New House, New Leaf

In anticipation of moving into a new place tomorrow, I dug up some old files that I had saved a while back on DIY cleaning solutions. So many of the cleaning products that we use every day - even some labeled "green" and "safe" - are harmful to our bodies and the environment. So for the upcoming year, I have resolved to use as much homemade cleaners as I can. Interested? Here's something to get you started:

Green Cleaning Recipes

All-Purpose Cleaner:
(Suggested uses: Hard surfaces like countertops and kitchen floors, windows, and mirrors)

2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 cups water
20–30 or more drops of essential oil (optional)

Tip: For tough jobs, microwave in a glass container until barely hot.


Creamy Soft Scrub:
(Suggested use: Bathroom shower)

2 cups baking soda
1/2 cup liquid castile soap (made from vegetable oil, not animal fat)
4 teaspoons vegetable glycerin (acts as a perservative)
5 drops antibacterial essential oil, such as lavender, tea tree, rosemary or any preferred scent (optional)


Furniture Polish:
(Suggested use: Wood such as piano)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
20–30 drops lemon essential oil

Shake well before using


Recipes from Women's Voices for the Earth, a non-profit environmental group.

http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/article/463944

Another One, Because I'm Cool Like That

You're trapped in a room for 3 days with your ex, what do you do?
Play a lot of board games?

You're stuck on an elevator with the person you've fallen the hardest for, what happens?
Hmm I'd rather not say ;)

The celebrity you love the most offers to marry you, as long as you don't talk to any of your current friends or family members anymore. Do you marry them?
Only after they apologize profusely for even suggesting something like that and do something fabulous to make it up to each and every single one of them.

Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?
Talk to them about it.

If you ever want live to see another day, you're forced to snort cocaine. Do you do it?
When faced with the choice between getting high once or death, I think most people would choose to get high.

If you woke up in one of the Saw movies, do you think you could survive?
Umm no. I don't think I'd even try.

When is the last time you were in a photobooth taking pictures with friend?
Ahh so long ago.

Who's the last person you had a sleepover with?
Mike?

Have you ever seen someone you knew and purposely avoided seeing them?
Sort of.

Do you know anyone with such a terribly annoying voice that you can't even stand it?
Not really.

On average, what do you think you cry about the most?
Frustration.

Do you have a friend of the opposite sex that you can tell everything to?
Yup.

Who was the last guy you talked to?
My dad.

Do you think best friends can be replaced?
Not really. You can have new best friends but a different person means different personalities, etc.

Does the last person you held hands with mean a lot?
Mhmm.

Does it matter to you if your boyfriend/girlfriend smokes?
Yes.

Do you think you have made a difference in anyone's life?
Sure. Everyone changes the lives of everybody that they meet.

Which of your friends is the easiest to talk to?
Depends on what it's about.

What's going on between you and the last person you kissed?
We're dating.

What friend do you tell the most?
Hard to say.

Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?
Pearl.

Wheres the weirdest place you've changed clothes?
Outside?

Are you going anywhere next summer?
No clue.

Are you waiting for anyone's call right now?
Nope.

Are you shy?
Oh yes.

Are you talkative?
Sometimes but see above.

Do you secretly like someone?
It's not really a secret :)

Do you announce when you have to pee?
Yes.

Who was the last person you cried in front of?
My dad.

Are you good at hiding your feelings?
Sometimes.

How is life going for you right now?
It's okay.

Do you trust people easily?
Unless they have done something to break my trust.

Do you give out second chances easily?
I think everyone deserves them.

Do you smile a lot?
I guess.

One thing you're looking forward to?
Moving on Thursday.

How do you feel about change?
Can be scary and exciting but most times it's for the best.

Have you ever cried from being so mad?
That's usually why I cry.

Last time you got a text message and smiled?
A couple of nights ago.

Have you ever made anyone laugh when they were crying?
Yes.

Are you happy?
Sure why not.

Would you kiss that person again?
That I last kissed? Of course.

Have you ever regretted letting someone go?
Yes.

Do you prefer to be around people, or by yourself?
Depends.

If you were abandoned in the wilderness, would you survive?
Not for very long.

First person to text today?
Haven't received any.

The person you're in love with moves across the world, what do you do?
Make them buy me a private jet.

