Altered Hand Soap

This is a bottle of Purel Antibacterial Soap that I altered during the Seasons Class at Feeling Scrappy. I had made it for Jonah's class, but I did not know that they are not allowed to use this soap because of the kids putting their hands in their mouth! Alcohol content is too high. Sigh.

So we are enjoying it at home!

Thanks Feeling Scrappy for a great class!

ED: My links do not appear to be showing. Please check out Feeling Scrappy at http://feelingscrappyclasses.blogspot.com

Happy Hallowe'en!

H1N1 Vaccine - yes or no?

There have been many, I mean MANY discussions in our house on whether or not we should take the H1N1 vaccine. I admit I have never been one to get the regular flu shot. I never saw the point. It doesn't cover all threads of the virus and the chances of you getting the flu are still pretty high.

Swine flu is a whole different level. The WHO is declaring it the next pandemic. That right there is enough to get people into panic mode. My main concern is that they have no idea what the long term, or even short term effects of taking this vaccine are. Sure, it may prevent the virus, but what if the effects of taking it are much more worse than getting the flu itself??

Add to this the tragic story of the 13 year old, healthy, athletic boy who died 2 days ago from H1N1. There are people who I know who were "on the fence" with me about getting the vaccine. The death of this boy has pushed many of them off the fence and they are on their way to stand in line for the vaccine. Even if they do not "qualify" for it right now.

My main concern, of course, is Jonah. Am I a bad mother for not vaccinating him? Will I be a bad mother if I DO get him vaccinated and he ends up with some kind of long term effect? I just do not trust how quickly this has been approved without the research to support what effects, if any, there are.

I am curious on how others feel about this. Will you get the H1N1 vaccine? Are you doubting it? Would love to hear your thoughts!

History of the Velociraptor - FUNNY

Ok, maybe I was over tired, maybe I watch Friends WAY too much, but last night the episode where Ross speaks to his class on the history of the Velociraptor was on......I was laughing so hard I was crying.
I am sharing the laugh with you!! Tell me you didn't laugh....I dare you ;)

Happiness

A wonderful email I received from my friend Jeanie:

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.
His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window. I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.' 'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied..
Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Have a fantastic day my friends!

TADA!!!!!

How do you like the facelift on my blog??

The very talented (and easy to work with!!) Diana of Custom Blog Designs
made my signature and header for me and did some fine tuning on my colours. I am thrilled with it! I was just not happy with how it was before. I needed it to be a little more personal. I have a few minor adjustments to make on the right panel but other than that, its done!

Now I just need to update more regularly! HAHA

Thanks again Diana!!

My Fantastic Family :)

Here are some family pics that were taken at Thanksgiving. I am very lucky to have a fantastic family! Clearly I had a headache that day as I am wearing my glasses (like I am supposed to). Very annoyed that I forgot to take them off.

Here I am with my best guys :) Wish I knew photoshop well enough to get rid of that hideous elbow scar.

My sister Dawn and I. We are four years apart in age. And yes, we get along!

My sister Dawn, her boys Ryan and James and her boyfriend Ian.

The annual family shot. This was take 20 I believe! By then Zeus, my sisters dog, gave up. I like to get a group shot every year.

Have a great day!

Char

Changes

There has been a lot going on in life. Leaves are changing, new challenges are amongst us, change, change, change.
I realized there is something else that needs to change.....MY BLOG! LOL. I am giving it a bit of a facelift, with help from Diana at Custom Blog Designs, in honour of the Season of Change!

So stay tuned!!!

**bit of a hint....something that is not here now, will be with the new design!**

Evening Sky in Ajax, Canada

Last night on my facebook page, I noted in my status for everyone to have a look outside their window - in particular, the folks in Durham region. The colours in the sky were beautiful. Yes Jayne, even the pink! ;o)
I told Jonah to look outside. He immediately said, "We have to call Tee-Tee!"
My sister Dawn is Tee-Tee to Jonah and Jonah knows that TeeTees favourite colour is purple.
Unfortunately, Tee-Tee didn't answer her phone!

Here are the pics I took of the sky from my backyard. Not the greatest photos with the hydro lines, etc. But you get the feel of the night.

For Today......

Inspired by the Simple Woman's Daybook

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ... it is still dark as it is early. But it should brighten soon!

