
and more purple and green basil plants.
I will keep you posted this summer on the progress of this garden and hopefully you are gardening along with me!! Happy growing people :)

Jam Studio Review Bonus Segment:

I had been meaning to write this article for awhile, letting everyone who writes or creates music to know about Jam Studio. I want to let you all know, because I had stumbled upon it, and was
so happy last year. I have had a subscription for about a year now, and I am creating some great songs. There is also a forum on jam studio that allows artists to share and chat with each other. I would recommend this part of the jam studio experience as well, as I had constructive
feedback and good feedback about a song I posted.
It was a song I created for a friend that does gymnastics, well, his son.
Anyways, Jam studio.com is the site and you don't need a subscription to create music, but if
you wish for the all access granted pass for the full benefits to jam studio then you do need a subscription.
The subscription, when I joined was $29.99 every six months. You do get a karaoke recorder and drum producer program with that subscription. I think it's well worth it to have an at home recording studio.
Now, I would certainly still like a keyboard to accompany my songs so that will be down the road, perhaps this fall.

Bonus Segment:

This week:
My Book Reading Update

I am working my way through reading 55 Surefire Internet Businesses, You Can Start for Under $5,000 by Entrepreneur Press & Melissa Campanelli. It is quite interesting and I am learning a certain amount so far on ideas of businesses, to how to actually get started.
I will be doing an update on this book, like my key learning's, along with others at the end of
the summer. You can find out all about the books I have read on camping trips and my top book recommendations!
http://www.amazon.ca/Surefire-Internet-Businesses-Start-Under/dp/1599182610

Plus a peak interest of the week, also comes from about.com.
It's how to look 10 years younger, with make-up magic! Well, proper make-up
application can be magic. ;) Check it out!
http://video.about.com/beauty/How-to-Look-10-Years-Younger-With-Proper-Makeup.htm

NOW, folks, don't forget to browse the Upcoming Summer Events Schedule/Calendar
below, hoping to stick to this schedule.
In any event I am camping on the Sunday prior to any Monday event posted, I will have to catch up during the week. This is because sometimes we do not have a wi-fi signal at the camping sites ya know, and we basically end up using our laptops as glorified televisions to watch movies when it's raining. Of course, if we do I will keep up as scheduled!!
Stay tuned in, and HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE CANADA DAY!

As promised Blog Summer Events Schedule for
July & August 2011 SUMMER!!

July 2011

Monday July 4th- !!

Happy Independence Day (U.S.A.)
Do-It-Yourself (D.I.Y.) Beauty
Summer Recipe of the Week
Better Body Time
Fresh Summer Drinks
Aromatherapy
Summer Camping Party Favor

Monday July 11th-

D.I.Y. Beauty
Summer Recipe of the Week
Better Body Time
Fresh Summer Drinks
Mighty Herbs of the Garden
Stampede 2011 Review

Monday July 18th-

D.I.Y. Beauty Feature
Summer Recipe of the Week
Better Body Time
Fresh Summer Drinks
Pet Corner Talk
Movie Review

Monday July 25th-

D.I.Y. Beauty
Summer Recipe of the Week
Better Body Time
Fresh Summer Drinks
Garden Update
Book Review

August 2011

Monday August 1st-

D.I.Y. Beauty
Summer Recipe of the Week
Better Body Time
Fresh Summer Drinks
Preparing for Garden Harvest
Camping Update

Monday August 8th-

D.I.Y. Beauty
Summer Recipe of the Week
Better Body Time
Fresh Summer Drinks
Summer Craft Corner
Art Update

Monday August 15th-

D.I.Y. Beauty
Summer Recipe of the Week
Better Body Time
Fresh Summer Drinks
Garden Harvest Recipes
Coupon Review

Monday August 22nd-

D.I.Y. Beauty
Summer Recipe of the Week
Better Body Time
Fresh Summer Drinks
Photography Update
Writing Online

Monday August 29th-

D.I.Y. Beauty
Summer Recipe of the Week
Better Body Time
Fresh Summer Drinks
Fall & Winter Decor Fashion from TrulyJulie on Etsy
Back to School

FREE Online TV Update!

2011-06-21T01:03:00.000-07:00

Hellooooo there, just a quick update~ I have been tracking where to watch free TV shows online.
I have come across a few good streaming sites and some that work to watch
channels from around the world. I just may go and axe the cable bill now ")
Here's the links people:

This one lists many channels from cartoons, many classic movie channels, sports and US channels like
Fox News Talk Live Stream, apparently there is an adult channel +18 tab, so Mom's don't leave kids alone to browse ALL the channels but there is so many more quality shows to choose and much much more~!
http://www.myeasytv.com/

Here we have many western classic channels, cartoon, cooking and many classic shows.
You have to choose each channel open the player and see if it's what you want to watch,
it's kind of a gamble depending on what you like...... "P
http://tubtub.com/

Now, some of you may have seen the cable provider's message about switching from analog to
digital, and there may be some outages depending on the way you watch your t.v. shows.
You can watch almost all the CTV programs, that you watch on t.v. on the Internet and the latest
breaking news. There are soap operas, prime time evening shows like "The Deadliest Catch" and when you click to watch it you are taken to Discovery Channel (discoverychannel.ca) so don't forget about
the many programs you can view on Discovery. "The Voice" also is available to watch on CTV and daytime talk such as "The View", and you can choose when you want to watch the shows you missed,
so that is pretty convenient.
http://shows.ctv.ca/video.aspx