Wishing For Bigger Feet

Has someone ever told you they would be with you forever?
Yes, my family :)

Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
Definitely closed.

What did you do last night?
Sat and watched an entire season of House >.<"

Best friend?
Don't really have one.

Do you know any mechanical stuff about cars?
Not really.

Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 months from now?
Hope so.

Have you ever cried while in the shower?
Yes.

Did you get a full 8 hours of sleep last night?
Sadly, no. Eight hours sleep is becoming a rarity.

What is bothering you right now?
Nothing.

What is your favorite color?
Too many.

Is there a high chance of you going to the movies soon?
Maybe if something good came out.

If you were given $100, would you spend it or save it?
Spend it. Is that even a question?

Are you listening to music right now?
Sort of... the downstairs is playing some music out on the balcony.

How's the weather today?
Cloudy and humid but not too bad.

Could things possibly get any better?
Sure why not?

What are you looking forward to the next couple months?
Moving to new place, new seasons of OC and Prison Break, back-to-school shopping, starting classes, etc.

What are you thinking about right now?
"Still kinda hungry."

What's the greatest thing that happened to you today?
So far? Going to the mall and finding a shirt and pair of earrings for a combined total of $5. Now that's a good sale.

How many TRUE friends do you have that you can tell anything to?
A few.

What's on your bedroom floor right now?
Nothing as of yet. Won't be moving in until Thursday.

Was your last kiss a mistake?
Definitely not.

Does your head hurt?
A little.

Has anyone ever broken your heart?
Not really in the romantic sense.

What was the first thing you thought this morning?
"What time is it?"

What are you going to do this weekend?
Get settled in!

Do you still talk to the first person you kissed?
No.

Are you Irish in any way?
Maybe way way back.

Italian?
See above.

Russian?
See above.

Where did you sleep last night?
Dad's couch.

Are you happy right now?
Sure why not?

Ever talked to someone that was drunk?
Mhmm.

What are you excited for?
This is getting to be pretty redundant.

How's your heart lately?
Still beating!

Where is the person you like at the moment?
At home, most likely still asleep.

Have you ever kissed someone whose name started with a C?
Nope.

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
Not yet.

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
At home, probably still in bed.

Who was the last person to send you a myspace message?
No clue.

Have you held hands with anyone today?
Nope.

Plans for tomorrow?
Start packing.

Ever go camping?
Oh yes.

How long did it take you to get over your last serious boyfriend/girlfriend?
Long enough.

How did you and your number 1 become friends?
Number 1?

How's your life lately?
It's okay.

What time is it?
2:28 p.m.

Do you think that you’re a good person?
I try but we all make mistakes.

Do you hate the last girl you were texting?
No?

When is the last time you took a nap?
Friday.

What was on your mind mostly today?
"Anything good on sale?"

Ever kissed anyone 18 or older?
Yup.

What are you listening to?
Turns out it's a car stereo that you can hear from 17 floors high... gross.

What was the last movie you watched?
The Dark Knight on imax.

Did you ever lose a best friend?
Yes.

Do you use smiley faces on the computer a lot?
Maybe too much :P

Has anyone disappointed you lately?
Kind of.

Who's the last person you talked to in person?
My dad/brother.

What was it about?
Eating/dishes.

Do you have a good relationship with your siblings?
We try.

Where's your phone?
In my purse.

Are you happy right now?
Sure why not.

What are you going to do after this?
Read the news.

Don't You Wish For More?

Did you dαte αnyone this summer?
Yes I did.

Who wαs the lαst friend in your house?
I guess that would be Zepp.

Is there someone you wαnt to fight?
Haha no.

Does αnyone like you?
I'd hope so. I wouldn't want to be hated by all...

Whαt αre you thinking right now?
That I need to make a phone call, brb.

Whαt’s your middle nαme?
I have none.

Whαt were you doing αn hour αgo?
Eating cold breakfast pizza: the best kind.

Whαt does your lαst messαge in your inbox sαy?
Don't remember exactly... something about moving Thursday.

Do you secretly like someone?
Well it's not really a secret ;)

Do you weαr the seαtbelt in the cαr?
Of course.

Do you hαve αny piercings?
Mhmm.

Whαt's something you reαlly wαnt right now, be honest?
Relief from these bug bites. And to win the lottery. Preferably both.

