Two things...

(via: Tarot.com)

1. Shooting off my mouth is standard operating procedure for me. Sarcastic retorts generally leap out of my pie-hole without stopping to check with my brain first.

2. Today is one of those days in which I have bitten my tongue so many times it's bleeding!!

Thursday thirteen: 13 awesome plantables

I'm participating in Thurday thirteen!

Spring hasn't quite sprung here yet, but maybe if I wish really, really hard, the weather will warm up and the snow flurries will stop once and for all! In the meantime, I'll dream of flowers — which is what inspired this week's Thursday 13.

I've been noticing that all sorts of gifts, favors, cards and packaging now come with seeds embedded in them so they can be planted in the garden!

1. Puzzles



Family game night just got greener! Check out this new line of eco-friendly puzzles from TDC Games. This 500 piece puzzle is handmade and embedded with wildflower seeds, so once you've solved the puzzle you can actually plant it instead of tossing it in the back of the toy closet to collect dust.
(via: GoodyBlog)

2. Journals



Bring growth to your personal life and later to your garden with this beautiful journal made of plantable paper from Uncommon Goods. Fill the pages with your daily thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams. Once your journal is full, you can remove the cover, plant it in a garden and watch your own collection of wildflowers grow. A beautiful and symbolic gesture about personal growth and setting your heart free.

3. Christmas cards



Botanical Paperworks produces all sorts of lovely invitations and greeting cards printed on 100% post-consumer waste, seed-embedded plantable paper. Their Christmas cards grow spruce trees when planted!

4. Calendars



Botanical Paperworks also makes this fabulous calendar. When a month passes by, simply plant the seed-embedded page and wait for wildflowers to grow.

5. Confetti



Plantable Confetti is made from paper embedded with annual and perennial wildflower seeds, so wedding guests can plant some flowers with every loving handful they toss.

6. Business cards



Etsy seller GreetingsthatGrow has a shop filled with amazing handmade plantables! She handmakes and triple presses all her plantable paper and only uses recycled, post-consumer materials, which she embeds with seeds.

7. Skincare products boxes



Pangea Organics offers organic, plant-based lotions, soaps, and other skincare products, but what truly sets it apart from similar brands is their product boxes. They are all produced using a zero waste process with 100% recycled materials and are embedded with organic seeds like sweet basil and amaranth. The boxes are so organic that you can plant them in your backyard!

8. Pet memorials



Plant a heart-shaped memorial in the name of a beloved pet and it will grow forget-me-not flowers for years to come.

9. Postcards



These postcards are unique, with a "tuck in" handmade plantable postcard that can be removed to reveal a surprise message underneath. Choose from several seed varieties such as basil, chives, forget-me-nots, daisies, sage, chile peppers, lunaria, lavender, marigolds and California poppies.

10. Place cards



These decorative heart-shaped Please Be Seeded place cards double as a wedding favor and place card all in one! Each place card printed with blooming hearts also has a white seed paper heart attached at the top that guests can easily remove and plant.

11. Father's Day cards



What a unique way to say "Happy Father's Day"! This card from EverythingEco is made from 100% post-consumer paper and is embedded with North American wildflower seeds.

12. Bookmarks



Grow your mind with Lil' Bloomer bookmarks! Each plantable bookmark features die cut seed paper shapes that integrate with full color, die cut, printed bookmarks. Each bookmark is embedded with a diverse mix of annual and perennial wildflower seeds.

13. Lipstick cartons



PlantLove Botanical Lipstick comes in a tube made entirely out of corn — a renewable and abundant resource. The outer carton is made of flower paper embedded with real flower seeds. Simply moisten, plant, and wait for a bouquet of wild flowers to grow!


Wishing you all a lovely spring! - Andi

Doodle day

Sharpie & embroidery on vintage book page

Ten on Tuesday: 10 words people would use to describe me

10 words I think other people would use to describe me:

1. witty
2. methodical
3. logical
4. unserious
5. negative
6. pessimistic
7. cynical
8. sarcastic
9. passive-aggressive
10. self-deprecating

I wasn't convinced that my self-assessment was completely accurate, so I asked my friend G.

