Life's Whirlwind Adventures

Three in a week!!! Sorry guys, I know I am not a political pundit, I don't even live in the USA but I am an American and I too want to see America become a great nation but not at the expense of other nations. So Trump has come out to say that he would have won the popular vote except 3-5 million votes  were fraudulent votes.  Ummm what?? Where is the proof that this happened? There are absolutely no claims that have been brought forward except Trump's.  He won the electoral college so the popular vote doesn't even matter. Is Trump's ego that sensitive that he will be a poor winner?  As Elsa said "Let it Go!" Seth Meyers commented on his show and said it very succinctly you can watch it here  But here's the other side to that.  Trump is so SURE that he lost the popular vote because of voter fraud, but, just stick with me for minute, what if the voter fraud helped Trump win the Electoral Vote? With all the controversy around this election and the

We had a great time in Jasper! Here are some more pictures from our trip there.

I'm not much for daily habits, the thought of being tied to doing something each and everyday (cough cough exercise) exhausts my mental capacities before I even start. But I know there are daily things I do each and every day that are super easy and make all kinds of sense. So here they are! 1) I wash my face everyday.  I was blessed with good skin, it is very even I don't get a lot of breakouts, never really did and I have a young face.  But I do wash my face every day. It may not be my full RE9 routine but I do wash it, which is not something I can say I always did.  But over time this became more of a habit.  Especially, since I started teaching again having a clean face starts my day off right I guess. 2) I write down one positive event from the day.  It doesn't matter if I have had a bad day or my kids having been driving me nuts I sit down each night before I go to bed and write down one great thing that happened.  This has taken awhile to get into a routine but

I don't often do political posts.  For me politics is a private matter and one I don't usually care to discuss because it's not a "thing" for others to judge me on.  I have my perspective and you have yours but even if our perspectives don't match doesn't mean we are lesser human beings. With that being said here are some of my thoughts, and observations on the new President of the United States. Mr. Trump during his campaign and his life has made some very questionable comments.  His comments about being able to "grab her pussy" indicates that he thinks because of his richness and celebratory he is allowed to treat women as second class citizens or objects.  Something women have fought against forever and just when it felt like we were pulling away from that this is brought to light.  Yes it happened 12 years ago, but Trumps brain was not that of a 17 year old at the time, he was fully matured adult with adult children and locker room talk sho

I am having huge issues with this meme! One I find it completely stupid and two absolutely not correct. Ok so I am going to give you my perspective on this meme and what people are complaining about and it is only that.  I don't have any agenda, I'm not a Trump supporter but I accept and have hope that he will do a good job in the role he has been assigned.  But it's time to stop and it's time to stop discrediting our other citizens for their views,  it's time to stop saying their perspective is wrong just because it doesn't agree with yours.  And you are all fully allowed to disagree with me on this. The dictionary defines Protest: Noun: a statement or action expressing disapproval or objection to something;  Verb: to express an objection to what someone has said or done; declare something firmly and emphatically in the face of stated or implied doubt or in response to an accusation. So for me I am so proud of all the women who chose to go out

I fear for the state of the next generation.  I am very worried about whether or not they will be able to function in a society that does not embrace change and has rewarded just showing up their entire lives least their egos be hurt. I didn't raise my oldest son that way and I don't plan to raise my younger sons that way.  Where I have maybe neglected my children is in their ability to navigate through different aspects of grown up life.  Things like bill paying, getting loans, building credit, negotiating deals for items such as cars and houses.  I am seeing now that my oldest doesn't know anything about these things and is learning them by being thrown into the fire at 18. Here's the problem though, he was unable to learn any of these things prior to being 18.  You can't get loans or credit before you are 18 but by then you need it to function in society.  Do you know that to buy a cell phone you need credit?  Do you know that most of society needs a cell pho

I feel like I do these posts more for me than for anyone reading, seems like a bit of a selfish statement to make but in reality I go back and read my blogs from time to time and reflect on where I have been.  And that means more to me than getting readers or likes or whatever Social media says we need to get by sharing. Sorry not sorry. I guess in that way that is my intrinsic motivation and if my sharing helps people make changes than that's awesome but I like to keep me on track and by updating these blogs then I am focusing on my goals and working to make them happen. Monday Updates: I have been on a weight loss journey off and on for at least 6 year.  I have always fluctuated comfortably around the 190 mark.  Since my last child I have been up around the 220 mark, but I knew that was neither healthy nor a number I wanted for myself (especially since it didn't have to be).   Since my youngest was born almost three years ago I have been on a steady decline with times o