Do you like to text or cαll more?
Call. It's so much easier than trying to type out everything.

Whαt's the closest blue object to you?
Couch I'm sitting on.

Could you forgive your best friend for sleeping with your bf/gf?
I don't think I could forgive either for a long, long time.

Are you single?
Nope.

Sometimes, do you wish you were someone else?
Who hasn't wanted to be a superhero for a day?

Whαt is the weαther like todαy?
Looks pretty hot.

Worst job you hαve ever hαd?
From my vast work experience of two I haven't really had a job I hated or could pick one over the other. Well I guess I would pick Wal-mart if only because A Plus pays more.

Who did you lαst tαlk to on the phone for over 20 minutes?
Friend and Florine.

Where will you be in αn hour?
Out.

Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Not truthfully obviously haha.

Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos?
Not really. I may one day get a tattoo but I wouldn't know what to get.

Do you sleep on your side, stomach, or back
Back.

Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes?
Mhmm.

How do you feel about chocolate covered strawberries?
Love them. Especially when the chocolate is still warm and dripping. Oh so good.

Are you self-conscious?
Who isn't?

How do you vent anger?
Depending on the situation I will yell or turn a cold shoulder or pour my concentration on something physical like cooking, cleaning, or building.

How did your day start off?
Pretty good. Woke up several times from 5:30 on and got up around 9:30.

Does anyone hate you?
Not that I know of.

Can you handle the truth?
I don't want anything but.

Favorite fair food?
Cotton candy, snowcones, or outdoor sausages.

Have you ever liked somebody and never told them?
Yes.

Have you ever kissed anyone named Katie?
Nope.

What did you do Saturday?
Looked at student houses.

What would you do if someone told you that you were the most beautiful person in the world and they would do anything to wake up to your face each and every morning?
...I would kiss them.

Do you trust all of your friends?
Unless the had done something to break my trust.

Would you move to another state or country to be with the one you love?
I doubt it. That's a really big decision to make and it shouldn't be just based on one reason.

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
Yes.

Would you make a good parent?
I don't know.

Where was your default picture taken?
My desk back home.

Who do you love the most?
Family, friends, and boyfriend, although not in the same way.

Morning or night person?
It depends.

What makes you lose your appetite?
Bad food.

Do you get along with guys or girls better?
I guess guys.

How do you think you look right this moment?
Like I need to shower and get dressed.

Do people underestimate your intelligence?
Under or over haha.

Are you taller than 5'5''?
Not even close.

Would you rather have love or money?
Love although I wouldn't mind both.

Do you have a best friend that knows you inside and out?
Kind of.

Have you ever been punched by the opposite sex?
Not on purpose but yes.

Have you ever dated someone for longer than a year?
Almost!

Have you ever told someone you were single when you really weren’t?
No.

Last person you went to the movies with?
Mike and Jesse.

Have you ever been to a tanning bed?
No and don't plan on it.

Has anyone ever borrowed something from you and never returned it?
Mhmm.

Today did you hug a person you have feelings for?
Not yet.

Have you ever sat down to think about why you like the person you like?
Yes.

When people say "I don't ever talk about anyone" do you believe it?
No everybody does to some extent.

Who can you just hang out with and just talk about stuff?
Most friends.

What's something that happened in your past that you hate talking about?
I'd rather not talk about it.

Do you think a lot of people think bad things about you?
I hope not.

Do you think you're approachable?
Sometimes.

Do you regret doing anything this week?
I regret buying "miracle" cough drops that have warnings attached.

Name something you wouldn’t want to buy used?
Panties.

How late did you stay up last night?
Not sure - passed out reading.

Has someone of the opposite sex ever told you they loved you?
Yup.

Who did you last talk to for longer than 10 minutes on the phone?
I think it was Mike.

Suppose you see your crush/boyfriend kissing another person, what would you do?
Let's just say I would not ride the happy train.

Would you ever become a vegetarian?
I had wanted to at one point but I don't think I could keep up with it for long.

Do you like your school?
Yeah it's pretty nice.

What are you listening to?
My dad on the phone speaking words I don't understand.

Whats your favorite thing to have on your bed?
A nice blanket.

What were you doing last night at 1 AM?
Reading/asleep?