There is the Bravo site that you can choose to watch video on, and it is all about arts, entertainment, music and culture. You can also read about top stories, view the online t.v. schedule and browse about arts, but there seem to be limited shows available on this site, the movies are played on television but it's worth being in the online t.v. options.
http://www.bravo.ca/

Have you heard of Blip TV? Here's some of the best in original web series, I haven't really sat through anything just yet but it does look a bit like amateur or freelance video's not necessarily real television, but hey I don't know that's my opinion, and you just may like it so, here's the link:
http://blip.tv/

Hockey lovers, you can watch live free, live and archived hockey games, I admit you do have to
hunt for the game you want to watch, but if you are a fan you will do it ") I think it's basically
any games that were shown on CBC and the classic archived games from years past.
http://www.hockeywebcasts.com/

Some people that are scouting out the best TV for you already, (that is available online) in Canada
is Scout TV! There are links right to all the stations like CBC, CTV, Global and Discovery and you can watch almost everything you already are watching and maybe more!
http://tvscout.ca/watch-tv-online-canada/

TV Shack used to a great site for shows and movies, but since it has changed for what ever reason, I don't believe is free anymore. It is also now called TV Central. Here's the site though, I just never bother to sign up and 'proceed to the next step', which is likely the credit card payment step or something. You can see for your self though:
http://tvshack.org/

You can watch Global TV online! Yes, Rookie Blue, Love Bites, classic, short webisodes like "Who's the Boss" and much more!
http://www.globaltv.com/

If you watch MTV on TV, for reality shows, music or entertainment news, you also can watch it all
online! You do have to wait a day or two later for the shows that were on television, to sometimes be posted online, so some of your friends may see it first if they have it on TV. They see it first, but you can save money. Who is the smart one?
http://www.mtv.ca/

Finally, I found this quite interesting, that if you are in a certain area you may not be able to watch
a lot of content online. others are able to like in the US. I found this out when I tried to watch Internet TV from Windows Media Center of which offers all the channels from the US, movies, etc. I mean
this would replace cable, so I got excited and checked out the channel line-up, clicked on what I wanted to watch which was "The Talk" with Sarah Ferguson featuring on the episode, and it downloaded all the shows and then I clicked and it was loading,and then it said this is not available in my area. Bummer.
I tried this over and over for other shows and came to the same result.
Well, there is an application called Anchor Free which is a hot spot shield. It was the first I heard of this, and it is supposed to block you making you private, secure and anonymous online.
Apparently, by doing this, if you are blocked the shows that you are not able to access may just be able to work for you, after all they won't know what "area" you are in. I read this somewhere and you would have to look into this more before you take it from me, so, anyways, to find out more google it and here's the Anchor Free link:
http://anchorfree.com/

That's all I have found so far, and now you can actually use this blog page as an online channel guide~! I will post more interesting and better sites if I find them.
Also, get ready for my 'Summer Events Posting' coming up on Sunday, which will tell you a couple weeks ahead of time, when I will be posting recipes, certain topics of interest, easy summer and beach body excercises and much more!
Trying to get organized here people. haha Alrighty. See you later!

Summer time countdown!

2011-06-20T00:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day Everyone!!

Summer time, summer time. Officially, it's on Tuesday June 21st so it's now time to bring out
the summer clothing, if not already, and also prepare to transition our favorite summer time
products back into our beach bags, purses and beauty regime.
I personally never used to change my products for different seasons, but with that some of the
winter lotions for my face are thicker and heavier and I break out using those same products in
the summer weather. I feel that having the right products and smells to some of those
products makes the summer more enjoyable, it can even make it easier to get ready
for work on a hectic Monday if everything is going together effortlessy.

I have some favorites to use, and I have some products I am interested in.
Let me discuss a couple that may help you out this summer.

The first product I would like to discuss, is the Vitamark Natique Skin Care System line.
I personally used this in the winter, and it would be a nice light summer time
product to use as well, and I will be using this one both winter and summer because it
does balance my skin.
There are a few steps to this line, but if done properly, amazing results!

Step #1 is the colloidal cleanser which is quite soothing and removes all initial impurities like makeup.
It's enriched with things like Aloe Vera, Sunflower Seed Oil, Jojoba, Green Tea extract and vitamin E.
Step #2 is the lathering cleanser which encourages exfoliation, tightening and firming.
It also is made from Aloe Vera, Panthenol, Green Tea and more to encourage the wonderful results to
happen. For both of these cleansers, they only require very small amounts, to be used morning and evening for optimal results.
Step #3 is the enriched ultra conditioner which is the moisturizing step to this line.
This product contains Natural Oils, Vitamins and Green Tea to name a few, that really does balance the level of moisture in my face, and amazingly it is only a half a dime size amount that you have to use to do the whole face and neck, give or take the level or amount you need.
Step #4 is the protective lotion made to tone, firm and nourish one's skin. It helps protect skin from bad environmental elements and also aids in exfoliation especially under the eyes. It does work to improve the look and feel of skin.
It contains things like Aloe Vera, Vitamin C, Green Tea and other natural oils. I feel this is the final and cooling step to the process, as this is a product that is like water, that you put a small dime size amount on and lightly pat the face with. It feels great, completes the firming and refreshing part to the line, and actually keeps the oil away.
It is recommended, if you have oily skin to use step 4 before and after step 3.
This would be great to use if you get oily skin in the summer, as opposed to dry skin in the winter.
For the smell of this product, it does not seem to have any scent to it too much, so it is just a fresh
face it leaves you with.
To follow-up there is a Night Cream made by Vitamark Natique that is a very nourishing
and does smell like Aloe Vera of which is does contain. It does help fine lines and smoothing of
the skin. This skin care does cost a bit, but it will also last and comes with a nice carrying bag of it's own, a skin care guide with tips and tricks and you would be happy with many more of the Vitamark products.
My next favorite summer product right now, and through out my 20's has been
Oil of Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer for combination and oily skin with
UV protection and SPF 15 lotion or the same for sensitive skin.
It works great for sun protection, for small amounts of exposure like on the weekday on the way to work, looks great under make-up and also really holds up all day indoors.
It does have to be re-applied if you are in for prolonged sun exposure in the day,
and really if you are planning to be in the sun all day should choose something with more SPF protection in it or choose the days to be out that the UV index is lower.
This prevents your risk and chance to sun burn and dangerous exposure.
I do find that a make-up primer be used over top of this product just to set it best for your
foundation. There is a light scent to this product, I find it to be so fresh and clean smelling.

