Healthy and Happy Hallowe'en?

Hello!

Well, Hallowe'en is just tomorrow, and I wanted to write an article about having lots of fun while still staying healthy.

When I was a kid, I used to look forward to going out into the neighbourhood at night (I didn't even dress up in costumes) to gather up chocolate bars and bags of chips.  Little did I know how horrible it was for my health.

Well, my 5 year old daughter is looking forward to going out tomorrow evening with a couple of her friends.  It's great we'll be going out with another health conscious family.  So, why are we letting our kids go out in the first place?

Well, I actually thought that my daughter had agreed to just stay home and eat the nice home-made dark chocolate and fruit instead of going out... but a few days later, she was almost in tears saying how much she wanted to dress up and go Trick-or-Treating.

dark chocolate coated on fruit

It's inevitable that my kids (since I choose to send her to public school) will socialise with the other children.  And since, the majority of our society here do watch TV with commercials, they are bound to be influenced by the marketing.  They are all influenced by the packages placed right at their eye level at the grovery store.  So, like most special days, the companies leverage on Hallowe'en for selling lots of junk food!

I understand sweets are just naturally really addictive and captivating to children.  In addition to that, dressing up is also fun.  So, the deal this year is to allow her to go out.  and when she comes home, she can choose 5-10 items to eat.  She will be allowed one a day until they are finished.

Being healthy is also being able to enjoy oneself with friends.  For now, we'll make some allowances as long as we generally (80 percent or more) eat well, exercise and take care of ourselves.

What are you doing with your kids this Hallowe'en?  Do you end up "helping: them eat their "treats"?

Enjoy!

Treat Yourself

When was the last time you treated yourself to a calm and peaceful day touring in neighbouring townships to discover the beauty and tranquility your world offers you?

Today, my husband and I took the day to go explore for a few magical hours while the kids were taken care of. What a rare opportunity.

We discovered charming new places with history and local fanfare.

We took a late lunch in Uxbridge, Ontario. We were quite charmed by the little town's signs promoting "stay calm". And I think they got the message across because we felt quite relaxed and calm.

We saw a gluten free bakery on Brock St. But decided we didn't want bake foods. Since we were actually out of our home, we wanted to be able to sit down and eat something that we can't at home because the kids and our son's special diet.

On the way back to the car, my husband pointed across the street at a blue corner restaurant, "oh, ristorante Frankie's". Without any doubt or hesitation, we walked into an artsy, laid back, fancy restaurant with a nice gentleman wearing a blackshirt and purple tie.

Little do we know it, this restaurant was completely gluten and wheat-free! Every single item was safe for anyone on a gluten-free diet!

We later found out hat the gluten free bakery that we had passed was also owned by them! 

We had the most relaxing meal time and enjoyed tasty, healthful, sensuously crafted pasta, bruschetta, hummus, tzatiki and tapenade dips dishes with delicious gluten-free bread. As a bonus, the prices were very comparable to regular restaurant food.

It was such a gem! it was a beautiful, relaxing ambiance with superb service and local food. 

What a treat! My husband commented "now this is living!" The music, the fans, the decor, the comfy seats were all part of the luscious enjoyment.

I confidently recommend this restaurant for anyone wanting a relaxing, positive dining experience. Although the pasta and breads were gluten-free, they certainly were NOT free of flavour and sensual appeal. 

So if you are ever in Uxbridge, I suggest treating yourself to Frankie's Ristorante on Brock Street across from Teddy's organic shop.

Enjoy!

Kim =)

www.kim-sit.com

Did you know about factory farming?

As many of you know, I have been studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition® (IIN) to become a Health Coach. This week's module topic is about the neatly packages of meat, eggs and dairy appearing in our grocery stores.

The Truth about supermarket Meat

After an incredible lecture by a fourth generation cattle rancher Howard Lyman (former rancher and now vegan), I watched a video put together by PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). It was a very revealing and disturbing video, to say the least, about how the meat, eggs and dairy are produced to end up at our grocery stores.

This module has been so important that I just had to make the time to write this post.

The lecture by Lyman was moving and hopeful.  He spoke of going on the Oprah Show to tell the truth about what was going on behind hamburgers.  He opened up to Oprah and revealed to a national audience that cows were being ground up and fed to cows.  Oprah said she would never eat another hamburger on national TV.

Oprah and Lyman got sued, but the case eventually got thrown out:  Lyman had told the truth.  The truth was able to protect them in a court of law then, but today, a law has been passed to prohibit anyone from making a statement that would cause a down turn of profit, even if the statement is true.  So I imagine that no one has gone on TV to talk about this since then.

