friday forte: should i review?

treading the boards, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

spoiler: if you are here looking for a "year in review" post, this isn't it. please call back in late february

It's the year end, it's also friday, and thus it should be a friday forte post where I metaphorically (or whatever) lay myself bare while incorporating a look back at how far I've traveled on my journey of mid-life /late motherhood enlightenment.

Hell, no! It's bad enough trying to remember last week let alone all year, and, as I read recently, dwelling on misery in the past can depress the mood.

So I'll just focus on what's in my head currently (honest - I did have a very enjoyable christmas despite all the lead in). I might get around to reviewing the year once I make it into 2011 :)

So ... back to regular friday forte planning ... except that I actually feeling quite content and un-ranty. I'll try not to disappoint.

We (the usual suspects plus our visitor) went to the ballet yesterday afternoon. Ballet BC are hosting performances of The Nutcracker with Alberta Ballet and hundreds of (unpaid) local children. It was the first ballet performance attended by the Wee Guy, and the second by mr ebb.

Summary
the ballet - Klara and her prince danced their little hearts out, the other principals less so (apart from an extremely hot arabian trio), the ?unpaid children were cute as the mice and less cute but talented otherwise, the choreography was unchallenging, costumes to die for, and the VSO rocked out the Tchaikovsky score (so amazing to have a ballet with live music).
the Wee Guy - entranced thru out (binoculars = a Good Thing to pack in the bag, YouTube ballet vids = good prep)
mr ebb - no fidgeting despite not being a ballet fan
lil sis - did not implode as we raced up to the theatre, almost late

me
Well, two things occurred to me during the performance.
* Men in tights leave nothing to the imagination.
* Romantic ballet as a metaphor for real life.


what are you talking about

Yes, yes, yes I realise that a lot of what I burble on about is re: crafting a life* for myself, working out how to work in, around and in spite of the family, cultivating some independence, carving out a meaningful life amidst the domestic drudgery, etc. But ... doesn't every** woman wish, at some point in their life, for a handsome, charming and graceful prince to sweep into her life, take charge and gather her up in his arms (without taking over)? I know I can "do it all myself" but occasionally it would be nice to take a break, know that someone is watching my back for me, and is ready to catch me if I fall. Also that somebody is willing to lift me higher, to climb higher and bring things into reach.

A lot of what I have been 'featuring' in my friday forte posts can be distilled down to the pas de deux in a romantic ballet; support, love, willing companionship, grace, strength, passion, partnership, and to be swept off my feet more than once in a while.

I think that's as much of a review as you're going to get.
Happy New Year

* and btw, have you singed up for my friend Amber's Crafting Your Life (motherhood, redefined) workshop series, starting mid January (early bird registration ends tomorrow)?
**ok - there's bound to be at least one smart commenter who disagrees


get cracking

SPT December 30th

SPT December 30th, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

SPT = self portrait thursday, in which a bunch of Etsy sellers take pics of themselves

Back on track perhaps after the giddiness of the festive period?
The turkey's a distant memory.
Sadly, one guest is departed (and arrived home safely) though the other is here for another week or so. We have plans.
Gift wrapping is in the recycling bin, the thank you list was handwritten by the Wee guy this year.
I don't feel as though my space has been invaded as much as I normally do during the holidays (you'll be at home for how long? and when does school go back?).

Nope, although the lead in to xmas was, to put it mildly, crap I think that once it got going the whole shebang went smoothishly. I've been blessed with very easy house guests (please come back anytime) and immediate family who yield to my authority whenI get snippy. Catering was a breeze - I cooked everthing (yes, everything) on Christmas Day and it lasted until this lunchtime. Frances suffered the most - she was offered the same meal of turkey/salad/roasted veg/chutneys for the entirety of her stay and ate with good grace/humour (my sincere apologies for the repetitiveness of the fare - i hope the breakfasts/company made up for it).

And that, dear reader is christmas in a nutshell IMHO - mass catering over a number of days without me going near the kitchen. Call it planning, call it survival - it works for me (red pepper and goat cheese flan tomorrow).