The next face lotion I love is No 7 Protect and Perfect Night Cream.
It is a bit thicker, but since it's a night cream it can be quite soothing on the skin while you sleep and recover from your day.
It has many ingredients, and I recycled the box that lists these, so I cannot recall exactly but
it smells great and is very moisturizing. It is recommend to smooth this lotion on after
No 7's Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum of which smooths lines and reveals a healthy glow to the skin.
The Eye Creams also work fairly well from No 7. It is bit more pricey, so I wait for the sales on this,
as I can save myself $20.

My next favorite summer product is a refreshing body spray from Avon Naturals. It is the pomegranate and mango spray, that is so light and fruity. It is not as strong as some perfumes and
is a very summery smell and will be just the product you love in your beach bag.
I am not sure the current price on this product, as I got mine awhile ago. I would guess $8.
I also love Cherry Blossom from Calgon, and actually maybe my favorite of all time.
It can be anywhere from $5-8 or $1 if you head to the dollar store and they carry it, probably not.
I like to buy the small purse size bottles of these, so I can throw it in my bag of the day or beach bag.

A new favorite perfume for the summer is, Mariah Carey's Luscious Pink. It has a nice fruity note to
it and just screams summer. I also like the cute bottle, but I do need to purchase this myself and stop getting free spritzes of it from the perfume counter. lol It is $42.00 for 1.1 fluid oz of this stuff and ranges higher for the bigger sizes.
A summer razor to try is the Schick Naturals Intuition razor. Let me say, it's a fast process with the conditioning Aloe Vera solid that it comes with. It does work great and is fast with no shaving creams needed, since the solid is the shaving cream built in.
If you get a coupon from a coupon site or elsewhere, then it will not cost a lot. I had a coupon for $5 off, and it was originally $7, so it cost $2.
It has a thick and comfortable handle to hang onto, this is really good because I have not dropped it, does come with a solid and razor refill after the first one is used up, and has suction cup holder unit to
stick to the wall in your shower. It also comes with a travel cap to cover the razor blade and solid when you have to pack it up.

I will further discuss summer shaving products, foot scrubs, what is going in my beach bag this summer and more on summer time products that are organic. Look for it in July~!

A great summer drink is Crave (Vitamark) and if you are interested in energy with out the caffeine crash, in convenient pouches you can slip into your summer bag you will LOVE Crave.
I drink and recommend this product and it is something I.... well, crave. It's a pick me up in
the afternoon and also a change from harsh and overly caffeinate energy drinks.
Here's the link on how to get you some!
http://123buycrave.com/

Well, that's all for this week and if you are having a hard week throw on some Bob Marley, pour yourself a Berry Mojito or a Malibu Coconutini and think summer time.
Have a great week!

Update~!

2011-06-17T00:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

It's finally Friday, a long week and I will be blogging on Sunday too and you will just have to tune in
to see what we are chatting about then. ")
I really just wanted to do a quick update post because I am totally excited to see that, my picture I took called "Serenity for All" made it to runner up in the hot pic of the week on pcworld.com!!
Sweet!
I had almost forgot about this, and found out I am runner up, well that means second.
There is a really nice picture for the first spot, called "Night Heron" which is totally deserved for that shot. Check it out if you are interested in photography.
Here's the link (below), and scroll down in the article, to "Pic of the Week"section.
I will be trying to enter again in the future if I get the right pictures this summer......
unfortunately I won't be going to Paris or France for my cousin's wedding, but stay tuned
there maybe some awesome camping photos.
Cheerios for now! Have a great weekend!!

http://www.pcworld.com/article/228440/five_reasons_photographers_should_love_the_apple_iphone.html

More Movie Mania!! Mafia Marathon Weekend~!