Horrifying Video Footage

The videos I saw after the lecture were utter nightmares.  It was called "Meet Your Meat" for those of you who will want to watch it.  It is gruesome and horrific, but necessary for people to see beyond the nicely packaged trays of "clean" cut meat in the supermarket.

My 5 year old daughter actually walked into the room and saw a bit of the videos, luckily she got called into the kitchen to eat and didn't see the rest.  But from what she saw and heard, she surely remembered.  She remembered that the chickens are debeaked, and some of their bones broken while being grown for our consumption.

In summary, these are the things I witnessed in the video:

- over crowded barns for chickens,
- mutilated chickens with their beaks literally clipped off without pain-killers,
- pigs literally thrown into trucks one on top of the other,
- baby pigs held by the hind legs and slammed constantly on the floor to be killed,
- cows refusing to be killed, but hung from one leg then cut in the throat (I am feeling sick recalling what I saw)
- calves taken away from their mother shortly after birth
- calves constantly branded without pain-killers (I can still hear their loud voices of torturous suffering)

I'll stop the list there.

What is the problem? 

 It seems to me that consumers (people like you and me) demand cheap meat... a lot of it.  They also demand dairy and eggs.  So, there is a factory production of animal protein from tortured, sick, suffering animals to meet those demands.

Imagine if the public knew about this.  Frankly, I ate a lot of meat growing up.  I've had my share of chicken wings in the past.  If I had known about how my meat reached my plate, I would think twice about eating it.  Of course, I also grew up with elders telling me that any thing that has its back toward the heavens is for us to eat.  It's not my belief, but I can see how one can justify it.

My Personal Vegetarian Story

I became vegetarian for the first time when I was 18, then off and on until I was 21.  Then from 21 to 24, I was an egg, cheese and butter consuming vegetarian (or lacto-ovo).  Since then I have eaten meat and animals products infused with periods of vegan and raw vegan diet.  For many years, I would not be totally firm on my stance of what my moral reason was for eating the way I did, but after this module, I am consciously making the decision to NOT knowingly consume factory farmed animal or animal products.

What does this mean?  Well, for the large part, it doesn't really change my current diet as I eat mostly grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and vegetables.  However, this does mean when going out or for special occasions I would be rethinking my options.

For example, a new bakery opened up here in my town last week.  It was so exciting to smell the baked goods as well as look at them with a watering mouth.  I discovered that they had my most favourite pastry in the world!  I don't even know what it is called in English.  It's an egg dough deep fried and then rolled in sugar.  Well, now I would not get one because I believe the eggs and butter used to make the pastries are from factory farmed animals.  Of course, there is a chance it may be different here in Canada, but I don't know yet, so I'm holding off on the pastries.

What CAN we do?

- become vegan
- consume less animal products
- purchase pasture-raised animals and products from small local farms (like Healthy Meats in Whitby, ON)
- raise your own animals
- eat what you hunt
- tell others about this, and brainstorm solutions
- tell the grocery store managers what you want, and boycott what you don't support
- visit Howard Lyman's website:  www.madcowboy.com
- get educated; watch http://www.takepart.com/foodinc

Thank you for reading.  I hope that this has provoked some thought about where your meat comes from.     By becoming aware of how our daily actions affect the world, we can better make choices that support the peaceful, healthy planet we want our children to live in.

Peace be with you,

Starting Homeschool

Today was the last day before Match Break starts tomorrow. Just a week ago I was trying to figure out how to survive the ten day holiday with all three kids... Now I am also working on planning homeschooling starting after the 'break.'

We sent Remy to public school last October because it seemed that he was just running around the house eating, breaking things, etc. I thought it was the coolest and most wonderful thing that he got into a structured learning classroom.

Remy quite seemed I enjoy the bus. It's sometimes really difficult to get Remy to get off the snow as he jumps his whole body onto the white ground.
Well, when I just mention that the bus is coming, he would get up and wander to the edge of our driveway waiting for the small yellow-orange school bus.

Today was his last day on the bus. I trust that he knows it.

I had a consult today with our family coach, and I am feeling good for trying to homeschool Remy again. The top concern about homeschooling was about burning out and making sure to give myself time for self-care.

One very important thing to get right away is finding a reliable helper to dedicate two hours a day to give me respite.

I believe that we will find the right person or persons. This time I feel confident that our program will be sustainable and effective.