Last SPT of the year - hmmm, not looking too bad!

another last chance to see ....

cross posting in a friendly manner from the other blog (still on a christmas break - stay tuned for tales of wine and snow)
another last chance to see ....: "

During December, artists of the Tri Cities artsconnect group have been exhibiting their work in the Port Moody library. With both 2D and 3D mixed media work it's great opportunity to see a cornucopia of different styles. My cuff link portfolio is on display in the entrance case along with two of my wire crochet purses (the third one sold pre-christmas yahoo) and some felted wire jewelry. Most of the works are for sale so this is a great opportunity to start some early christmas shopping (groan) or that post christmas reward for running a successful festive season!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

"

post christmas distractions from the never ending turkey

out-of-town visitors + west coast rain + heritage visitor attraction + swanky vintage camera app + small child to entertain + the unbridled joy of a scavenger hunt + carousel rides for all + unidentified shrivelled anatomical remnant = festive fun for the afternoon

Thanks guys!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

dragonflies

from the other blog (merry day after turkey re-fest)
dragonflies:

"

dragonflies, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

A new wire and fibre project - dragonfly brooches.
I'll be working on more of these little critters for an upcoming (very soon upcoming - mid January, eep!) gallery group show.

Not quite sure how these will be displayed but the first show (yes, there's a second .... and then? stay tuned for details) has plenty of 3D space whereas the second requires a more 2D on the wall approach.

PS: for fibrey, mixed media fans in and around the Tri Cities, BC Port Moody Arts Centre is showing Kirsten Chursinoff's Nesting pieces during January."

a very merry one to all

Phew! it is now completed. Family together. Visitor #1 safely arrived. Turkey cooked.
Merry christmas to you all :)

See and download the full gallery on posterous

friday forte: let the games commence

So, for all the festive season griping and whinging, dear reader - this is what christmas is all about; unflattering photographs of freshly arrived siblings.

It's just not good enough to post embarrassing self portraits at this time of year (you may not want to check my flickr for this week's semi-soft porn offering - note how I'm not linking!). Christmas is all about family, and mine has arrived (thanks for all the positive travel vibes - her plane arrived early).

Let the festivities commence!
Normal ranting is suspended until sometime in the new year.
xx

the downward spiral towards xmas

homesick tree, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

homesickness tree - nickel silver tree trunk with wire and fibre branches, rooted around a chunk of scottish seaglass

It's the time of year when the homesickness really kicks in. I'm not sure if this is similar for all expats who have family "left behind" but so many seasonal songs tell of being separated and overseas.

It's a time of year when tears fall easily, and memories seem both close and distant. It's a time of year when loneliness is amplified.



My little tree brooch was born out of the theme for a group exhibition I'm taking part in at Leigh Square in Port Coquitlam (opening late January). 2011 is the year of the forest and our group exhibition is about roots. I have some amazing pics of gnarly, twisted roots from the forests around me which was also one of my earliest impressions gained in my new natural surroundings. Guided forestry walks over our first summer in BC were where I first learned about nurse logs, the requirement of fallen trees to act as a nursery and nitrogen bank for new seedlings.



I rarely act on a creative idea immediately - it has to sit composting in my subconcious for a while, then I plan it out 3D in my head (I'm not that great at sketching out designs). So while the inspiration was taking root in my mind, my thoughts were also turning to the other meanings of the word, roots - to my own roots which are solidly based in Scotland and cannot be ignored.



Although I grew up in Scotland, I'm continuing the process in Canada. My home is now here but sometimes my heart and bedrock is back "home" across the water. I feel rooted thousands of kilometres away even though I'm reaching up for a British Columbian sky. Thus my little trees (there is a small forest of them now) have their own roots wrapped firmly round a chunk of scottish sea glass taken from the beach in the village where I grew up.



PS: travel plans for my sister who is traveling from Scotland to be with us this christmas might need a little divine intervention due to the inclement UK weather - please direct positive thoughts, best wishes, karmic snow dances, prayers, and the like to the travel window over Christmas Eve for her. thank you

Bidding Adieu Until Next Year

The Time Is Near

Well Christmas is just about upon us and winter solstice has come and gone. I now get to look forward to the days getting longer, but getting colder also.

Many of us will be with family and friends, while others will celebrate in the peace and quiet of their home with a close loved one. Some will be off to warmer places, celebrating on a sunny beach somewhere.

