A funk.

I'm been in a bit of a funk lately. Not eating too well, although I have been going to the gym with my husband three to four times a week (by the way, if you do those BodyAttack classes at your gym, you have my utmost admiration... we've done two and they are killer!).

Today, honestly, I ate a lot of junk food interspersed with some fruit and yogourt. Okay, we did have a Rice Bowl last night which was relatively healthy, but heavy on the peanut sauce and avocado (and I ate the whole bowl, which I don't need to do). Sometimes when I'm feeling sorry for myself I eat (I'm not alone there, right) - and I know I'm doing it - but it's hard not to. I try to make good choices when I catch myself doing that, like having a glass of water instead, or choosing grapes instead of chips, but of course that doesn't always happen. I know it's just a phase, but I think I need a little kick start to get myself off this track. Any ideas?

We are having a patio put in next week (finally!), and my husband has designed a set of pergolas that he's going to build (probably with my help). He's really great at figuring things out and making plans, so that when it comes time to build things there's no guesswork and it's pretty straightforward. I can not wait until we can use our backyard more, and put up the pretty hammock we bought on our weddingmoon in Mexico!

I only wish our neighbours weren't so noisy - and meaty. Their kids throw things over the fence into our yard (this morning it was toys and garbage), and they're always out there barbequing. I know, it's summer, it's their yard... but the smell fills up our yard and as a vegetarian it really grosses me out. Occasionally they'll do fish, and I'm gagging and running inside. And they play their music outside, which I just think is rude. It makes it impossible to enjoy the nice weather, birdsong, and some peace and quiet in our own yard when Shania Twain is blasting. Not nice.

I also have to get on planning out the gardens that will surround the new patio. I know it's hard to picture, but imagine this - we have a lot that is half a storey higher at the front than the back, and it's on an inside corner, but not right on the corner - so it's like a rectangle plus a triangle in shape. The vegetable beds are on the square side behind the house, and the patio is going into the triangle part. A new shed (another husband design and build) is going in between.

We have bought a compact Stella cherry that will go in at the top of the hill, and we are also trying to pick out a big(ish)tree for some shade. We wandered five nurseries on Sunday trying to find the perfect tree. It's hard, because we want something tall (upwards of 40'), but relatively narrow (up to 30' in spread). It can't be poisonous, ugly, or too columnar. I like locusts (small leaves, no raking, dappled light!), but my husband doesn't. He likes maples but I don't (for this yard - it's too small for beautiful big ones, the columnar varietals are too tall and skinny, and I don't like raking leaves). We also have clay soil to deal with. Anyway. It's an ongoing thing.

I'm feeling pretty drained (just fatigue - or maybe my poor food choices today!), but I have a class to teach tonight. If you have the night off and you're wondering what to do with yourself, take a few minutes and enter the two giveaways I'm hosting! Enter here for some lovely organic soap (we're using it now and it smells so herbal/spicy and good) plus non-toxic nailpolish from EcoMom, and head here for the new giveaway for Tropical Traditions organic coconut peanut butter (yum).

Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter Review & Giveaway!

***Giveaway Closed***
The lucky winner is Pam!

All of the products from Tropical Traditions that I have tried - the Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, the Organic Whole Golden Flax Seed, and now the Organic Coconut Peanut Butter - have been really fresh and yummy.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try out the Organic Coconut Peanut Butter. Doesn't it just sound delicious? It is! I do like to use it as an ingredient rather than straight, mainly because I would find it hard to stop eating it (it really melts in your mouth and is sooo good) and it is pretty high in calories. Compared to the all-natural, just peanuts peanut butter that we eat, it has a lot more calories (284 compared to 90 in 1 tbsp) and a lot more saturated fat (5.4 grams compared to 1.5 grams in a tbsp). So for us it is a treat rather than an everyday kind of food. The flavour is perfect in my favourite Thai dishes as well as in baked goods, and a little bit is really enough to add the rich taste of coconut.

I actually used this tonight, substituting it for a third of the peanut butter in the Rice Bowl of Deliciousness - wonderful! If you've been reading along, you'll know I used it in my variation on Pad Thai as well!

I also have made granola with the Coconut Peanut Butter - which was also really tasty, but left something to be desired in the consistency department, being neither cereal nor bars (I will have to work on that recipe a bit more before I share it!).