Let me know if you or someone you know is interested in volunteering Monday to Friday between 9 - 5. I can be more specific with the hours when you get in touch.

Thank you!
Blissful blessings,

Kim

Burning out... must rest and recharge

You hear your alarm in the morning while the baby is still sucking on your breast.  You get up to turn it off.  You return to your baby to feed.  It's a PA Day so you don't have the pressure of getting up before 6 AM to get the kids ready for school.

Your throat seems more congested than yesterday.  Your head is little foggy.  Your eyes definitely want to stay shut and your body yearns for rest.

It starts with the balloon hitting the ceiling.  You hear the thumps in your son's room.  Soon he is up and about like lightning as loud as thunder.  You somehow get up and bring the baby into your daughter's room where she is still lying in bed groggy.  You lay the baby beside her.  She is happy and cheerful to play with him, so you can go see what needs your attention.

You dress him after cleaning him with a cloth.  The dishes and mess from the previous night are still there, even dirtier than yesterday when you were to wiped out to clean up.

He's already gotten a hold of the apple sauce and he is in the drawer looking for a spoon.

Sigh and smile.

He thrashes his body in displeasure.  He wants the apple sauce.  It's 7:30 AM.  You give it to him.

You go quickly take care of your bodily needs in the washroom.

The apple sauce is done.  The jar is basically empty, and he is going around like a whirlwind looking for food, hoisting himself up with his hands and bending at the abdomen like some gymnastic athlete on his dresser, the bathroom counter, window sills and the baby gate that is keep him from going back into the basement where he had urinated several times on your mom's bed and had broken the couch while a babysitter was watching him a couple weeks ago.

The kids are calling for your attention, "Mom!  the baby needs you!"  You go tend to them.  You ask your daughter where your big son is.  "He's eating something in the bathroom!"  You run there.  He's got his dad's Goldbond on him.  You usher him into the shower then you start picking up the wet clothes either from urine, toilet water, food - whatever.

You need to drink some water.  It's only day 2 of this 5 day weekend.

...

The baby whines, the daughter says "I'm hungry!" and your 6 year old is just circuiting nonstop.  You're getting dizzy.

You somehow went to use the toilet, and during that time he's gotten into his dad's sleeping quarters and has got some really strong smelling lotion all smeared over his hands.  He is expecting another shower, but you just wash them in the sink.

It's 10 AM now, and you decide that you MUST get out of the house!

It's now 10:35 AM.  You have redressed your son three times after he either smeared food all over himself (he eats/swallows food like there is a famine).  The air is full of noise.  Your mind is full of thoughts of criticism.  Your smile is a frown probably.  You remind yourself of thoughts like "how may I serve you?" or "I am responsible - what am I doing to do?"  But the truth is, you're burning out of fuel.

11:02 AM:  You're outside with all three kids!  Congratulations.  You start walking down your driveway and realise that all the sidewalk surface is ice.  No, forget the walk.

You direct the kids into the backyard.  Yes!  eventually the baby falls asleep too.

It's good for now... he's eating the snow, climbing the tree, and splashing in a puddle that is not completely frozen.  OK, it's time to go back in to warm up.

You manage to get them back in, take off all the wet cold outdoor clothes and put them in the shower to warm up as you try to put some lunch together wearing the whining baby on your back.

You feel that you're spreading yourself thin... no one kid is benefiting from you.  You're just keeping everyone safe and fed.  You're basically on survival mode.

You can hear the criticisms of others pointing out your weaknesses:  "look at the mess!" "what happened here?"  "where were you when he did this?" "You have to watch him!"  "why isn't he dressed?" "you have to do this..."  "You should..."

QUIET!

Your mind seems to have run away.  It's returning back to some old programs.  You need a break.  You need a breath of fresh air.  You need some silence.  You need some help to be optimal.  You need self-care.

Finally, your husband arrives home, and you both gather up the rest of the things they need for their road trip.  As they and their bags leave the foyer, you start immediately to feel the stress decrease.

You feed the whining baby who has been waiting so patiently to have some real uninterrupted sleep.  He falls asleep, and you quickly slide into the bathroom, dry brush, oil massage and shower!

The baby awakens.  You feed him again to sleep... you go into the kitchen to eat beside the mess.  BREATHE.

You turn on the computer and write this post.

The baby is crying now... just in time.

Recharge.

Love,

30 Day "Back on Healthy Track" Challenge Day 3: Stay Out of the Kitchen!

Good day, Everyone!