These are the 10 words she used to describe me:

1. methodical
2. practical
3. reserved
4. logical
5. funny
6. delightful
7. bitchy
8. brilliant
9. insecure
10. empathetic

I always feel better after talking to G!

p.s. It turns out I am also a complainer. According to this quiz I am "a major complainer. Complaining has become a habit for you, and it's time to do a No Complaining Fast and action plan." (My score was 32 out of 35!)

Wanted: Man who's good with his hands

My friend G stumbled on this hilarious ad on kijiji today!

CONSTRUCTION OR LABOUR EXPERIENCE? LOOKING FOR WORK?

Location: Victoria
Date Listed: 20-Apr-09

I am looking for a strong individual is experienced in construction and muscular to fix my cabin.
I live in a somewhat remote area for this I am offering free accommodations.

This position would be idea for a SINGLE male who is between the ages of 22-40, and doesn’t mind working on private property. You have experience in construction / handyman skills/ carpentry.

You will have access to all facilities on the property, and vehicle for building supplies.
This is a 2 bedroom cabin, 1 bathroom. 700sqft finished space. Large screen tv with satellite 250 channels, 5 movie channels, 8 adult movie channels.

My property is equipped for boating via the dock.

My cabin needs the following repairs. Dock and deck repaired, painted inside and out, new windows, floors, remodel kitchen and bathroom, finish the basement, landscaping, and other odd jobs that would come along with a remodel such as this. I would estimate it would take 1 person aprox 6 – 8 months to complete if not not longer.

If you are interested in this great opportunity please get back to me via email and we can discuss wages, living arrangements, ect.

This is for 1 person only. Sorry no couples. Serious inquires only please.
You must be 420 friendly, I'm a very free spirited person and I love nature and peace. When it gets hot in the summertime I tend to spend a lot of time outside tanning naked on my dock. So you must respect my lifestyle as much as I would respect yours. It could lead to longer stay after the work is completed if we get along and you are muscular and very well endowed!

WAGE: 17.50

LOCATION: horne lake vancouver island

YOU: MUST BE UNDER 40, MALE, MUSCULAR, AND VERY WELL ENDOWED. PLEASE HAVE A RECENT PHOTO OF YOURSELF AS WELL.

Check out the original ad!

April 28 update: The ad was taken down! Maybe the position was filled (so to speak).

Typical Monday

(image credit: PhotoGraham)

Dream it or do it

Are you a dreamer or a doer?

Nowhere is near Ordinary (and I think Ordinary's just outside of Tuktoyaktuk)

I saw this ad on the bus the other day.

Flashback Friday: warm thoughts

I'm participating in Flashback Friday!

One of my blogging heroes, Anne Glamore, started this Flashback Friday thing. She challenged participants to think outside their blogging boxes and I, for one, have reveled in my happy discoveries of long-forgotten mementoes and bitter-sweet walks down memory lane.

Sadly, I learned yesterday that Anne has decided to retire from blogging. Her wit and wisdom will be greatly missed.

***************

This is what it looked like outside my office window two days ago:



Snow — in April! Mind you, it's not completely unheard of here in Canada. :o)

But it is April. Please, Mother Nature, give us a break!!

Flashback to warmer days...


Child, August 1998 (4 months old)


Child, June 1999 (14 months old)


Child, June 2000 (2 years old)

Thursday thirteen: 13 of my favorite recipes

I'm participating in Thurday thirteen!

Husband, Child and I made a commitment to healthy eating this year and we've been doing remarkably well. I haven't had a single french fry since December!!

We've been trying out tons of new recipes. Here are a few that we've sampled recently, along with a couple of old favorites.

1. Easy beef and broccoli



We really like broccoli, so we recommend doubling the amount listed in the recipe.

2. Fiber-ific fried chicken strips

I got this recipe from one of my Hungry Girl cookbooks. Believe it or not, you coat the chicken strips with crushed-up Fiber One Cereal! They're crunchy and delicious and even fussy Child likes them. (As a matter of fact, we had these for dinner last night.)