2011-06-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

Well, my computer is not working here, and I already had typed out a lot and then it
all went down the tube.......... I should save as I go.
So, to recap what I already wrote, I watched all the Mafia inspired movies I could on digital cable this weekend.... they lined up some blockbuster ones, that's for sure. Here's how Mafia Marathon went down:
Firstly to warm up, I cooked an authentic Italian spaghetti dinner, and it was the best one I had ever done. It helps to take one's time to prepare the perfect sauce and flavours to be in the sauce.
It turned out succulent and the sauce was the bomb, and the garlic toast was perfecto!
I kicked off the weekend by watching " Underworld Cities" series documentary on the History channel, and it was all about organized crime in Las Vegas, the history of it all, to do with casinos, gambling and the crime bosses. Missed a bit of that to finish dinner, but the mood and tone of the crime bosses and underworld was now set. Begin mafia movie #1........
"Donnie Brasco", if you don't know about this movie, google it, rent it, sign it out at the library, whatever, watch it.... it is based on a true story, as most mafiaso movies are and well done.... it's a great show due to the actors and how great the acting is, but really I am not going to re-type this now, as it nears the a.m. hours.
Wonderful acting, womderful true story-line and might I add, suspenseful, - Johnny Depp and Al Pacino, need I say more, although, I can say that as I wise up, the acting gets better, the script gets better, what the heck. Also, there are many wonderful supporting actors and it's worth the watch.
I have watched this about 20 times, in my lifetime.

Then cable followed up with "Goodfellas", with all the great actors, De Niro, Pesci, Liotta to name a few. I recommend this flick, it's one the best, it's a bit long, but well worth it.
This time I lost count how many times I have watched this show, but it was still worth staying up until 4 a.m.
I said to my boyfriend, the only one cable missed was "Casino", then what do you know~ badda boom badda bing, the network read my mind if it was not already planned. That wrapped up my Sunday afternoon and most of my weekend, if you know Casino is also a longer movie. Forget about it.
Again, De Niro, Pesci, Stone, and many more, this one follows the story about Las Vegas and organized crime there, and it is also a biography including all the good stuff about deception, crime, money.
Well, sorry if this is short, and not too sweet, haha, I got frustrated losing all my previous work and am now going to get ready for my upcoming week.
Well, it's been a slice and remember subscribe if you want up to date posts and fun stuff..... coming soon~ DELICIOUS FOOD RECIPES for summer!!
Shout out to Italian food, should definitely inspire some of my cooking recipe picks.
Have a great week!

Movie Mania

2011-06-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Movies are a large part of my week and weekends, to be quite honest. Whether it be, renting them from video on demand, sites such as Netflix, checking out what cable has to offer for the evening or referring back to my archive of DVDs, I am usually am watching something of a movie or a documentary.
I prefer such documentaries that are do with crime stories, science or nature, and or extraterrestrial type shows. Those fill up the slots in between, hunting for or watching a movie, I mean I find myself doing more of this on the weekends, but Mondays are no exception to my movie mania. I totally overlap the weekend into Monday~!
I am finding use from Netflix, but in the area I live, there are so many restrictions as to what I can watch on the Internet or what is allowed as per the regulators. I must admit, it is making my movie affair quite boring and humdrum, as there are only so many options.
So, the point of my blog topic, is to encourage you to watch a great movie tonight or Monday, when you arrive home from the worst Monday or the best Monday for that matter, and put on some pizza or soup, depending on your preference, and pull up to a movie and escape for that hour and a bit.
Sometimes, the movie allows us to escape for a few hours, and if it's a good one, you never want it to end. You pray the villain doesn't get wiped out or the endless love story, is just that. There is nothing worse than the movie being infinitely good and then ending. Ahhhh.
I have been having a little problem with Netflix and my computer taking forever to load the movies from there, sometimes halfway into the movie, but in general I have completed many movies uninterrupted. What does anyone else think, do you think Netflix is worth the money or is it a good concept? Post below.
Sometimes, it can be the cheapest date night, to stay home and watch a movie, so in times we need to save money, I suggest taking up movie mania. ")
Have a great week and remember to work for the weekend!

New Strategy

2011-05-29T23:47:00.000-07:00

Hello. If you noticed I haven't blogged in a minute.
Well, lots was happening all at once, then I was going
to double up last Sunday, or something, but then it didn't
happen. I quit my job last week and yeah............
it's been a shite show. Many days later, here I am blogging
at half past midnight.
I have decided to really do something totally different and
meaningful, I am going to run my own business,
and go back to school this fall to take business mgmt.
I love to make music, sing, and create art, so things have been rolling
that way as well.
Well, this one is going to be a quickie anyways, it's late,
I am still kind of recovering from last week. lol
I was totally bawling, watching the last episode of Oprah last
week, and really am going to miss her shows. I had to catch that show~!
She is very inspiring and she finished up strong on her show,
and I still cannot believe it's an end of an era.
From all of Oprah's accomplishments, she exudes what a real lady should
aspire to be, by letting no limits define her and caring for people, with
such a huge heart. Oprah taught me that we can do anything we want to.
So I decided I am going to change my career strategy and work for myself.
I will be working on it this year and hope to enjoy more income from
being happy. lol
Have a wonderful week and I hope the sun is shining~!

Mother's Day Kudos

2011-05-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

To all the Mothers today~ definite kudos, and I don't know how you do it. :-)
Really, I have seen mother's in action with their children!!
It takes some special Mothers out there to have that patience and being constant
with their children.

Even though I haven't had children, I still find it hard to keep up with all the
demands that life has. I am always feeling like the clock goes by too fast,
and I don't have everything done in time, and I am struggling to keep up
in the fast paced corporate world and it's only me.
I am so tired by the end of the week, or in the mornings during the week,
and I see mothers on the city bus taking their kids to daycare before they go to work.
Likely, a lot earlier in the morning than they have to work.

