The Little Things can = BIG results

Have you ever noticed that life can get hectic at times? You can go to bed and everything is fine in your world and the very next day all hell can break lose and you are shaking your head wondering what happened? If you are like me..I'm sure this has happened once or twice in your life. lol

One thing I have learned about myself during these times is that its the "little things" that help to keep things in perspective and during times of stress we all need "the little things". Taking time to value and enjoy those little things give us strength to get thru the tough stuff. What do I mean by "the little things"? For me..the little things are:

• Watching the sunrise in the morning and the sunset in the evening


• Going for a walk and paying attention to the flowers, the trees and appreciating the beauty


• Experimenting in the kitchen and creating a new dish


• Listening to my favorite music and discovering new sounds


• Getting lost in a good book for a few hours


• Sitting with a friend over a cup of java or a glass of wine and laughing


• Spending time with family


• Endulging in a piece of chocolate and not worrying about the calories


• Listening to the wind blow thru the trees


• A little cuddle time with my dog


• Playing with the kids and allowing myself to be a kid


• Watching the classic oldie TV sitcoms like The Cosby Show, Archie Bunker, Carol Burnett, Gilligan's Island


• Doing absolutely NOTHING and wasting a whole day doing it!

Remember "the little things" and whatever yours are...be grateful for them and don't be afraid to lean on them when you need to ..they will generate BIG RESULTS!!!

BlueBerry Ice Cream...That is good for you!!!!

I picked up Clean Eating magazine this weekend , one of my favorite reads to learn about healthy eating and get some ideas for eating healthier. As I was skimming thru all of the mouth watering reciepes I came across a receipe that I thought was worth sharing given blueberry season is approaching and having fresh blueberries to work with is fantastic! Not to mention it was dessert and one you don't have to feel guilty eating!!! lol Having lived in Newfoundland one fond memory was going blueberry picking with my family. My grandmother would pack a little lunch and off we would go with our buckets. I never realized until much later in life how peaceful and enjoyable it was. I think I would eat more berries then I ever picked! The best part was knowing what was going to come from all this effort..my grandmother's homemade blueberry pie or blue berry grunt! I guess that is where my love for blueberry's came from. There were no pesticides, no worry about chemicals just good old fruit fresh from the land..what a priceless gift that should't be taken for granted.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of fresh blueberriers



• 1 1/2 cups of nonfat plain greek yogurt



• 1/4 cup raw honey



• 1/4 cup 100% orange juice



• seeds 1 vanilla bean, pod discarded

Prepare:In a food processor, add all the ice cream ingredients. Puree until just combined about 2 minutes, scrape down sides of bowl. Spoon ice cream mixture into a shallow 9x9 inch freezer safe container. Place container in the freezer for 30 minutes or until mixture begins to freeze slightly. Remove from the freezer, scrape the edges with spautula and mix with a whisk, blend the ice crystals until creamy again. Return to freezer for additional 30 minutes, repeat 2x. Return to freezer until hardened approx 2 to 3 hours.

Enjoy!

Where Eagles Fly!

Today I did one of the craziest things I have ever done, went Hang Gliding!

It was an item on my bucket list , I knew I wanted to do before I died and it seemed like the right time to do. One of those things where as Pink so sweetly puts it "look fear in the face and say I just don't care". I knew I had to face my fear and just go do it. Forget about negative aspects of the fear of "what if "..and remember the positives of "what if"..

To be in the air soaring thru the wind like a bird was breath taking. The view from 1500ft was magnificant, there was so much to see I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take it all in. It was being in that "moment" that made me smile.

There are times in life we need to take ourselves out of our comfort zone and push the limit. Change can be a scary thing but when you realize and I mean really realize that there isn't anything you can't do once you set your mind to it..you know that you have the courage and the strength to face any change head on! Doing something completely out of your daily routine is also good for the soul..and your spirit.

The only way to face your fears is head on!! "If you think you can , you can! "

What's next for this lady I wonder!!!

Proud to be Canadian!

Happy Canada Everyone! Its a beautiful warm sunny day today , at least in this part of Canada where I am enjoying my morning java. I was reflecting on what it means to be Canadian and the famous people and hero's like Terry Fox, Rick Hansen, Michael J Fox, Celine Dion, Ann Murray, Jann Arden, Gordon Lightfoot, Margaret Atwood, Romeo Dallaire etc.. who have done remarkable things over the years for this country and the people. There is so much history in this country that has yet to be learned about the Inuit, MicMac's, the early decendents , Memorial day and the role our veterans played , the list goes on...so we may live in a country of freedom. Is our Country perfect? Of course not. However, the history, the beautiful landscape , and richness of culture that each province offers is amazing and something to be grateful for.

I also find myself thinking of the many Canadian hero's that go unnoticed..those Canadian's who take time to help others, who travel to many parts of the world to build schools, wells, hospitals..who help in search and rescue efforts, clean up after tornados, tsunamis, hurricanes. Those hero's who are stationed overseas and continue to fight against evil people and protect people living in those countries. The everyday hero's who put on a uniform , whether it be a police, fire fighter, nurse, Dr, ambulance and are ready to risk their own lives to serve others. The volunteers who generously give of their time to coach kids, go to old age homes, hold a hand of someone in a hospital. The family and friends who help each other, their neighbours..

I am proud to be a Canadian and I am proud of the kind , and gentle hearts that are so willing to give of themselves to help this world.

Enjoy the spirit of this day...eh! xo

Is Hard Cover Losing It's Place On The Shelf?

OMG..I can't seem to pull the trigger and jump on the electronic reader band wagon. I have for the past year debated about buying an eletronic reader because I am simply running out of space to house my collection of books.

Not wanting to feel like an archaic dinosaur, I started to open my mind to the possiblity it might be time to bite the bullet and invest in a Kobo or a Kindle, IPAD..etc...join the land of the electronic gadgets. Good God ,you can drive yourself insane with all the choices. How do you know what to buy. Each person you ask , has their own personal preference. After much investigation I have to say I am swaying toward the Kobo, not sure why other than it seems simple, it has the look of a book and it gives the feel like you are turning the pages.

I am a reader and I love my books..I love taking 3 hours + and roaming Chapters and picking up the books , there is something about holding a book that gets my juices flowing. Its turning the pages, and flipping over one end of a page to hold your spot , its reading in the bathtub and you know its a good book when its underlined and the pages are krinkled. I grew up with books, loved to be in the library surrounded by books..promised myself I would read them all one day! Kind of geeky eh! lol

One of my dreams was to own a home that had one room dedicated to books..with wall to wall shelves of books ..as my Aunt use to say..a lady should always have a "me room" a place where she could go that had all her favorite things. Don't get me wrong this lady has a "me room" and it has books but not the wall to wall shelves..lol

Downloading a book in an instant, storing 300+ books in one spot and having them all at your fingertips and not sacrificing space..seems like a good trade off and is tempting.

Will I cave to the electronic junky pressure or remain an archaic dinasaur forever loyal to the feel of turning the pages ?