There are those that are still scurrying to find that last minute perfect gift to place under the tree.

Many will partake in baking, eating, going to parties, church or taking a sleigh ride. Me and mine will be snuggled by a warm cozy fire, playing Christmas carols and watching movies with a holiday theme, then later we will join our neighbors for huge Christmas feast.

So many memories flood to mind this time of year. Some I hold dear with joy in my heart, and others bring about sadness, but it all makes for the person I have become and the children I have raised.

The holidays are also a time when we get very busy, while the time frame between Christmas and New Years settles down and allows us to catch our breath.

So that is what we'll be doing the next couple of weeks, catching our breath and preparing for a prosperous 2011.

The Skin Care Guide will not publish again until after the new year, so I wish everyone a fond adieu until then.

Be well, have joy in our life, and out of a page of "The Night Before Christmas" ~ Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night~

From my family to yours ~ Seasons Greetings and Happy New Year!

it's the most miserable time of the year

full steam ahead for the jolly old festive merry-go-round

Christmas - fueled entirely by female blood, sweat and tears (now that artificial trees are widely available).

Picture the typical home Christmas scenario.

• Decorations - boughs of holly, swag, tree either groaning under tinsel and baubles or chic and modern sleekly themed, cards artfully arranged, front door wreath or similar, strange glass jar of lights on a string, outdoor lighting plus inflatable snowman/santa and his reindeer galloping over the roof
• Calories - turkey, stuffed; mincemeat tarts; candies and chocolates; liquer-sozzled pud; all the trimmings; iced fruit cake
• Gifts, plentiful under the tree, either neatly and festively wrapped or bound in some eco-concious disguise method, including gifts for teacher, classmates and so on ...
• Legal pharmacologicals - cigars, alcohol, paracetomol, chocolate, sleeping tablets .... all available
• Christmas stockings - one for each child or child substitute or whimsy, stuffed to the brim, overflowing and full of novelties
• Entertainments - visits to the ballet, christmas panto, carol singing, craft camps, visits to Santa and so on
• Cards and gifts to keep in touch with friends and family, presents for the family vet, mailman, handyman, garbage guys, school chums and so on

Now, I'm ready to concede the outdoor lighting heroics and I'm big enough to admit that the list above encompasses my idea of Christmas but they are all also what contitutes the festive season in the eyes of a child. As an adult you can tailor yuletide to your own whims right up to cancelling the whole shebang to hibernate under the duvet, but for children the whole magical event needs to be there on a plate in order to pick and choose in the future. Starting a childhood off with a bah humbug! christmas is sad IMO. Every single item (apart from the outdoor lighting and inflatable santa sleigh) is catered for by womanpower in my experience. Along with running the household, ovaries and a uterus now seem to qualify women to run christmas, to give the family the sit-down feast at minimal effort to themselves ... but at a cost. I've read blog posts and tweets (and even whinged a little myself) about being overwhelmed with the whole jolly playlist required. There's a huge pressure on mothers to deliver The Perfect Christmas - The handmade gifts, The eco-concious festive package, The coca-cola snowscene for the family .... all by themselves. I suspect that I'm not the only mum feeling more than a little burnt out and anticipating the season with anything other than dread.

After all this performance anxiety will you be hoping to sleep through christmas, or have you developed a strategic plan which retains some of the magic of christmas?

Happy Holidays from The Daily Connoisseur

Wishing you and your family a very merry holiday and a happy new year...

Thank you so much for your support, emails and comments on The Daily Connoisseur. With the birth of my baby girl, this past year has been the best of my life and I have been delighted to share it with you on this blog along with all of my memories from living in Paris, and my ongoing queries on how to live well.

I will be taking a two week break from blogging, with posts resuming on January 3rd.

Here is a sneak peek of what’s to come in the New Year on The Daily Connoisseur:

The Top 20 Things I Learned While Living in Paris continues starting with #5 (it’s getting good!)

My notes on a month long experiment with a 10 item wardrobe

Further observations on topics such as cultivating an air of mystery, skin care, le no makeup look , (not) snacking, clutter-free home and how to live well (to name a few)

My favorite beauty discoveries

More discussions on the French lifestyle, with observations pulled from films, books and my real life friends

Interviews from other Daily Connoisseurs

Book reviews

And much, much more...