I've made it to Day 3 of my 30 Day Challenge. 

I'm Pre-Programmed

It was a little challenging mentally yesterday.  In my experience the first day of a challenge is the easiest.  Then the 2nd and 3rd days are harder because the automatic part of you (the habits) want to play its program.  So, I found myself just automatically thinking about going for more food or for a sweet after a meal.

This is why today I set my intention to avoid the kitchen!  I realise that I have many sets of preprograms that I want to rewrite.  One of them is this automatic eating habit.  Just because it's there does not mean I have to eat it!  Well, my intellectual brain knows that very well, but that's not what my actions reveal. 

Last night at my friend's games night party, she had laid out a bunch of appetizers, lasagna, fruit, veggies, "chocolates" and other nibbles.  I noticed myself thinking about walking over and eating them.  At first it was easy eating just the fruit and veggies.  Then as the night progressed, I found myself looking more at the other items.  Eventually, I allowed myself to indulge in the appetizers.  The only thing I avoided was the candy.

Take Yourself out of the Environment

So, if I just take myself out of the environment, the kitchen, where all the food is then I'll less likely act on my impulses.

This worked well today.  I intend to continue with this moving forward.

What I Ate Today

Breakfast:

-fruit

Lunch:

-taro
-romaine lettuce
-raw veggies
-fermented veggies
-pickled goodies by my friend Dana

-9 raw organic almonds and raisins

Greens Soup

Snack:

-large Asian Pear

Supper:

-quinoa
-pickled goodies
-fermented veggies
-romaine lettuce
-avocado

-left-over Christmas soup

quinoa, black beans, veggies and condiments

 

Accomplishments Today

My husband suggested that we order out (my friend didn't end up ordering Thai last night) for supper, but I made the case of my 30 day Challenge.  Although I was quite tempted, I just simple made what I had intended, and he was happy with what we ate too.

Not only did I stay away from the kitchen, I also avoided bread, "butter", chips (deep fried food), and sweets (like "chocolate, cookies or pastries). 

Looking forward to tomorrow.

Thank you for tuning in!  What are your thoughts about your eating habits? Do you have any New Year's resolutions?  If so, what are they?


Enjoy your  day thoroughly,

 

30 Day "Back on Healthy Track" Challenge Day 2: Being Aware of what I eat and How much

Hi, Everyone!  It was DAY 2 on December 29th...

 

Intentions: 

Be aware of what I eat, and keep track of the quantity I eat. 
Avoid sweets.

What I Ate Today

 

Breakfast:

-persimmon, banana
-snacked on some almonds, walnuts

Waiting for Lunch snacks:

-about 55 pistachios (I counted 50 but had already eaten a small handful before I realised I wanted to keep track of what and how much I ate)
-3 bowls of watercress soup

Late Lunch:

-left-over soup from Christmas
-2 large slices of multigrain bread with Earth Balance

At the Party:

-appetizers (half a small spring roll, two pieces of lasagna, about 8 dumplings, two fajitas, lots of raw fruits and veggies)
***** NO SWEETS like "chocolate" or bars, or pastries or cookies ***********

It was great to see my friends,  The sweets were tempting, but I only looked.  Instead, I allowed myself to eat the other food that was there.

Thank you.  Looking forward to Day 3!  In the meantime check out the video for Day 2.

30 Day "Back on Healthy Track" Challenge, Day 1: Intentions

Hi, Everyone!

Today was Day 1 of my 30 Day "Back on Healthy Track" Challenge. 

I decided last night while I was breatfeeding the baby in bed (I had brought a bar of dark chocolate to the bed when I heard the baby crying) to do this 30 day challenge.  I was partly inspired by Kate Freiling's 30 Day Video Challenge and partly motivated by the act of bringing chocolate to go feed the baby! 

Here's what I'm going to do...

Every day I will make a video to report on how I feel, what I eat, cravings, physical changes, mental clarity, energy, etc.  I'll also write on my blog and upload some pictures.

INTENTIONS:

1.  By the end of these 30 days, I intend to have instilled a habit of gravitating toward healhty nourishing foods and water instead of foods that drain me of my energy (such as cookies, highly processed sweets and potato chips).
In thirty days, I hope to have consistent energy to take me through the day being as present and attentive to my family as I can be.  As I treat myself better, I will have a better quality of myself to give.

2.  As a by-product of my 30 challenge, I hope others will also be inspired to do something they want to do, dare something worthy. 