Do you like the last person you kissed?
Of course. I wouldn't kiss them if I didn't ;)

Do you still talk to the person you fell hardest for?
Still dating that person.

Listen Up

So on the way home tonight I was listening to some random country station on the radio and this upbeat catchy tune came up that I instantly fell in love with. So I made a mental note of what the song was called - "I Like It Like That" - and then tried to search for it. After much googling I finally found the radio station KX96 which it played on and learned a little more about this artist.

Born in Oshawa, Ontario, this young girl won the KX96 Superstar Search contest, with the prize of having a song recorded and played nationally on every radio station. Cool eh?

So here it is, complete with lyrics:

"I Like It Like That" - Michelle Boudrias

Sometimes I stray off the beaten path
Go full steam ahead when I should turn back
But I'll ride this train 'till it runs out of track
I have no regrets, 'cause I like it like that

Oh everyone's an expert on how I should live my life
But I'll wake up each day with a smile on my face
And I'll sleep satisfied
So how can it be that bad if I like it like that

He likes Dylan, I'll take The Stones
He'd move to the mountains, I'd head for the coast
We might not make a perfect match
But I'm finding out that I like it like that

Oh everyone's an expert on how I should live my life
But I'll wake up each day with a smile on my face
And I'll sleep satisfied
So how can it be that bad if I like it like that

I paint my sky a deeper blue
Believe in the day all my dreams come true
The good always wins, and love still lasts
I might be naive, but I like it like that

Don't need no reason other than the fact
That it's my life and I like it like that

I like it like that
I like it like that
I like it like that
I like it like that

"Making a Fist" by Naomi Shihab Nye

For the first time, on the road north of Tampico,

I felt the life sliding out of me,

a drum in the desert, harder and harder to hear.

I was seven, I lay in the car

watching palm trees swirl a sickening pattern past the glass.

My stomach was a melon split wide inside my skin.



"How do you know if you are going to die?"

I begged my mother.

We had been traveling for days.

With strange confidence she answered,

"When you can no longer make a fist."



Years later I smile to think of that journey,

the borders we must cross separately,

stamped with our unanswerable woes.

I who did not die, who am still living,

still lying in the backseat behind all my questions,

clenching and opening one small hand.

Check out this article on Yahoo.ca news today:

By Terri Theodore , The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER - A menagerie of nursing mothers, their babies, older children, some fathers, baby strollers and the media crammed clothing store H&M Thursday in a breastfeeding protest.

The women were angry over a store clerk's request to Manuela Valle last week to move to a change room while she nursed her two-month-old baby.

Veronica Polanska, one of the organizers of the so-called "nurse-in", said the protest wasn't about Valle or H&M specifically.

She said the women wanted to draw attention to the outrage they feel when any business suggests nursing in public is shameful and should be hidden.

"It's about every business, whether it's an airline or whether it's a restaurant, whether it's a pool ... it doesn't matter where it happens, it's not acceptable."

Astrid Lalonde didn't know Valle, but brought her six-week-old baby girl because she said society seems to have a poor perception of women who breastfeed in public, yet cleavage seems to be predominant.

"Breastfeeding is not a sexual thing," she said.

"But it is sad in our society where breasts are the one thing, or the one asset, that women can show to flaunt to get men. When I'm breastfeeding my child, I'm not trying to get a man."

Six years ago, when Yolonda Kozak was on a Vancouver bus, another woman reached over and disconnected her son as she was nursing him.

"I was such a new mother, I didn't have anything to say," she said.

Since then Kozak has been an advocate for public breastfeeding. "Now you can't stop me." Valle had planned to take her complaint to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.

In 2000, the B.C. Human Rights Commission issued a policy and procedure manual on the issue of breastfeeding and expressing milk in public.

"Entities that provide public services (or) facilities customarily available to the public also have a duty to accommodate lactating women," the policy states.

The policy even spells out that mothers are allowed to breastfeed or express milk on public benches found in shopping malls, museums, hospitals and restaurants.

H&M didn't return phones calls for a requested interview.

Elisabeth Sterken, the national director of the Infant Feeding Action Coalition, said her organization constantly gets complaints from women being harassed when they nurse their babies in public.

She tells the story of a woman who was ejected from a lingerie shop while trying to nurse and another woman at a public pool where an attendant called the police when she refused to go to the washroom to nurse her child.