And, as always, I love taking requests, so if there is a topic you would like me to address in my blog, please don’t hesitate to email me or leave me a comment.

I do hope you’ll stay with me in the new year and until then, I am wishing you and your family the absolute best for 2011.

Bisous,

Jennifer xx

Gatsby, quite in the holiday spirit, is pictured above.

last chance to see ...

Yes, it's another cross post from the other blog :)
I'll be in the gift shop this evening during the performances of The Match Girl at the Arts Centre. Why not drop by for hot chocolate, fun and cider?

last chance to see ...: "

Silent auction at Port Moody arts centre, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

silent auction at Port Moody arts centre

The silent auction fundraiser at the Arts Centre in Port Moody wraps up this Sunday at 3pm. I've had the usual buzz and nerves seeing my work exhibited and checking the bids book every few days to see if I'm popular (yes, both my snowflake brooch and the purse with chainmaille bracelet have bids against them, phew!).



Each year, arts centre members, instructors and artists from the gift shop can pick up either cradeled panels or a lump of clay to transform into a work of art which is then donated to the fundraiser. I suspect I'm not the only contributor casually flicking thru the bids book to make sure their pieces has a good home for the holidays. For the popular kids there are small bidding wars going on.

I've almost got a popular kid this year :)

"

friday forte: i will not

valentines roses from mr ebb


(early resolutions - file under "thinking aloud/allowed")

I will not be late.
(Well, you've missed that one already - it's Saturday, dudette!). No more passing up opportunities due to another's inertia. Carpe diem and all that jazz ...
note to self: you go girl!

I will not be that stereotypical naggy, bitchy, older wife.
I owe it to myself to be a person I can stay in love with, not the role life is trying to force me into. If you don't want to do something, it just won't get done - don't expect me to step in anymore.
note to self: reminding is nagging under another heading

I will not be a doormat, self-sacrifice is not on my agenda.
Yes, there is a lot of compromise involved in being a mother and a partner, but since when did compromise become the exclusive property of the female of the house? Anyway, over-compromise leads to naggy, bitchy behaviour (see above).
note to self: it doesn't mean you've stopped caring

I will not be sole domestic facilitator.
Just because I have a uterus and ovaries it doesn't mean that I am any more equipped to scrub toilets/clean floors/meal plan/parent ... I'm not refusing to do them, I'm just saying that I'm not solely responsible.
note to self: it takes two, baby!

I will not turn into a cougar.
.... though this season's leopard print has made its way into my wardrobe (in a subtle fashion, I hope). I might not be the lithe, svelte, youthful version of myself (!) but I don't intend to shrivel up and disappear. Neither do I plan on throwing myself at the lifeguards in the summer (gracefulness in all things). I've no intention of disappearing into dowdy old womanhood but appreciate my wrinkles displace me from 'first flush of youth'. In th absence of reassurance, I need to find myself desirable without seeking external support.
note to self: I'd totally go out on a date with you ;)

I will not be that mum on her smartphone, ignoring her kids.
(pet peeve) So I don't have a data plan on my new android - there is a limit to how connected I want to be in this wireless world. I also appreciate how very consuming I find the internet .... it's not very good for my "being present" parenting.
note to self: playing Angry Birds counts too

I will not be flabby.
Hence exercise program in the new year (Y2Play pass for Grouse and skate ski lessons on Cypress, woohoo!). Exercise has been one of the casualities of the craft fair season.
note to self: must insert it into daily life and make it a habit (you know you will feel better for it)

I will write exceptional.
OK Scott, Mr Unmarketing - you win somewhat. I cannot promise stellar 24/7 and I won't stop writing/blogging but I'll try kicking it up a notch. Am hoping the part time college course starting in January will kick butt into gear. Maybe I'll have to write less frequently, maybe I'll have to schedule a writing day ... it'll happen.  
note to self: if you want to write more about science then do it, and get that post in draft out pronto!