So their days start even earlier than mine, then to think they go to work afterwards
and then after work, they are not finished, like I am, I can head home and get dinner
started. I think I would be wiped out tired, just getting the kids ready.
I am not saying it's out of the question for me to have kids, but at this point I am simply too
selfish. I enjoy sleeping in on Saturdays, and I like having a cat that requires minimal
supervision, and he stays home so there is no additional time needed for him in the mornings,
other than filling up his food bowl. He wakes me up too early though, with his frantic meowing.
The meowing is starting earlier and earlier, so I could do without the interrupted sleep
in the mornings, but think if I had to get up any earlier to make breakfast for kids,
getting everyone ready before I do, and yeah, I would be running late for work everyday!
How do you do it?
I have to get my clothes ready for the morning, the night before, everyday, or else I will not get out the door in time. I have to straighten my hair on Wednesday evenings, so it's easy to do the
rest of the week and I can sleep longer those days, and have a shower
with a cap on so it doesn't get wet. It is so much faster if I don't wash it Thursday and have
no bangs to style or hair do to do, and put it back into a straight pony tail on Friday.
I enjoy being able to go out where ever I want or have a nap when I have time.
I would think mother's are sleep deprived, and more stressed than I am.
I have seen younger women than I, that are mothers and they certainly could use some tlc.
I wish you rest and relaxation this Mother's Day because I think mothers are amazing and very sacrificing!!
I give you kudos on this Mother's Day! Happy Mother's Day,
Have a wonderful week and wonderful May weather!

M.I.A. Mondays blogpost from May 3

2011-05-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

What happened to me last Monday? Simply put, I did not blog last week, no I didn't miss
2 Mondays in a row on purpose, but nothing came to me to blog about.
OK and I just had an MIA day, and was pretty lazy! Lazy like Garfield, and I slept in a few times,
it was pretty awesome!

Yep, well, I did have to file my 2010 taxes and I did have to study in order to
pass a HUGE test I had to do at work. Now that I passed with 90's, I am part of
the "greenteam", still in coaching but learning my new job.
It's going well, so far and I am liking the support that is given with learning my job.

Lat week, I skipped out on doing much else, except a little shopping with coupons
and taking advantage of sales. I wait for the sale and use the coupon I have, and
this way I can stock up my pantry cupboard fairly well and save money.

I had a 4 day break the week before, for the Easter Long weekend,
and it sure helped with some much needed rest.
I didn't do much then either and that was back in April.
We went to an Easter dinner at my Mother-in-law's, and she is a super cook, there
was every type of food, like turkey, ham, cabbage rolls, stuffing, potatoes, buns,
vegetables, potato salad, gravies and more desserts. Just taking a little bit of each,
by the time I looked I had stacked up amount of food on my plate.
I called my family and talked to everyone, searched stores on etsy.com, and read
a bit of my book on the patio deck.
I had made a ham the evening before, with brown rice and mixed vegetables, so I
certainly ate well, and gained energy from the food as well. Everyone needs a bit
of tlc. Some spa time tonight will mark tlc for me.
Then I managed to plant my tomatoes this last weekend,
and they are sure coming along well, they grew fast with in a week.
After that, I must say I got lazy lately, my boyfriend and I went for a walk one
evening and got stuck out in the rain and hail, pelting us very hard,
and have felt a bit sluggish since then.
I think we were fighting off colds, and I had felt tired all week since.
I think it's best to stay home tonight and not go for a walk, because the
sky is dark, filled with thunderous clouds and it has rained off and on
all day. Other than clean the home, and cook some meals, it's been a slow
and grey day.

Does anyone else have those days, it's not depression or anything, but just pure grey laziness??
I like to be lazy lol. The rest of my week was pretty productive, so I hope all of yours was too!
It's time to pay more attention to my gardening, so I may be writing about that in the future blogs.
Stay tuned. I am writing a special Mother's Day Blog now.... it will be posted right after this one. :D
Have a great evening!

Cutting off Mondays

2011-04-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

Since the coming of spring and better weather~permitted that you are not going into tornado
weather, which is absolutely awful for those people, well, I've been thinking it's time to cut
off the T.V. cable or most of it....I had done this a couple weeks back actually, but I think it's
time to get outdoors!
It has been snowing for a couple days here anyways, but it still has me thinking to tuck
away the winter gear and come out with my lighter spring clothing. I will simply have
to haul my boots out every now and then if the snow never breaks LOL
It will be a long weekend, next weekend, for Easter Break. :) Gotta love it, and I hear the weather should be quite lovely, so those people that are with me for the love of spring, shed the woollies
and scarfs, and sport some shorter lighter sleeved outfits! Whoo hoo!
It's time to put out the planter pots and set-up the scheme of your patio or deck...... I have
an over sized balcony, which this year I do plan on really focusing on the vegetables and
flowers. I plan to make this my best year ever, as I am used to the surprises of the weather
and elements in this city by now. Some pre-planting indoors is essential to this zone, just to
give the plants a head-start.
I plan to service my mountain bike this upcoming weekend, and make sure the tires and
such are good to go. I can certainly test it out on Sunday, after a huge meal or two,
and what ever I whip up............. I have a huge smoked ham and plan to
make the traditional whipped potatoes, rolls and salads. It should be succulente'!
Speaking of cooking, one may want to catch up on baking as well, as storing some of
the Easter dinner as instant freezer meals is a trick I do.
I am a big advocate of freezing my own hungry man meals, for my lunches or if I am running late from work and don't have a lot of time to prepare something when I arrive home.
I may be this week, as I have a HUGE exam to write. 80% is the passing minimum.
Anyways, some crafting of Easter eggs may wind up on my agenda, and I am thinking of
trying the hollowed out Ukrainian ones, I had done before. They are certainly
lovely afterwards, for decor or what not, although, I still am not sure I will
get to that with the list I have already devised, for my weekend to be productive.
On that note, I will not be blogging Easter Monday or well Sunday rather,
after all what will you need holiday Monday tips for~ it's a given that it will be a fabulous long weekend Monday! Have a great week and stay chill. :)

Fast Monday Make-Up

2011-04-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you are like me, always running late or feeling rushed on Mondays.
It leaves me little or no time to pull myself together and put on a nice fresh face.
Here's some fast make-up tips that could help you get out the door on time.