I AM THINKING ... I should put the thought of making and FOLLOWING a "to do" list into action. Thinking of it does me no good!

WE ARE LEARNING … that mice are fast little buggars! The leaping around the kitchen last night trying to catch him proves that! LOL.

I AM THANKFUL FOR ... so many things, which makes me even MORE thankful!

FROM THE KITCHEN ... a big ole mouse trap filled with peanut butter to catch this friggin buggar!!

I AM WEARING ... my favourite jammies. And the way I am feeling, I will probably be in them until at least noon!

I AM GOING ... to chaperone Jonah's school trip next week. Should be interesting since it will be in french!

I AM READING ... The Shack. I am a third of the way through. Not really feeling it so far. Might be because I now the premise of the book. I think I need a good hour to delve into it. Not just bits here and there.

I AM CREATING ... nothing. And it is bothering me that I have not been to my table in a week!

I AM HOPING ... that Jonah's good behaviour he has had this past week continues to shine.

I AM HEARING ... Breakfast Television. My must watch every morning! They make me laugh everyday!

AROUND THE HOUSE ... lots of chores to be done, especially laundry!!

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS ... that I am able to eat breakfast and dinner everyday with my Jonah. I am so thankful to be working at home that allows me that.

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK ... our regular day to day stuff, some scrapping, dinner with friends, and hopefully knock off a lot of our big "to do's"

A PICTURE TO SHARE ...

This was taken Thanksgiving weekend at my aunt and uncles cottage in Bobcaygeon. It was friggin freezing, but Jonah didn't care and wanted to go check out the waves from the dock. No mitts and no hat either!
Have a fantastic week my friends!!

Friday Fill Ins - Oct 16th

Jonah and his mannequin pet! LOL

And...here we go! My answers in bold. Join me?

1. So are we going back to Great Wolf Lodge my Momma? Yes, Jonah, we are. Happy early Christmas!!

2. Self-inflicted personal challenges are what's up ahead. And I am determined to defeat them all!

3. I love to hear Jonah's sweet voice waking me up. It's the best way to start my day!

4. I need to create a routine or list of some sort.

5. I walk a lot less than I should. I need to fix that.

6. Love, trust, friendship, joy and faith is the true elixir of life!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to nursing this sickness to feel better for tomorrow, tomorrow my plans include a long awaited visit with my Michie Mee! and Sunday, I want to head to the farm for some fall fun and apple picking!

Happy Friday!!

That funny Jonah of ours....

After shopping for a Hallowe'en costume and enjoying a yummy family dinner at Kelsey's, we thought we would pop in to Old Navy to see if we could find some winter accessories for Jonah. We didn't find anything unfortunately.

As we were leaving, Jonah did his typical hide behind the rack to scare us routine. However, he wasn't behind the rack. Instead, we found him here..........

....yep, that is the mannequin display! LOL. So glad I had my cell phone camera to take this picture!

That Jonah sure makes us laugh.

For Today...From the Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window... I am enjoying watching the leaves turn into such vibrant and warm colours. I love Autumn.

I am thinking... that I need to get my ass in gear to lose this yucky weight and get myself in better shape. I really need to work on my strength.

I am thankful for... the most amazing family and friends a gal could ask for. Their support is what got me thru this year.

I am wearing... my comfies - they really should be called my sloppies. LOL. Today is chill out day, so comfy it is!!

I am remembering... when I was a young girl and how excited I would get when the Scholastic Catalogues would be sent home from school. I felt that excitement again when Jonah brought his home and I saw they had Amelia Bedelia in the catalogue!! I am tempted to order it for me! Remember Amelia, the funny maid?

I am reading... The Shack - I know what the major incident of the book is - not going to mention since my friend Lee is also reading and I don't want to ruin it! - but I am excited to see what I get out of this book and the lesson learned.

I am hoping... that 2010 will be a kinder year to my family and friends. What a rough ride 2009 has been.

On my mind... way to much. I need to learn to not get into my head so much. It gets overwhelming and doesn't do any good!

From the learning rooms... everyday Jonah comes home with a new french word. I am loving his excitement with it and refreshing my own limited knowledge of the language.

Noticing that... when you go thru a tough time personally the line "we are here for you" from people in your life is either true to the heart, with no limits, filled with undenying love and selflessness or it is a load of crap that they say to make themselves feel better.