I will not be stressed.
I've just completed five back-to-back craft fairs, four gallery shows, three bricks and mortar shop inventories, two volunteer commitment projects (ongoing) and one college application (successful) on top of the normal run of domestic duties .... and my head didn't explode/the sky didn't fall in/ my inventory didn't run out/I still have all my own teeth. I did it! and I'm almost on track for christmas (with visitors). Next time you find me stressing over being overwhelmed give me a good poke please, and remind me I can do it all.
note to self: splash out on housecleaning next time

I will not forget about the llama farm
!

I will not be anything other than myself.
Please don't ask as refusal often offends :)
note to self: welcome back :)

Watch That Waistline This Holiday Season. My New Found Secret!

Oops...I did it again!

Every holiday season we all have the propensity to add weight to our bodies between Thanksgiving and New Years, with much of it going right to our midsection and the bootay! The delicious foods we all love to indulge in, especially the sweetness of the ultimate desserts are the real culprits for packing on the pounds, including the well meaning friends, neighbors and family that love to cook and bring us a sample....yes it is hard to say "no."

Alcohol consumption combined with these luscious temptations, are loaded with empty calories and do much to speed this process up. Before you know it, you can be an easy 10 pounds heavier in short order.

This year would have been no different for me except that before Thanksgiving, I began to log everything I put in my mouth and began a very different, fun exercise program, which ramped up my metabolism. Things had to change for me drastically as I tipped the scales at 160 this early November. To put this in perspective...I am small boned, 5 foot, 3 inches tall. The only thing I seem to be blessed with, is it spreads out pretty evenly on my body, however my tummy was getting a bit out of control. Menopause of course does nothing to improve my situation.

It wasn't until I began to register the food I was eating, did I suddenly learn, I was consuming more calories than I was burning by a wide margin. This was shocking to me since I also realized I ate mindlessly, forgetting most of what I would eat in a day. Plus the heaviness in my step was becoming apparent.

Hitting A Goal

My Christmas wish of Comfort and Joy didn't mean in the way of food. I wished to return to 125 realistically, but I am setting goals of 10 pounds at a time before I celebrate a marker in every phase of my new program. Well I am so pleased to say I have lost 11 pounds in the last month, my step is noticeably lighter, I feel more powerful, tummy is flattening out and I am now at 149 pounds. The size 10's are loose and I fit back into my size 8's with a bit of a snug fit. I also noticed it was already easier to walk since I feel lighter on my feet.....even an 11 pound loss was making a huge difference on my small frame.

Even if I don't always make a wise choice in my food selections, I am at the very least monitoring it and entering it into my log and it goes toward my calorie deficit. After all it is about calories in, calories out....so I can choose to eat a lot of quality high volume foods and be sated, or a lot of junk, but I'll be hungry and the nutrients are crap.

New Found Regimen

I wanted to share with anyone who may be struggling with their weight like I am, my new found secret, especially if they are in the next phase of their life, or are approaching it. A great program which has been incredibly easy to stick with and seems to be working the best, is also far removed from every gimmick I have tried.

Nothing fancy, no guru packets, no infomercial hype, just sound research and science of making it work as long as you have the fortitude and discipline to carry it out until you reach your goals. But what I am now doing, makes this goal pretty easy to achieve, even for me. And trust me due to my business, I lead a very sedentary lifestyle with a lot of desk jockeying.

First Step

Most of us have an iPod, iPhone or one of the new Droid phones, or maybe even a Blackberry, and these are instrumental in keeping tabs on what you eat, when you eat it.

My Fitness Pal offers the perfect blend of food monitoring, exercise, support forums, and a huge library of foods to pull from giving you an instant calorie profile of each and every food on the globe. They offer an App for the phone and anytime you enter a food, it is synced with the website where your account is stored. So you can add your foods directly online when you get home if you don't have internet access to your phone. Otherwise, as soon as the meal is finished, you add it immediately. This makes for no mistakes and avoids forgetting what you had for lunch or a snack. If you don't have internet access to your phone, then at least write it down so you can add it once you are home.

If you are not sure of what is in what you are eating at a restaurant for instance, then it is all about portion control and some fancy guesswork of keeping the meal light and checking it out on My Fitness Pal to find a close comparison. Or if you are following a recipe with all the nutritional breakdown, you can build your own food profile under "my foods." This program is completely customizable for your needs.