APPROACH

I am approaching this challenge with love, compassion and fun-spirit.  Eating healthfully can be FUN and exciting!  This is what I want to show, this is what I want to experience.

JOIN ME

Have you ever wanted to eat more healthfully?  What did you do?  Have you ever tried quitting an addiction?  How did you do it?  Or how didn't you do it?  Leave me your comments.  I would love to hear from you!  Let me know what I can do to help you.

TODAY

Breakfast:

-one large persimmon
-4 cherries
-1 kiwi

Lunch:

-left-over veggie soup from Christmas
-3 slices of whole wheat bread with Soy-Free Earth Balance (a vegan butter)

Snack:

-watercress soup
-2 squares of dark chocolate (yes, it did contain sugar, but it's gone now)

Supper:

taro and millet in watercress soup topped with yu choi

-taro
-millet
-yu choi
-left-over watercress soup
-iceberg lettuce
-home-made fermented veggies
-canned artichoke
-sundried tomatoes
-home-made fermented rice
-about half teaspoon of an AMAZING seed butter!

How I Felt

Physically I felt good today although I didn't get to go outside (other than taking the recycling and compost out) or formally exercise.  I wore the baby a great deal of the day, but I'm thoroughly enjoying his growing presence! 
I did wake up with a tingly hand and fingers.  This seems to be usual now.  Perhaps it's the baby getting more heavy.  Also, my knuckles are dry and cracking, so that;s pretty itchy and sore sometimes.

Hunger and Cravings

Thank goodness for this 30 Day Challenge!  I was aware of the automatic thought (that precedes action) of having something sweet right after lunch.  I stopped myself and realised that the thought was there out of habit.  So, yet the craving for sweet and starch continue.

I am hungry right now as I am typing, but I brushed my teeth shortly after supper was done (after my fermented rice), so that motivates me to just sip water.  I was also hungry before my fruit salad in the morning and then in the evening right before eating supper.

One thing want to do is drink more water regularly so that my body doesn't confuse a lack of water intake for being hungry for food.
Thank you for tuning to day's posting!  Thank you for supporting me on this challenge.  See you in my next video.

Here's today's Video.

Do leave me your comment.  Thank you.

30 Day "Back on Healthy Track" Challenge: Intro

Hi, Everyone!  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and Boxing day off. 

The holidays are a wonderful time of the year to celebrate, party and eat with family and friends.  There are so many great dishes at this time of the year, and so many people want to take the time to bake and share wonderful moments together.

If you've followed me on any of my blogs, you'll know that my family has been on several different diets in the past several years from vegetarian to vegan to raw to gluten free and casein free... and the list goes on. 

All vegan and gluten free on this table except 2 dishes

Well, for whatever reason, it seems that no matter what kind of diet we or my son are/is on, we (I) somehow manage to eat a bit too much of the sweet pastries (cookies) and breads.  Actually, we just eat too much at this time.

I got the inspiration to start a 30 day "Back on Healthy Track" challenge as I was lying breast-feeding my baby while eating some dark chocolate on the bed!  Talking to myself and my husband about "I've got to stop eating junk" doesn't seemed to have been very effective, so I'm just going public to see how this will help with my food addictions.

Join me as I set myself up success in the next 30 days.  Leave me your comment about what you think, or share your experience with food addictions.

Thank you so much for tuning in to this post!

Blissful Blessings to you,

 

 

P.S.

Watch my video where I talk about my inspiration for a 30 day "back on healthy track challenge"/

What I Want My Children to Learn About Christmas Gift-Giving

It's the Christmas Holiday Season upon us, and I've noticed huge displays of "holiday gifts" at retail stores including grocery stores since the day after Hallowe'en. 

What is a Gift?

Well, according to www.dictionary.com, one of the definitions of a gift is

something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.

 

OK, that is a dictionary definition.  I'd like to expand a little more as to what a gift is to me. A gift is something of value that you give to improve or enhance someone's life.  A gift can sometimes cost money, but sometimes it's free like a hand-made card, a picked flower, a poem, etc. 

So, gifts to me are present in our everyday lives.  We need only recognise them to know how blessed we are.

Why are People Out Shopping for Gifts this Time of Year?

I think that "gift-giving" has become customary during this time of year, at least in North America.  It's sometime that has been programmed into our society.  