If you haven't discovered Hungry Girl yet, check out her website. This girl knows how to eat healthy without feeling the least bit deprived!

3. Crazy-good cold sesame noodles



This is also a Hungry Girl recipe. We couldn't find the spaghetti-shaped tofu at our grocery store, so we just used angel hair pasta instead. And we used regular 1% milk instead of soymilk. It was still scrumptious!

4. BBQ chicken and rice skillet



We used boneless chicken breasts for this instead of thighs.

5. Crockpot sweet and sour pork

We love this dish. We always double it so we can freeze some to take in our lunches.

Ingredients
2 ¼ pounds lean pork tenderloin, cubed
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
½ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium
1/3 cup water
¼ cup cornstarch

Instructions
Place pork in 3 ½ quart (3.5 L) slow cooker.
Mix brown sugar and first amount of water in bowl.
Add vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over pork. Cover.
Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hour.
Tilt slow cooker and skim off any fat.
Stir second amount of water and cornstarch together in bowl.
Add to slow cooker. Cook on High for 15 to 20 minutes to thicken or pour into large saucepan to thicken on burner.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition information (per serving): 320 cal; 6 g fat; 0 g fib; 111 chol; 197 sod; 30 carb; 36 prot.

6. Barbecue chicken sandwiches

Quick and easy. The link isn't to the exact recipe we use, but it's pretty darn close — ours just doesn't call for jalapeños or potato chips. :o)



7. Sautéed cucumbers

Serves 4; prep time 10 minutes; total time 25 minutes

- Peel 1 medium-size English cucumber, and cut into large chunks.

- In a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add cucumber and ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook, tossing occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh dill or parsley.

39 calories; 3 grams fat; 0.6 grams protein; 3.1 grams carbohydrates per serving.

8. Ham & cheese breakfast mini quiches



These are delicious!

9. Curried chicken breasts

serves 4; prep time 10 minutes; total time 40 minutes

- Preheat oven to 375°. Put 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound) into an 8-inch square baking dish.

- In a small saucepan, combine 4 tablespoons butter, ½ cup honey, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon curry powder, and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture begins to bubble.

- Pour over chicken; bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

375 calories; 13.1 grams fat; 26.6 grams protein; 35.8 grams carbohydrates per serving.

10. Chicken and spinach risotto



11. Favorite turkey burger

serves 4; prep time 10 minutes; total time 35 minutes

- Heat grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine 1½ pounds ground turkey (preferably 92 to 93 percent lean) with ½ cup finely grated Gruyère cheese, 4 thinly sliced scallions, ¼ cup dried breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, and 1 minced garlic clove; season generously with salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties.

- Lightly oil grill. Place patties on hottest part of grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move the patties to cooler part of grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.

per serving (without buns): 290 calories; 9.7 grams fat; 37.6 grams protein; 7.1 grams carbohydrates.

12. Smarter fettuccine Alfredo



This stuff is awesome with grilled chicken breasts!

13. Penne parmesan pasta



We thought this needed more veggies, so we doubled the mushrooms, zucchini and tomato.

I mixed some cottage cheese in with mine when I ate it. Yum!

Pity me

Is your life boring?

Man, I even bore myself. I have GOT to figure a way out of this FUNK!

What a difference a day makes

My theme song yesterday:



Today's theme song:



I adore both songs, but as days go, I definitely liked today better than yesterday.

Doodle of the day

Sharpie & embroidery on vintage book page.

Thumbs up

What finger are you?

Darn! I was so sure I was the middle finger!

Flashback Friday: the letter R

I'm participating in Flashback Friday!

Flashback to August 1998...



The roses were his way of cheering me up ... of making me happy. But I wasn't happy.

He knew something was wrong, but he didn't realize how wrong. Neither of us did.

I felt like I wasn't a very good mother. I couldn't do anything right. I couldn't cope. What I needed was help, but I didn't recognize it at the time. Maybe I just didn't know how to ask for it. I'm not really sure.