You just place all your pertinent information as to your activity level currently, height, weight, and goals and it will give you a predetermined calorie intake each day. Mine is 1200, but if I exercise it buys me more calories I may wish to consume. However, I stick with the 1200 since I want more rapid weight loss and the exercise gives me a larger calorie deficit....but if I should cheat a bit, I'm still okay because I stayed below my calorie intake due to exercise.

2nd Step

Changed my exercise routine and it works beautifully, and causes no residual effects to my once injured shoulder I recently recovered from last Spring. The additions I chose to my getting back to a healthier weight, and I truly enjoy working out with them, are the following:

Zumba Fitness ~ this program gives you so many workouts and variable dance routines, you are never bored. I love to dance, especially the Salsa. Full of energized routines and burns from 500 to 1000 calories an hour depending on the effort you put into the routine. I always am a bit more conservative and tend to stick with the low end for accuracy, if it is more, then this is a bonus for my body.

Jackie Warner Workouts ~ Her stuff is great and has had nothing but fantastic reviews if you check her out on Amazon. I purchased two of her workouts from Barnes and Noble since they had the very best prices, and I am truly loving them. Fun, fast and easy to do. Xtreme Timesaver Workout and Power Circuit Training.

Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones ~ A bit of a slower paced workout, but the routines are great and also has great reviews through Amazon. People seem to prefer this workout over her others, since she uses high reps and low weight throughout. I know I love it, again because it is easy to do for the most part.

You can also find these at Target Stores.

My Tip: I also am a person that really doesn't enjoy the workout compressed into a single session. It is difficult for me to set aside even the 30 minutes required to do most of these routines, so this is what would sabotage my efforts for keeping fit.

In doing more research, I since learned that it was shown in university studies, women lost 30% more body fat when they did 3 to 4 - 10 minute routines spread out throughout the day, than those who exercised in one longer session daily. A blip from Prevention Magazine tells a great story for women entering the new stage of life. Great Read! And this is how I exercise. I pull 10 minutes from a chapter on each DVD and go for it, full tilt with major intensity. I am breathing hard, breaking a sweat, yet feel rejuvenated and the best part is, it won't leave me exhausted or fatigued like with a full on workout where my intensity wanes half way through it. This is also helpful for women who may have a lot of weight to lose.

So it stands to reason the results would be better, since your metabolism gets a boost at intervals during the day even if you are primarily sedentary. A single workout session, however, is over, and it has been shown in further studies, you only continue to burn calories for a period of 1 hour following your workout.

Even at work, you can squeeze in a mini workout! During your lunch or break, take a brisk walk or do some jumping jacks, squats, hit the stairs or jog in place...mix it up for just 10 minutes. You'll be amazed a the level of intensity you can reach in such a short time and you continue to burn calories for an additional hour following....how great is that?

Also what I enjoy doing once again and haven't done since my 30's, is hiking in the foothills with my hubby. A huge calorie burn during this form of exercise, as much as 800 calories in an hour. Plus it gets me out of my office, into the fresh air, pretty scenery and best part is, a glimpse of wildlife. On our last hike, we ran into a large number of Mule Deer, mainly doe's with last Springs fawns. If you can make exercise fun, you'll stick with it easier and it isn't always about formal exercise....any exercise will go far for making it interesting and for losing weight.

3rd Step

After a while I get tired of meals geared toward weight loss and most of them are B-O-R-I-N-G, tasteless and sometimes even weird, or the ingredients are expensive to maintain on a regular basis.

So I recently found and purchased Better Homes and Gardens "Eat Well, Lose Weight" at Barnes and Noble. Real food, real lives, and easy to make.

Over 500 recipes available so you never get bored and to date, I have cooked over 30 of them, and never a disappointment. All delish, relatively easy to prepare and the majority of the foods are high volume for never feeling hungry.

Serving Size and Nutritional panel are in Bright Yellow on every recipe page for quick guide referencing, making this an invaluable tool, no more guesswork. Best part, like I mentioned under My Fitness Pal, you can create your own food list under "my foods" and store your recipes there along with quick page reference for finding the recipe quickly.