"It's offensive to women that that attitude persists," Sterken said of the negative reaction to public breastfeeding.

While seeing plenty of cleavage is a fashion statement, Sterken said breastfeeding hasn't yet been embraced.

"We have also run amok with the whole sexualization of breast and the nurturing side of breasts is just not something that is very visible," Sterken said. "So there's still a lot of ignorance about the full capacity of breasts."

Sterken said most women in Canada - between 90 and 95 per cent - breastfeed their baby for some length of time after birth.

Marina Green, a lactation specialist at B.C.'s Women's and Children's Hospital, said for that reason, women nursing in public should be commonplace, but mothers still feel socially isolated.

Green said some women in the hospital's nursing groups who have no choice but to breastfeed in public "steel themselves" to take the unkind words or dirty looks from the public.

Both Green and Sterken agree that attitudes towards public breastfeeding are slowly shifting, but not fast enough.

Green said taking the issue to a human rights tribunal is probably one of the best ways to get the message across.

"The fact that it's news is remarkable in this day and age. We really have a long way to go in terms of shifting deep-seated attitudes."

Now I've never breastfed and am one of those that had felt kind of uncomfortable being in close proximity to a breastfeeding woman, but reading this article really got me thinking about this "controversial" issue.. There's nothing new about boobs and breastfeeding is a natural and normal thing. But when you think about how much focus is set upon one part of the human body, it seems pretty outrageous, doesn't it. As if a man or woman was defined by one physical aspect. Objectification is an ugly thing. So here's to breastfeeding, human rights, and every part of the human body. Because we are worth it - every inch of us - and we deserve the prerogative to let it shine.

Update:

H&M has apologized in a news release, saying that "it fully supports a woman's right to breastfeed and to ensure this can be done with dignity and respect in public...it will now redouble its efforts to ensure all employees are aware of the policy and that they are trained to anticipate the needs of breastfeeding mothers."

The same protest was made outside a La Senza in Winnepeg around the same time. Knowledge is power.

A woman holds a sign as her child nurses at an H & M clothing store in Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday August 7, 2008.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Mysteries Revealed

So every night on the drive home from work, there's always this certain stretch of road that is guaranteed to have a few branches on it. Actual tree branches, where it is advisable to swerve around them instead of running them over. And every night I drive by wondering what is going on with the trees in that area and why hasn't anyone done anything about it because it can be dangerous when it's busy. Anyways last night I was driving home, swerved around that cursed patch, and for some reason though the street was empty, I looked in my rear view mirror. And lo and behold, some little boy, maybe like 12 years old tops, was dragging this branch out in the middle of the road and left it there. What the frig! Who lets their kid out this late by themselves after midnight? And why does this child have such a weird hobby? Strange. But at least there is nothing wrong with the trees, except for the fact that every night, parts of them are being ripped off to lie in wait for some unexpecting car...



And ever wonder how chocolate is made? Well look no further, because as of yesterday (Thursday) morning, I am now a chocolatier apprentice. And man is it ever hard work. Four hours with no break and little rest the night before... not a good mix! But it was interesting work at least. Chocolate-making is a very exact science. To create the perfect chocolate bar, the chocolate itself must be heated and tempered to just the right temperature (between two Fahrenheit degrees), cooled for exactly the right time, and stored at just the right humidity. Not to mention you must work fast because it hardens quickly and you must be very careful of your workstation because chocolate hates water of any sort. But the chocolate there is delicious. It is organic fair trade and made with top-quality ingredients shipped from Europe. Contains nothing but cocoa butter (not the cheap powder), real cane sugar, and ground vanilla beans.

So how do you tell how good the chocolate is? By using three of your five senses:

1. Smell - Bring the chocolate under your nose. Can you smell the cocoa?
2. Touch - Break off a piece of chocolate. Does it break crisply?
3. Sight - Look at the chocolate itself. Is it smooth?

If you answered "yes" to all three, then the chocolate is nicely made. Look for chocolate specially marked "organic" because that's usually a sign of better quality and never miss out on the chocolate marked "fair trade". Because though you never really think about it, but chocolate is actually harvested and made in very harsh and deplorable conditions by people making next-to-nothing.

Just some food for thought.