 

I remember my first Christmas in Canada when I was a little girl.  I had no previous concept of Christmas and what it was about.  One day I received a present in a box.  It was from my second cousin, O (my father's father's sister's son - someone help me out here with the relationship).  I was so excited at the whole experience.  I quickly opened the box and found a set of winter gear:  a scarf, hat and mittens (they were mostly white).  Oh, I was ecstatic and bursting with excitement and gratitude!  I dialed O's number, and when I got him on the phone I poured out my thanks in Chinese (I hadn't learn English yet), and he laughed saying I was welcome.

Every year after that, my second cousins would buy me and my sister something.  One year, they bought us a game to share (a Guess Who? board game), and my sister and I failed to share.  We were starting to expect

 "gifts".  Not only that, the expectation of having to give "gifts" (as well as wrapping them) was also instilled.  Quickly, we were programmed to buy gifts because we knew that others would buy for us.  And if your gifts were perceived to be cheap, you would also be perceived this way.

 

Every Christmas, it would be the same "gifts" that I would wrap and give to the same people (perhaps with a different wrapping paper):  Chinese sausages, dried shiitake mushrooms, white snow ears, ginsing, egg rolls and sometimes Ferrero Rocher.  I quite enjoyed my task of wrapping the boxes up.  The children, my sisters and cousins and I would received red lucky envelopes from the China-born adults, but receive a wrapped up present (a very thoughtful present) from Canadian-born adults. 


I remember Christmas' being a very exciting time of the year when we would gather the families into my great aunt's house and then later my second cousin's house.  I loved the food, the decoration, relatives, the presents... but I really loved the food!

Over the years as an adult having gone away for school, living and working abroad I've come to understand that I have different values about Christmas gifts or presents (something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance).  And this helps me to be aware of what my children are learning about gifts.

What I Want My Children to Learn About Christmas Presents

 

It's the Thought that Counts!  

Everything begins with a thought.  Someone has to think of getting you a gift before the gift arrives.  This thinking of you is the true gift!  My daughter will dance and say the sweetest things when she receives a dress, a toy  that she likes.  And this puts such a smile and happiness in he giver's eyes.  But what if she doesn't like something?  Typically, the present just gets ignored.

I wouldn't force her to like something she doesn't, but I would encourage her to gives things a chance.  I'm also learning.  And I would also encourage her to acknowledge the person who is thinking of her.  I would ask a question like, "if you gave your friend _________, a gift, and she didn't like it, what would you want her to say to you?"  She may say, "thank you for thinking of me.  I understand your thoughtfulness."  

 

People are more important than the material presents.  Always know that there are people behind the physical presents.  It's not how much it costs that matters. 

 

Give From a Place of Love

 I want my children to know the difference between giving out of fear (social expectations) and giving from love.  Right now, as long as I just let my child flourish, she is perfectly giving from a place of love.  But she's also at a critical age where she starts learning about social expectations from school.  

 

Every day, my daughter would routine pick up rocks and pine cones from her walk between home and school.  She would draw pictures and makes crafts for intended receivers such as for me, for her dad, for a friend... Children are just giving all the time!  And they are thoughtful.  They want to please.  They want to do something to cause someone else to be happy.  

 

Children are such gifts!  I am learning from mine all the time.  There are infinite possibilities for Christmas gifts.  I would just want my kids to know that giving doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money, but it could.  Get to know what the receiver is like, what he/she likes/needs/wants... then create something or buy something.

 

Alternative Gift-Giving Ideas

Make Your Own Gifts

I LOVE doing this with my kids.  And before I had kids, I LOVED making gifts.  This is the one season when you can have lots of fun creating cards, the packaging, decorations and the list goes on.  It's crafty month all December.

 

Re-Gift

This is somewhat controversial, and perhaps I could spend a whole separate post on it.  But just briefly, say you received a gift from someone that just isn't useful for you.  Would you keep it because it was given to you to just sit somewhere collecting dust as it expires?  Or would you happily give it to someone else who would be happy to receive it?  


Well, I'd also say that the receiver of the re-gift should be open to receiving previously given gifts.  Isn't this just common sense?  For some reason (and please do write a comment below about this) many people think that it's a no-no.  Why?

 

Buy From Thrift Shops

 Often there are really great deals at second-hand places.  What I like about this is that "old" things can get a new home for a fraction of the price.  Sometimes there are collectors items that you can't get anywhere else.  Of course the receiver of the gift should be open to this idea.

 

Non-Material Gifts

When I was in university, one of my friends gave me a "breakfast certificate".  She made me a card saying it was a certificate that I could trade in for breakfast at her house.  What an awesome idea!  Spending time together with a friend.  Babysitting certificates would really make busy parents happy.  A personal massage certificate would please those with aches.  A chore certificate would be sure to light up a face with a big smile... you get the gist.