Pondering these words... I forgive....why are they so hard to say for many? Including me.

From the kitchen... no turkey today - that was taken care of this weekend! It will be a light on the tummy day.

Around the house... really needing to get more organized and more tidy. And I am determined to catch that lil bugger of a mouse.

One of my favorite things ~ when Jonah says "Well hello my sweet Momma!" That will NEVER get old with me.

Picture...love this photo of Jonah in a tree. He was so proud to climb it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians!

I am thankful for so much - my family, my friends, my job, my life!

I am truly Blessed.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Friday Fill Ins - Oct 9th

And...here we go!

1. Sweet dreams by the Eurythmics is one of my fave songs!

2. Being un-emotional is hard for some people, especially for me. I take things to heart A LOT!

3. Silliness at school is something we are trying to teach Jonah is not acceptable.

4. Once again, Sean is dressing up to scare the crap out of the neighbourhood kids this Halloween.

5. Outstanding or not, I do not think baseball, hockey or football players deserve multi-million dollar salaries! Doctors who save lives do!

6. Chocolate, my forever craving, is what I want right now!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to movie night with my boys, tomorrow my plans include a pedi with Sandra, then Thanksgiving dinner with the family and Sunday, I want to go to church and spend more time with family!

Happy Friday!!

Win a Feeling Scrappy Class!

I have mentioned MANY times on my blog of my favourite site to take online scrapbooking classes - Feeling Scrappy . Well, now is your chance to get in on the fun....for FREE!!

Feeling Scrappy is featured on The Ella Publishing blog today! Another fantastic blog that you should really check out!

They are giving away TWO spots in the Sketchapalooza 5 Class that starts October 26th. I have taken the other Sketchapalooza classes and I lalalaLOVED them!

All you need to do is leave a comment on the Ella Publishing blog to be entered to win.
You have until Friday, October 9th ~ Good Luck!

Blog Award!

My dear friend Jayne - who I really wish lived closer! - gave me this award on her blog so I thought I would play along :)

This award comes with some rules and then some fun!

Rules:
1. You Can Only Use One Word!
2. Pass this along to 6 of your favorite bloggers!
3. Alert them that you have given them this award!
4. Have Fun!

The Fun Part:
1. Where is your cell phone? lap

2. Your hair? red
3. Your mother? Sharon
4. Your father? Bud
5. Your favorite food? Steak
6. Your dream last night? bad
7. Your favorite drink? malibu
8. Your dream/goal? positive
9. What room are you in? living
10. Your hobby? Scrapbooking
11. Your fear? death
12. Favorite place to eat? Keg
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren’t? unemotional
15. Muffins? apple
16. Wish list item? scrapstuffs
17. Where did you grow up? Ontario
18. Last thing you did? email
19. What are you wearing? jeans
20. Your TV? On
21. Your pets? Gone
22. Friends? amazing!
23. Your life? blessed
24. Your mood? confused
25. Missing someone? Jayne!
26. Vehicle? Kia
27. Something you’re not wearing? pink
28. Your favorite store? Scrapbook
29. Your favorite color? non-pink
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? today
32. Your best friend? undeniable
33. One place that I go to over and over? Walmart
34. One person who emails me regularly? mom

I will give this award to:

1. Vikki
2. Stacey FH
3. Kyla
4. Lee
5. Becky
6. Steph

Enjoy your day!!

T.G.I.F - Oct 2

I am TRUSTING that we are making the proper choices in the path we are leading Jonah on. And that we will go with what is in our hearts and not what others think is best.

I am GRATEFUL for the friends in our lives. We have had many bumps this year and their warmth, love, guidance, support and compassion is overwhelming. It is interesting to learn who is really a significant part of your life and those who just pretend to be.

I am INSPIRED by my husband. He has been faced with some tough decisions the past couple of weeks and he has shown me that forgiveness is possible and how deep his heart really is. Even to those who may not have returned the feelings to him. He is my inspiration.

It's FRIDAY and my focus is my husband. His mother passed away this week and although their relationship was tumultuous, it is still very difficult for him. Even if she was unable to return the feelings, he loved her. She was his mom. And for that, I will pay her respects while Sean says his last goodbye.