Finally, years later, I did ask for help and I got it. And things got better ... I got better.

Now, thankfully, roses are just roses. And when he gives them to me, it's just because.

And that makes me happy.

Thursday thirteen: 13 things I loved about my wedding

I'm participating in Thurday thirteen!

1. Husband proposed on a Saturday and we got married 4 days later.

2. Our wedding day was the 9th anniversary of our first date.

3. We didn't have to do a lot of planning.

4. We eloped.

5. It was a secret.

6. We did have to tell a couple of friends when we realized we needed witnesses!

7. The ceremony was informal.

8. Husband wore jeans and I wore a blue dress.

9. It was inexpensive.

10. And beautiful.

11. We both cried.

12. And laughed.

13. I married my best friend.

Mystery solved

Child: It's a mystery why the Mona Lisa is smiling.

Me: Some people think maybe she was pregnant.

Child: I think she just let one go!

There was never any doubt

He does love me . . .
and flowers never lie, do they?
~ Colin C. Clements

(Loves me? Loves me not?
via: The Presurfer)

lolz!

Which internet meme are you?

What do you find slightly irritating about me? Is it my cuteness?

How egg-citing!

Do they really think kids will eat them just because they're stamped with characters' faces? I know I would, but would a kid??

My little runaway

(image credit: a.qui.la)

Me: You can't ever move out. I need you to read the tiny little instructions on pill bottles for me.

Child: Hmmm ... when you go blind I can run away easier!

Flashback Friday: guest post

I'm participating in Flashback Friday!

Flashback to November 2006 ...

Child's 11th birthday is this weekend! In honor of this momentous occasion, I present her memoirs, written in 2006 when she was 8.

My Life
by Child



When I was born my dad did not want to let go of me. My mom asked to hold her baby but my dad wouldn't let her at first. My mom and dad were expecting me closer to May.

When the person was trying to get me out I was too stubborn to come out, so they pulled me out with a salad tong thing called "forceps." When I got out I was maaad and slimy.

I had yellow skin when I came out. I had to be put in a thing called an incubator. I had sun glasses put on me. I was one baby who did not like the incubator.

At my Grammie and Grampie's house where me and my parents slept, my parents had a cat name Jade. Jade was a mixed breed. She is half tortoise shell and half calico. When I was a baby my parents wouldn't let Jade into my bedroom. Jade did not like me that much yet.

One day when I was still a baby, my dad was giving me a ride on his back and suddenly I fell. When Jade heard me crying, she ran to see what happened, and then she bit my dad because Jade was worried about me.

When I was two I met two friends, Carly and Katrina. When I was three I met three new friends, Meghan, Kyra and Cleo. When I was five I went to Ms. McLean's kindergarten class and in daycare I got to eat at the big kid's table.

When I was six I had to leave daycare and start full-time at elementary school. The only person I knew was Cleo. After awhile I got a new friend named Jasmine. Jasmine and Cleo were my friends for a whole year. In grade two I got more friends: Gina, Abbie, Ivan, Daniel, Wesley, Max, Sara, Aurora and Matthew. In grade three I met Gevan, Tien and Anna.

I love my school. I will soon have to go and leave this school because I'm now in grade three and it is almost the new year "2007." I will be very sad to leave this school even though the grade threes get cookies at the end of grade three assembly.


(Jade passed away in 2008. She was 20 years old.)

Thursday thirteen: 13 creative ways to decorate Easter eggs

I'm participating in Thurday thirteen!

1. Decorate them with dried flowers


[instructions]

2. Dye them with tissue paper


[instructions]

3. Paint them with chalkboard paint


[link]

4. Dye them with silk ties


[instructions]

5. Color the insides with tea


[instructions]

6. Make them from Rice Krispies treats


[instructions]

7. Cover them with fabric


[instructions]

8. Drill the shells


[link]

9. Sew your own


[instructions]

10. Dye them with onion skins


[instructions]

11. Decoupage them


[instructions]

12. Add flocking


[instructions]

13. Color them with crayons


[instructions]

Have a great Easter everyone!