 

Gift ideas that Appeal to me

• Useful, educational, inspirational, practical, delicious, nutritious
  
• Little impact to the Earth (like responsibly packaged, can be reused, recycled, etc.) 

 

 Wishlist

 I think it's a great idea to have wishlists for givers to have an idea of what the receiver would appreciate.  The most practical presents, should anyone wish to gift me, are gift cards for Amazon.ca, President's Choice grocery stores and FreshCo.  

So, it's a practical idea to just ask parents of children what they would like.  Gift cards are great when you know where the people shop. 

 

Wishing you the most precious gifts this Holiday Season.  Thank you.  With much love,

 

 

Grant Me a Wish: it's my Birthday!

It's my Birthday! 

I woke up feeling very high energy, enthusiastic for living this morning.  What a wonderful way to start off the day!  I have countless blessings, but it's the process of counting these blessings and feeling the deep gratitude within that causes such happiness :)

My Mission Statement

The last few days, I've been working on a mission statement for my health coaching, and I've come to realise (the statement has not been finalized yet) that is' quite simple.  My mission is to spread my passion for health and happiness throughout the world starting from myself.

My Birthday Wish

So, for my birthday, I want to invite you to join me in the celebration of life.  In the comment box (whether you're reading this on my blog, Facebook or YouTube) please list 1-5 things you are grateful for right now, and truly FEEL that deep gratitude... you can keep listing your blessings to yourself throughout the whole day. 

Also, include 1-2 things you will do today to spread health and happiness.  It could be as simple as smiling and saying "I love you" to someone. 
I encourage you to read other people's comments and reflect upon them.  FEEL great!  Of course you can always reply to other responses as well.  If you see no comments yet, be the FIRST to share your gratitude and grant me my birthday wish.

I'll start the list off...

I AM GRATEFUL FOR:
1.  You reading this.
2.  the Internet, FaceBook, YouTube, Google, etc.. for their awesome platform for sharing our thoughts and creativity.
3.  My loving husband for taking care of the children while I took a shower where I got the inspiration to write this post and record the video.
4.  My children for their endless wonder and innocence.
5.  Taking this time to reflect on my blessings.

WHAT I WILL DO TODAY TO SPREAD HEALTH and HAPPINESS:
1.  Post this on Blogger, FaceBook and YouTube
2.  Hug my children
Now it's YOUR turn!  Thank you so much for reading this post, and taking the time to spread health and happiness in the world.

Blissful Blessings,

Battle of the Bins Begins with this Post

Battle of the Bins

Yesterday morning I received an email from Durham Organics, the small business that brings me organic food to my door every week.  Usually, I receive an email listing what to expect in my bin for the current week.  Well, to my excitement, April (April Manson is the wonderful mother of Durham Organics) announced a contest called "Battle of the Bins" that would show people what we (the customers receiving the bins) did with our produce throughout the week.

If you have followed my posts (in any of my blogs and Facebook past and present), you'll know that I love taking pictures, and especially pictures of food! 

Let the games begin!

Wednesday Evening, my weekly Christmas present arrives.  I open it, check it against the list, and arrange it into a happy face:

carrots, broccoli, lettuce, mustard greens, sweet potatoes, portabello mushrooms, potatoes, red cabbage, bell peppers, onions, bok choi, and celeriac

 

In the morning

 

I make millet and amaranth porridge with the local onions and carrots:

 

 

 

My son eats it and likes it.  It's pretty easy to make.  Just soak millet and amaranth over night, drain and rinse, set aside.  Meanwhile, sautee the onions and carrots (and whatever other suitable vegetables are available) in some oil and salt.  Once the veggies are tender, add the millet and amaranth, stir, then add some water.  Stir and cover.  Stir and cover.  Pretty easy and nutritious.

 

SUPPER TIME

 

I decide the theme of build-your-own lettuce wraps!  Here's what I use from the bin:  potatoes, carrots, beets (from a previous week), bell peppers, bokchoi, butter lettuce, mustard greens, and radishes (from a previous week).  I supplemented the meal with fresh dill from my garden (amazing that there's still food growing in November!), fermented cabbage (home-made with local cabbage), quinoa, avocado, home-made roasted red pepper cashew dip, and other non sugary condiments.  

 



 

I also make a stirfry with the onions, carrots and bokchoi for my son.