Our Trip to Jasper National Park As I had mentioned in my last Friday Five Post we were going to travel to many different National Parks this year since the pass was free and I wanted to travel more with my family.  Now even though Banff is technically closer we decided to take our first trip to Jasper.  I have only been there twice and my husband only once (he was born and raised in Alberta ~:)~) Jasper is such a pretty area and so many things to see!! We travelled up through Edmonton and came into Jasper on Highway 16.  This is a nice double laned highway, but the weather had snowed the few days before so the road was slick with Black ICE. If you don't drive a lot, and even if you do, Black Ice is scary to drive on, your vehicle just slips and slides and there is really nothing you can do. So from just outside of Edson to the park entrance it was a pretty white knuckle drive and me in the passenger seat trying to find a break or a way to brace myself for impact.   The

When I am working with my kids I am always trying to ensure that their needs are put first.  The skills and learning my students need are very different to the other students in my class but also different from the general population.  So even if I am teaching a lesson on hygiene for a Job Interview, I am teaching a separate lesson to each student because they are all at different levels. This past week we've been working with hygiene skills.  Now if you ever spend any time around children and teenagers you will know that hygiene skills are not second nature, in fact for some they plain just don't know about them.  I've worked with students who wouldn't know what deodorant was if it came up and bit them, I've also worked with students who think Axe spray will mask all bad smells. These are two sides of the same coin, they are terribly assaulting to anyone around them.  And this has happened in every school, in every grade and every program I have worked in. If stu

I've been reading this book for a year.  It's not a bad book, but I just kept putting it down and reading other things, but I made it my resolution to read this book this month, or to finish it.  This is also a book I treat like my University books, making notes as I read so that I can remember what I've read. So here are my top ten take aways from this book. 10) Meditation or focused reflection each day is going to help you create the vision that you want for you life.  By continually thinking on this vision each day it will start to come into reality.       I've started meditating before bed each night, I find it's a very relaxing activity and helps me to sleep better. I have crazy dreams now, but I'm not bothered by them. I would like to start doing this in the morning but it means getting up earlier, so that will be a work in progress for sure. 9) Live in the Now, but don't stop dreaming, purposeful dreams that will help you create the life you

This year is Canada's 150th Birthday! So Parks Canada is allowing free access into all the National Parks.  This is a great time for you to explore the parks in your area and maybe find that one place you and your family really want to go to again and again! So here are five of the parks I am planning to visit this year!   Banff National Park: This is a quick journey from my house in relation to National Parks.  It's probably the second closest at a short 2 and half hour drive.  I always go visit the townsite in Banff but this year I'd like to go visit some of the other areas and maybe do some of the easier hikes with the boys.    Elk Island National Park : I have never been to this one, but I have passed it countless times when I used to drive to Edmonton.  It has or is close to a Ukrainian Village that I think would be really cool to take the kids too, this is definitely one of my summer destinations. Jasper National Park : This one is a bit of drive, 4 an

Whenever you change something in your life the most frequent question you will receive is why?  Why are you selling Arbonne? Why did you leave teaching? Why are you doing that diet? Why aren't you friends anymore? So here are some of my Whys? Why have I decided to sell Arbonne? I have been buying Arbonne for years and I love the skin care and nutrition lines, and no other products have ever come close to comparison for me.  My friend Stacey had been persistently asking me to join for years, but I kept turning her down.  Sometimes I was selling Fifth Avenue Collection (which I still love) and sometimes I just didn't want to do the direct selling.  Direct Selling is not my passion, but I do have a passion for the products, they are amazing.  So after the economic downturn of 2014 I jumped in.  I kept thinking if only I had $500-1000 extra each month we'd get out of debt and then we would be able to really start planning for our future.  So now I am selling Arbonne, I am

It's so hard being in recovery, and it's not even that my recovery is going bad. In fact I would say it is going fabulously.  I am pretty much doing everything I used to be doing save for one thing.  Working out aerobically (Sad face). I love being able to work out, going to classes, visiting with people and feeling the sweat pouring down my back.  It's a glorious feeling and it helps me feel so alive.  And now I am benched.  All I can do is watch everyone else have fun in workout class and I am sitting on the sidelines moping. Well no more!!!  I am determined that I will continue to workout and if nothing else my stamina for workouts will be the same or greater than it was before my surgery.  I have a stationary bike that I am using at least 4 days a week and I have light weights I can use to continue to tone and tighten this glorious body that God Gave me!! My workout regime is going to go like this.  Monday, Wednesday, Friday and a weekend day I will bike for