It is a hardbound ring binder for laying flat, and is offered at a fantastic price online compared to in-store price. They also offer it in a soft cover now with the spiral style notebook so you can lay it flat for hands free easy access to your favorite recipe. But I find with these types of cookbooks, the pages tend to tear easily. The Hardbound cover in my opinion is better and at the great price at barnes and noble online store, it is only a few dollars more.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Breakfast
Breads
Sandwiches and Wraps
Salads
Soups
Beef, Veal and Lamb
Pork
Chicken and Turkey
Fish and Seafood
Meatless
Sides
Snacks
Desserts
Shortcut Meals
Restaurant Meals
Holiday
Index and Metric

4th Step

As much as I hate these things, I also soon learned that without tracking my progress, I could lose incentive to keep moving forward. Also if I am backsliding, I can catch it early and reverse the trend more quickly by ramping up my workout or double checking my food intake. And, I must admit, since I have purchased one, it has kept me excited as I see the pounds melt away, yet when I saw a reversal in the weight loss, I reacted immediately by creating something different in my routine to get things moving in the right direction again......

YES it is the SCALE...the purveyor of truth and torment of showing our weaknesses as they come through in the shape of excess baggage to our hips and thighs. But I now realize it is an invaluable tool to complete my ensemble of winning the fat loss game....which I am currently doing.

The old adage of "go by how your clothes feel on", doesn't work for this gal. By the time my clothes might begin to feel uncomfortable, I would have already gained 15 to 20 pounds and fat seems to store more quickly on me these days.

I advise buying a digital scale, one that also measures your fat content, muscle mass, water, etc. These are also great markers to see fat exchange with muscle.

Well that's it folks and I hope that you too will find your winning combination, but for me, this has been working out dandy. The holidays no longer scare me and I have been enjoying some of the best meals. I have simply learned how to budget them in without blowing my calorie intake for the day, since I know precisely now with the use of accurate tools to keep me from making the same mistakes which have lead me to significant weight gain over the years.

Avoid the guesswork and go for it...you have nothing to lose but pounds and fat and gain a whole new lease on life, not to mention a new reduced pant size. Woot!

speechless wednesday: wicked witch

repair despair, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Frequently, the things your child says can render you, the parent, speechless. Last night, the Wee Guy dropped one of these observations and backlit a corner of his 7y old mind for me.

"I don't like it when mummy gets annoyed with daddy."
"Does it upset you?"
"Yes."
"Does it upset you when daddy gets annoyed with mummy?"
"Oh daddy doesn't get annoyed with mummy."
"OK."
/back to normal programming

No, it's only mummy that's the nagging, whiney, complaining bitch round here, spoiling everyone's fun and darkening life around the house.

I have no intention of enlightening him about why daddy does indeed annoy mummy, nor will I try to tell him my side of the story as I don't think a child should ever be used as a confidant in the struggles between parents. But somehow I will try to show him that the cruelty of withholding discussion, avoiding conflict, absence of criticism, and rabid head-in-the-sand-edness is just as unkind as turning up the volume and equally as detrimental. In fact, one leads to the other. Ignoring a problem does not make it go away, and pretending it doesn't exist won't make it disappear. In any kind of partnership, both parties have work to do and it's seldom down to just one.

I have no idea how to even start with this as I'm still in the "it's really not fair" stage today. Ever since he was born, I've been trying to model constructive adult problem-solving relationship stuff for him so he knows that though life is not always a bed of roses, there are ways of dealing well with it. I guess I've failed. Living with a habitual conflict avoider (his parents apparently never argued) places me firmly in the role of Queen Bitch cos I'm the only one who brings up The Issues. Sadly, his anything-for-a-quiet-life attitude turns up my volume until I learn to self-mute, leaving The Issue unresolved, and no it doesn't go away. In over 19 years it never has

So, that age-old parenting chestnut - how do I make sure my Wee Guy doesn't end up like his mum or his dad? How do I make sure he is open to dialogue with a future partner? How do I impress on him that there doesn't have to be a gender stereotypical nagging, whining partner alongside the strong silent type? Is there such a thing as constructive problem solving and relationship maintenance when there is such a huge personality clash? Or should I just take a deep breath, hang up my individuality, and take one on the chin for motherhood, stepping back into my role of household concierge/PA for all things domestic?
:(