First, I always do a beauty mask, kaolin clay is my favorite, after I exfoliate on Sunday night
even if it does put me past my bedtime by a bit, well like right now~ funny coincidence.
Then I make sure I cool my eyes with a cooling gel mask (blue gel one I got from
Shopper's Drug Mart) that I put in the refrigerator. I apply my night cream afterward
as usual, which I am using Vitamark Natique Night Essential Complex to repair, rejuvenate
and replenish the skin. This seems to prepare my face for make-up for Monday, so it can be applied smoothly and quickly, with less fussing.

Anyways, back to Monday morning's make-up routine. I start my face by of course washing it,
I am using Vitamark Natique 4 Skin Care System, which has all the essentials of vitamins A, D, E
and aloe vera, chamomile and natural oils, that work together to clean, condition, nourish and protect
my skin. Step 3 of the line is the regular daily moisturizer, which I use a dime size amount and
then layer on a small amount of Vichy Laboratoires Capital Soleil 60 Memory XL (Sunblock Cream SPF 60) very high protectant, with other sunscreen filters.
I use a very small amount of primer, which I am using Smashbox's photo finish, to areas like my eyelids, and the t-zone of my face. I usually don't have a lot of primer, so I only use a little.
Then I lightly dab N.Y.C. 805 concealer stick, skin color concealer under my eyes and I am also
using the N.Y.C. (New York Color) color wheel, and I apply the concealer lightly tapping but not pulling as it's kind of thick, and I only use a little. Sometimes, I use the yellow shade in the color
wheel to cover under my eyes, if there are veins showing that are more on the blue side, and I cover
that with the skin color from the color wheel, or the concealer stick.
I touch-up any blemishes I may have with the green color concealer from the color wheel, known to camouflage redness.
I happen to have a red inflamed pore on my forehead, so it should be fun tomorrow but if I prepare
my skin then it's usually manageable.

Then I cover the green with the skin color concealer again, and pat only around the red area or
blemish and do not rub or you will defeat the purpose because there will be no coverage left.
Set that with a little loose light powder if you have some, I use a Covergirl one with light flecks in it, but the name rubbed off the bottle, but I use the brush it came with, and lightly cover the worst red
or blemishes if need be.
Next, I apply a small amount of Covergirl Clean Make-up cover-up of my color, to a clean sponge and begin to softly tap the liquid cover-up on the rest of my face, blending softly and making sure everything looks flawless. I set my whole face, with Physicians formula Cover Tox Ten 50 Wrinkle Therapy Face Powder (my color is Translucent Light) and I just us the brush the compact came with.
It actually diminishes wrinkled with in 10 minutes, but it's not a miracle or anything. "P

I then highlight under my cheek bones with a light bronze combo compact, also from Physicians Formula using the brush it came with, and sometimes blending with my red Smashbox brush.
After that, I take some Covergirl Naturally Luminous Loose Powder with the puff it came with, and I dab and do large circles on the apples of my cheeks. This color has a bit of glittering shades in it, so it's nice but not dark, and even though it's a loose powder, it works well as a day blush shade.

I then take my eyelash curler and crimp each set of lashes on each eye, for approximately
7- 9 seconds per eye. Next I take my Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in brown,
and I fill in my eyelashes by rubbing the pencil lightly on the tops of my eyelashes,
and then I take the blunt rubber end and make sure I have colored my lashes completely.
I then take the eyeliner and line the top corners of each of my eyelids, just on the corners,
and then take the sponge rubber end and smokey it up a bit, blending lightly outwards.
I use a bit of a light color from either liquid cover up, the darker brown or purple from the N.Y.C. color wheel and I highlight the edges of my lid, above the eyeliner that I drew on. I also take a tiny amount and highlight my inner corner of my eye with the same color.

Then, I use Maybelline Full 'n' Soft Waterproof Mascara in *Very Black, which I thought
I had bought brown but then when I got it home, I seen it was black. Someone mixed up
the colors in the department, as I usually do choose the wrong make-up shade from what's
supposed to be the right color for me. Anyways, it does work really good for me,
never chips off onto my face, and rarely smudges. I have tried many mascara's
and this is my favorite for right now.
I just bought some Physicians Formula Organic wear Jumbo Lash Mascara in Black Organics, of which also I wanted brown. I also purchased Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2 in 1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Black (7367C), but have yet to open and try them, so if I find the products are amazing I will let you know...... stay tuned, and if it can help me faster in the morning, then I would love that too.