It's one thing to have a goal in your head of what you want but you have to be able to work towards that goal.  So I have a goal for my Arbonne aspect of my life.  I want to be able to hit my District Manager promotion in the next month.  But how does that goal get broken down. Well the first thing is knowing what it takes to receive the District Manager Promotion.  It's not just something they just hand out, it is something you need to work towards.  In order to become a District Manager you need to do 7500 QV (volume of sales) over 3 months with 2500 in your last month or 6000 QV over one or two months. Then you need to maintain 2500 QV in sales each month to maintain your title as a District Manager.   The reason I want to become a District Manager is for the override payment.  So I would make my regular commission but I would also make an 8% override which would allow me make more money on my sales, seems like a no brainer right.  I've hit District Manager before a

I'm going to try to get back into my Friday Five Posts!! I love them and they help keep me focused! I am going to start my first Friday Five Post of 2017 as a Five Gratitudes I need to share. 1) I am so thankful for my mother.  She is one of my very best friends and I know I can count on her support for whatever I need.  She loves me unconditionally and even though we don't always see eye to eye on a topic I know she respects my opinion and decisions.  She is such a super hero in my books, she raised three kids on her own, she went back to school, she never let being older stop her from improving herself! I am thankful if I am half the person she is! 2) I am also very thankful for my grandma.  I have always had a special relationship with my grandma.  She has always been there for me and helped me out when she could.  She has had such an interesting life and lived through some horrible experiences, experiences that definitely altered her life.  But she has always been good

To do a Dream Board or not to do a Dream Board. When I first heard of dream boards I was like ok, yeah whatever like looking at a picture is going to make something come true.  Then four years ago I made my first dream board, it was a last ditch resort really.  I mean at the end of the day the only thing I would lose would be the two hours it took me to cut and paste the pictures onto the dream board. It's not like I'd lose faith in Oprah's big idea I didn't have any to begin with. I sat down and made that dream board, I put on the dream board ridiculous things, things I would never really expect to be able to get knowing my financial situation.  Things like a trip to Moose Jaw to see the Fifth Avenue Collection headquarters (I was selling Fifth Avenue at the time), a trip to Disneyland, paying off credit cards, buying a new car, a Ford Focus Titanium, going to Vegas.  It was pretty and set it up by my computer desk where I looked at it daily. I would scoff and ro

I finally had it done, I got Breast reduction surgery!!! The pictures contained in this blog are for before and after comparisons of a medical procedure. I'm beyond happy about it and feel absolutely amazing, now that the surgery is a week behind me. It was a long road, but it was so well worth it.  If you live in Canada, and have back problems because your breasts are abnormally large for your shape, then I fully recommend taking advantage of the government supported surgery. I was an H-I cup with a 36 band prior to the surgery. Yes my cup sized spelt HI! I had such pain in my back from these humongous watermelons I carried around.  It was stupid, but it got to the point where I'd only notice the pain at certain times or when I had a massage.  I can't tell you how many massage therapist asked if I was stressed out. Nope honestly I just have big boobs.  These are some before shots of my chest, this was the morning or evening before surgery.  I love that bra

This is going to be a wordy post with few pictures.  But it's a post reflecting on the year that was 2016 for me. I came into 2016 and I was going to make it the year of me.  The year I focused on the things I wanted most, putting myself first.  In some ways I definitely succeed at this but in other ways 2016 did me like it did the icons on my youth, killed my spirit! I wrote last year in February about being in a Funk, being a little depressed (ok maybe more than a little) and essentially giving up on all things that were me.  But I kept putting one foot in front of the other and moved forward. January of 2016 the PERFECT job landed in my lap.  It was like kismet... I actually had two interviews one at a high school I loved (NDHS RD) and one at Chandler's high school (LTCHS RD). I was torn, if both jobs came to offer what would I do... choose the position at the school I loved and had built relationships already or choose the job that was quite frankly tailor made for me

There are so many diets out there, like as many diets as there are people I would almost hazard to guess.  So how do you know which one you should follow?  How do you decide? I am not here to tell you what you should do and that this diet is better than another diet.  I am only going to explain why I chose a macronutrient diet and where you can find more information if you'd like. Now I have tried many diets, low calorie, portion control from Dr Phil (this was very successful for me ten years ago), paleo (that didn't last long at all in my house), South Beach, Atkins (not really I love Carbs), and most recently I've been doing the clean eating with Arbonne ( and this one fits nicely with macronutrients).  All had some degrees of success but none were long term options.  None really taught me how to make the changes with food that I needed to make.  And it was my relationship with food, my boredom snacking activities that I had to change. So I worked on the boredom sna