Remy waits patiently for his food to be served.

Presenting Happy Face Meals

 

millet with local squash, local cucumbers, local beets

 

Enjoying the local feast!

Bok choi wrap and lettuce wrap for the eyes

Supper time in action

My husband's creation

Little Sister smells the fermented cabbage

Here's my wrap

So grateful for such abundance!

And when it is time to get the baby, I tear the lettuce up, put it into the bowl of quinoa, added other veggies and voila!

 



Every week is like Christmas... even with the weekly emails to tell me what to expect in my bin, it's still a surprise.  And then when I find out what the contents are, it's then creation time. 

Thank you, April, for making local organic produce available and accessible to us.  I hope that many others will be excited to learn about the benefits of eating local organic food.  There are choices that we can make for a brighter future.  But NOW is the time to act.  I am grateful.

If anyone is interested in Durham Organics, you can visit www.durhamorganics.ca.  Please let April know that Kim Sit referred you, and you'll be taken care of.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog.  Have a super-duper day!

How I Got My 4 Year Old to Try Something New at Supper

Picky Eaters and Food Restrictions

It's not always eating supper together in the evening when there are food restrictions and a picky eater.  My son has limited foods that he can eat, and we're really grateful that he actually enjoys them.  My daughter, on the other hand, became a choosy eater last year around this time. 

Only recently in September did we start eating supper together as a family instead of ushering her into her room, locking it so that her brother wouldn't "accidentally" barge in and eat something that he can't have.  I was making 4 different meals for each member of the family.  We had "accidents" of my son getting into forbidden foods.  Meal times would take so long to make, eat (since I had to eat when everyone else was done) and then clean up. 

 

Supper Time

Remy is sitting down already eating his quinoa and vegetables.  Gramma (my mom) is just getting ready to eat.  My husband is holding the baby getting ready to eat.  I am sandwiched between him and my 4 year old. 

The food is set out in the middle of our wooden table. 

The Protest

Little Sister (LS) declares, "I don't like any of this food on this table!" She has a serious look on her face full of protest.

Daddy asks her, "How do you know?  Did you try everything on the table?"

"No!  I don't want to eat anything here.  Mom, are there any more crackers?"

The Game

I decide that it's time to play a game and entice her to at least try something.  "Hey, do you want to play a game?  Let's play a game."  She smiles a bit because games are fun.  "How about you feed me and I feed you?"

"Okay," she responds smiling.

"All right.  You can feed me first."

Little Sister takes my spoon and feeds me my soup.  "Mmm.  That is SO good!  Okay, what should be spoon into your mouth?"  I decided to go with avocado because it is something she eats. "And here you go."  I make the flying airplane spoon into her mouth.

LS eats the avocado, and is enjoying this suppertime game.  "Okay, I feed you again."  She takes some more soup and arugula from my bowl and puts it into my mouth.

"Mmm.  That is SO good!"  I put some more avocado into her mouth so to make sure she is still going to play this game.  LS eats the avocado and spoons me some more food.

"Hmm, would you like a pickle?" I show her the jar of Bubbies. 

"Yes, please," says LS.

I cut up the pickle for her.  She eats it with enthusiasm.  The turn-taking feeding game is taking off.

The Bait

"Okay, now how about a tiny bit of something new..." I reach over for the walnut soup and bean soup and really give her just enough for a taste.

Looking a little distressed, Little Sister opens her mouth to continue the game with some courage.  Her eyes widen.  "Mmmm!  I want some more!"

She Likes It!

And with that, she ate her entire supper with energy, excitement and enthusiasm.  She also commented, "it's fun to try something new."  As well, she got me to take pictures of everyone.  We went on to brainstorm what else we could do to make suppertime a FUN time, and Little Sister said we would make a Supper Book, a compilation of photos of her trying new foods.

Enjoying the walnut soup and bean soup with a pickle!

Today's Method

So, what I did was work with what she liked:  games.  As the momentum of the game took off by first offering her the foods I knew she did eat without a problem, I then introduced a tiny bit of the new food (walnut soup - which is actually some walnuts and potatoes in a stew-like consistency and bean soup) as part of the game.  She took the bait, and discovered she LOVED the new food.  So from there, she just ate supper by herself.

I also add to the game by talking with a cartoon voice as if I were the beans and potatoes, "hey, do you think the little girl is going to eat us?"  To which my daughter responded with "I'm going to eat you!"  And she did happily.

Here's to playful supper time,