The last step to pull the whole look together, is putting a light and shiny color of gloss on
my lips. I first line my lips, using N.Y.C. in light burgundy (955A) on the bottom of my lips,
and bring it to the top lip, and I lightly line the top of my lips, darker at the top of the lips.
I then take my preferred lip gloss, which happens to be e.l.f. in juiced berry right now, and I fill
in the middle of my lips. I take a q-tip and refine everything, so that there is no make-up
out of place, and that's it.
I step up my make-up routine steps through-out the week, as I feel I have more time. I may use my favorite Smashbox pallet, which is mainly smoky colors, golds, or browns. I usually fill in the medium gold color on the bottom of my eyelids, with the brush provided, then I take a darker gold color and fill in the crease of my lid, and blending the whole time, then I take the lightest color (a cream color) and I fill in below my eyebrow and the inner corner of my eye to highlight there.
Then I blend correctly and make the look feel soft and flawless. I don't do much eye shadow on Mondays though. lol I would like to try the airbrush coverage or cover-up, and I believe that would
be a fast way to apply make-up..... but I am not sure the prices yet.

This may sound like numerous steps, but it's faster than it sounds. It takes about 10 minutes,
on a good day, so let's hope tomorrow is just that~! I hope this helps and let me know
if you have any speedy tips for Monday morning, either make-up tips, or other.
Have a fast and great week~!

The Making of a Monday Morning Zombie and Insomniac

2011-04-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Act 1............................................
A few late nights, a few missed hours of sleep, a drink or two on a Thursday night and still to work
on Friday, and then a nap a good part of the day on Sunday, and then.......up all night.
This is the perfect way to make a monster movie.

Unfortunately, I have not been getting to bed at a reasonable time lately.
My sleeping pattern is the worst, zombies would do better than I, like the zombies in "I am Legend". They get to sleep all day before hunting all night for flesh to devour, and fortunately I am not trying to become a nocturnal creature and I must hold down a job.

Later weekend nights spent trying to catch up on organizing, other chores, more recently I had been job hunting, applying for job positions, preparing for interviews and once I had watched a couple movies ("The Wolfman" on a full moon, and followed up by The Mummy 3) it was really late when
I finished the last movie.

Anyways, my inconsistent rest routine is definitely not a habit I want to form and it is not a positive to
to my life and health. In fact, I do recall watching a documentary on brain health, and it was one of the bad habits that affects the brain health in a bad way.

Sunday nights I often have trouble falling asleep.......like last night, I was worried about over sleeping for the first day at my new job in telecommunications.
My internal clock was now telling me that I should not be sleeping. I lay there and my brain would not shut down. I did everything I could to try to sleep and it was not working at all. I finally had to make a little snack, consisting of 2 slices of raisin bread toast and a glass of milk.
For some reason, that was just what I needed as I fell asleep almost instantly after, and already too
late to get up for work feeling like I was in once piece, and I should not have to resort to a glass of milk or such to catch some zzzzzz's.

The best thing for anyone is to maintain a regular sleep pattern and habits, and also to sleep 8 hours a night (at least). Also napping too late on Sundays not only disturbs your sleeping pattern,
but keeps a person wired at the time you should be unwinding.
If that project you are working on is not done by bedtime you simply will have to get up early to start on it again tomorrow, if you want to maintain your sleep schedule.

Some great methods to rely on, is a nice cup of chamomile tea with no sugar or honey, as I find the sweeteners can make me hyper at bedtime, but chamomile is a sleepy time tea on it's own.
Draw your self a luxurious bath and add lavender or your favorite bath oil or have a nice luke warm shower at around 8 p.m. Just make sure your muscles and body are relaxed before bed, and it
will do wonders for you. If you don't feel like doing all that prior to calling it a night,
and if you like to shower in the mornings anyways, perhaps fill a hot water bottle (with hot water) and wrap it up in a thick towel and nestle that at the cradle of your back as you can warm up and fall asleep, just like a baby.
And last but not least, there's the biochemistry of sex, and it can tire you out~!
It can make a women tired at times, but more often men, as it's scientifically proven that during -(orgasm), men's brains release many chemicals but the most notable one being prolactin.
Prolactin levels are the highest naturally during sleep and in animals that have been tranquilized, and they immediately are tired.
Again, try not to stay up late, no matter the activity, especially if you don't want to pay the price on Monday morning. Have a great week, and please subscribe to my blog~ if you like it!!

Long Weekend Mondays

2011-03-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you guys, but I sure wish it was camping season and there was a long weekend
Monday in it for me! I so long for the sunshine time, hiking, swimming and of course the BBQ foods.
I know it's not even summertime, so what am I thinking of camping for?!!?
Well, I am starting to organize my camping gear and supplies now, and that being said, is a great time
to start purchasing things, looking out for sales. If one waits until the last minute we end up spending top dollar on items we need to take on our camping experience.
I suggest starting with such items like canned beans which can range from $0.89 cents- $1.79 each, campfire toasters can be around $4.00-$5.00 on the average, and flashlights or batteries for your pre-existing flashlights can be costly when not purchased on sale, first- aid supplies, paper products such as napkins, paper towel, and t.p.
I have a coupon or two for batteries, mind you they are the mail in rebate ones but I determine they will save me a buck, in the end after paying for postage to mail the coupon. ")
Making lists of items you would like to take this time around, on the trip, may be useful in remembering them when you do see a deal to be had. I also suggest signing up for the flyers online sites or to the stores you already shop at for camping supplies. This way you can price compare before hand than purchasing all at one store, a great way for more savings is splitting the trips, tracking prices and checking off the deal on your list as you go.
Last year we all needed sleeping bags, I got mine on sale for $5, and regularly the sleeping bag is about $20-$30, it is a thin sleeping bag but I like it for summer night sleeping. My boyfriend bought his later for $20, and it is a nice brand name sleeping bag and warmer than mine. So, on some deals if the store is selling quality, then it can be worth the trip.
By the way, if you pre-print printable coupons from the net for any camping supplies, it's my personal experience to not "clip" them but leave them complete printed on the full page of paper with the website details, as I was told by the store manager at Wal-Mart that they need to see that it's not a photo-copy of a coupon. Just a little tip folks.
If you are wondering, I will try to go camping for free this year...... and if anyone knows a way I can coupon free gas for my mini motorhome, please let me know folks~! :D