Out and about

Now that craft fair season is over I've had the chance to get out and about to catch up with my work in some of the local galleries. Last Wednesday, the Wee Guy and I drove thru torrential rain and rush hour traffic to spend a few moments (quite literally) with my wire and fibre floral brooches at the Maple Ridge Art Gallery where they are part of the group show, Ensemble.
The show features groupings of works by a number of artists, focusing on the artist's own thematic in assembling his or her mini collection. Although at first glance a varied assortment of works, closer inspection shows how powerful curator Barb Duncan's vision of having assemblages from a larger number of artists can be.
Well worth a visit!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

The Top 20 Things I Learned While Living in Paris- #6 The Art of Skin Care

French women are not only known for taking great care of their skin, but also for being comfortable in their skin (or bien dans sa peau).

Skin care is the most important aspect of French beauty. Good skin is like a status symbol and thanks to the copious options available in France (be it facials, specialty creams or massages) most anyone can achieve it. Good skin is not only a luxury in Paris but a necessity. Madame Chic had it. So did Madame Bohemienne. But French skincare goes way beyond a pot of expensive face cream. French women drink lots of water (a tall glass in the morning and one right before bed, plus several throughout the day), take brisk walks every day (good for circulation), try not to stress out too much (it’s hard to be passionate and stressed at the same time… the French much prefer to be passionate), and they don’t wear too much pore clogging makeup (see le no makeup look) Also, a healthy love life doesn’t hurt either!

After having my baby my skin went through a few unfortunate transitions- and I can personally attest that having bad skin is one of the worst blows to self confidence a person can have. I can definitely see why a French woman views good skin as her best accessory. I’ve had to rethink my skincare routine and change a few things but I have finally gotten my skin back on track. Much like when I have indulged in too many fattening foods, I adjust my exercise regime, I did the same with my skincare routine. I was dealing primarily with breakouts (so unfortunate)- so I booked a facial as soon as I could. At home, I followed up by doing my normally once weekly mask 2 or 3 times a week (I use Epicuren’s Volcanic Clay Mask- LOVE), made sure I exfoliated and moisturized well and even changed my daytime face cream (Philosophy Hope in a Jar Oil Free SPF 30- I switched to ‘oil-free’ to accommodate my situation). And I booked a few reflexology massages to deal with my stress. It took some time but my skin is finally back on track… and with it, my confidence.

Some very French things to remember when it comes to your skin:

Consult professionals regularly: dermatologists, and estheticians (for facials or any other treatments you might get). It is worth the expense, your skin will look beautiful for much longer. It is also quite handy to have a professional recommendation for the types of products your skin needs. You will save money in the long run by not experimenting with products that aren't right for your skin.

Never underestimate the power of massage. Regular massage works wonders for the skin. It gets the toxins out and helps to keep stress levels down-vital for radiant skin.

Drink lots of water. If you enjoy several different beverages throughout the day, such as coffee, tea, diet coke and cocktails (for example), try trading two or more of those for water. I try to mainly drink water and only give myself one or two non-water drinks a day- an afternoon coffee, for example, might be the only thing I have other than water all day. (If you find yourself hankering for something hot and non-caffinated, a hot water with lemon can be quite nice...)

Invest in the best products you can afford. The French spend about $2.2 billion a year on skin care. Here they do not skimp- they will buy the best creams, serums and cleansers they can afford. And while I tend to agree that you get what you pay for with regards to skincare products, you can also find affordable drugstore alternatives as well.

Don't forget eye cream. It is never too soon to start using it...

And while this tip isn’t particularly French… Acquaint yourself with the Clarisonic. My favorite skincare tool… ever. It is amazing, and yes, worth the investment.

Don’t forget your spf!

And most importantly… smile, emote, and really live (passionately) in your skin. Be comfortable and confident with who you are. Ignore the haters (if you have any- most people do). And just take comfort in being yourself. Nothing could be more attractive.

Won’t you stay tuned for #5?

The above picture is of a group of students in the Jardin du Luxembourg on the first hot Spring day in Paris. Normally accustomed to year round warm California weather, these students stopped everything they were doing and immediately went to sunbathe with the rest of the Parisians amongst the flora and fauna... Can you spot me?