If you have tents that need repairs or a motorhome such as I have, then certain repairs may be good to start now in case they are timely.... I don't know about you, but when the horn sounds for camping season, I just want to go and not be worrying about repairs and fixing to be done. I also need to start sewing some new motorhome window curtains, of which I am replacing the mis-measured conundrums of curtains that came with the unit. I had taken the measurements in the fall, before the motorhome was winterized and parked, and now it's time.
I have been working on items for my store on etsy.com, and you can visit my store anytime by clicking on TrulyJulie on Etsy to the right of the page or on the link here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TrulyJulie?ref=pr_shop_more
You might want to start digging up camping clothes and making sure they are suitable this year and fit you, this lets you know what you should be or should not be taking with you~! Nothing worse than a useless camping wardrobe, and it was pretty cold last year and I had way too many pairs of shorts. Levi's jeans are super comfortable, so I am likely going with some Levi's from Value Village, just right for camping.
See, you already feel better about this week, don't you? You can immerse yourself in day-dreaming about nature, camping time, and hanging out with your family and friends.
That is why we work and save, so we can have the money to get away from it all!
Until next week, we toasted another Monday, to being closer to the campfire.

Rib Mondays

2011-03-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

It's getting to be time, we can fire up the good old BBQ when we get home for dinner.
I think at first cooking ribs or long cooking time meals, can be intimidating on Mondays, if you are tired and want to have a 30 minute meal and relax. If you have it already prepared
for when you get home from a hard day at work or school, or if you're feeling
under the weather~ which happens to be snowing today then you can find something delish is
quite do-able.

Well, last night, (Sunday) I steamed ribs under tinfoil and with water in the bottom of the pan,
in the oven at 350*F in the oven for about a hour and 30 minutes..... first removing the membrane (tough skin on the back of the ribs), and the method is easy when you get the hang of it and then preparing a spice rub to put on the ribs..... google yourself your NEW favorite rib recipe or spice rub....
there are even videos that show how to take the membrane on the back of the
ribs off on e-how.
So, it's pretty much that easy, then after it's cooled off and steam cooked essentially, you can refrigerate the ribs in your tinfoil. When you get home on Monday, it's a matter of firing up the BBQ and cooking those ribs with BBQ sauce for about 25 minutes each side on a medium high heat. *BBQ heat can vary, so it's good to use your own discretion, and I like it cooking longer for lower to make the meat more tender. I made some nice italian herbed potatoes and corn to go with and really
Monday dinner was easyyyyy. It may even be better if you cooked rib dinner on Sunday, and eat
leftovers on Mondays. Anything to make the day easier.
It sure was a great and fast meal, and Garfield would approve! ")
Until next week, down with Monday.

Personality goes along way! Monday is long gone ")

2011-03-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hey people,

I strongly recommend taking these personality tests out there, like Myers Briggs personality test.....or the Jung Typology Test, and answer the test truthfully to yourself. You WILL find out a lot about your self and this helps you in all avenues of life.
I took one today, which was a combination of both, "Jung- Myers Briggs"- and it's funny how sometimes someone tells you that they would think you would be good at such a career, or industry, and maybe you don't see your self really there, or hadn't considered it previously.
Well, there was a divison director at Office Team who told me I should be a counsellor on Tuesday, that she could see me there or working as a volunteer coordinator, well counsellor seemed to be her intuitive first call, and was really correct according to this personality test I did. Of course this person gets paid to make such recommendations and obviously is excellent at her job and has learned the right things to be able to make such a judgement. Very interesting and I will be touching base with her most definitely, as she was the one who brought up the Myers Briggs personality test.
Furthermore, I determined from the test that I am an INFJ. Hmmmm, this is so interesting to me for many good reasons. It is very important to stand in our truths and know ourselves, I am learning more everyday about this. I suppose when one is keen to something, they tend to find the knowledge in all kinds of places. So, interestingly enough some examples of famous INFJ people are Shakespeare, Beethoven, Martin Luther King Jr. (civil rights leader, martyr), Mother Teresa of Calcutta (saint), Jerry Seinfeld, Jamie Foxx, and Piers Anthony to name a few. Actually, one of my favorite books "Isle of Woman" was written by Piers Anthony.
As a predetermined INFJ, I should be going into Art/Science categories like literature/writer, humanities, philosphy, web design, archeology or into Social Services genres like Religious Education, Pschylogy, or counselling.
So, that is my personality type. I could tell you more about me, but I want you to learn about you~!
You could be anywhere from a ENPF- ISFOP! LOL.
That's all for this week, sorry I was late, I had alot to do, and I will be keeping it real on Mondays.
See you later.

Another one bites the Dust

2011-03-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

It was Monday
I was tired and quite frankly I drank too much Sauvignon Blanc last night
I searched for coupons from yesterdays paper at school, but they didn't have it
I looked through a spring look book and liked some cut out shoes!
I worked through lunch for the good of getting Friday's assignment done
It's not done but it's organized
I called someone I should not have
I feel alright for dropping a grudge
I should totally finish my painting I am working on
I am totally killin it this week