Tropical Traditions has a Referral Program, so if you place an order with them as a first-time customer, please select “Referred by a friend” and in the box that says “How did you hear of us?” enter my sponsor ID number 5687267. By telling Tropical Traditions that I referred you, you will receive a free copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy with your first order! This book is filled with testimonies and research showing how healthy coconut oil is, and it also includes over 85 recipes showing how one can incorporate coconut into their diet. There are also lots of recipes online here!

As promised - one of my lucky readers is going to get to try the Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter! I am really happy to have this in my pantry and I hope you will be too!

The giveaway: A 16 oz. jar of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter

How to enter: Head over to Tropical Traditions and let me know one other thing you'd like to try, OR one thing that you learned there. Make sure I've got a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entries (please leave an extra comment for each. If you already do any of these things, leave the comment - you do get the entry for it!):

• Subscribe via email to the Tropical Traditions newsletter
  
• Become a fan of Tropical Traditions' Facebook page (click right at the bottom of their main page; leave your first name and last initial for verification please :) )
  
• Follow @troptraditions on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Tweet about this giveaway for ONE entry, this is not a daily! You can use this if you like:

  Yum! Win Coconut Peanut Butter from @TropTraditions at Emily's Latest @emilyisland http://bit.ly/dpN0SG US/CAN 5/10
  

• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog– 2 entries, leave 2 comments (please leave a link to your blog)
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to Tropical Traditions – 2 entries, leave 2 comments and please include a link to your post
  

I will be verifying comments so please actually do the things you say you do ☺

Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be rejected. Canadian or US mailing addresses only, please. Giveaway ends May 10th at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

Prize will be shipped by sponsor. Note for Canadian entrants: Tropical Traditions is not responsible for customs or duties that Canada may charge if you decide to participate in this Tropical Traditions sponsored blog giveaway. (FYI - it's unlikely to have a charge, being well under the $60 that incurs duty charges! There was no extra charge on my jar, which came to Canada quickly and packaged well!)

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Majesta Earth Day Makeover

April 22nd is Earth Day!

One of the fun things I've been doing lately is participating in a Mom Central Canada blog tour and discussion group about Majesta. If you don't know Majesta, just take a quick peek down the tissue aisle. Past the expensive brands with cutesy mascots. Towards the eco-friendly end of the aisle, you will find Majesta products.

Don't think eco-friendly means rough and sandpapery. I had the chance to try out Majesta's facial tissue, bathroom tissue and paper towels. Here's what I thought.

• The facial tissues are much nicer than the cheap store brands (softer and thicker), but not quite as soft and thick as the premium brands that you want when you have the worst cold and anything but the best will chap your nose. We found the tissues to be a good choice for the budget and for the everyday nose.
• The bathroom tissue was way softer than I expected. It is not as thick, soft and strong as Charmin, but here's where things get interesting. One of the things we had the opportunity to do with this blog tour was a 'shake test', where we put a few sheets of Majesta in one bottle, and a few sheets of Charmin in another, filled both with water and shook them up. The Majesta disintegrated, just like it will in the septic system, breaking down quickly and not clogging pipes, or hanging around too long in the waste stream. The Charmin held up like fabric. So if you think about clogged pipes or what exactly happens to all that tissue that we flush away and forget, consider that little test. I think it speaks volumes.
• The paper towels were good for small messes, but for me didn't quite hold up to big messes or long use. Again it's because they are designed to break down quickly. Pros and cons.
  

The discussion group has been fun. We've been talking about what we do to help the environment, what steps we might take as individuals to do more, and learning about what Majesta does in terms of environmental impact. In our household, we have already got a lot of 'green' going on. Here are some of the ways my husband and I try to stay green:

• we have a programmable thermostat and lights on timers, to minimize wasted energy
• our house is fairly new, and we had an energy audit last year as well. We upped our insulation in the attic and basement, and plugged a lot of small gaps, saving money and heat.
• all of our appliances are high-efficiency models
  
• we use reuseable grocery bags (even produce bags), food containers, and minimize plastic in our household
• we have a backyard compost bin, as well as a green bin. Between those and the recycling bin, we throw out very little garbage.
• We planted a tree last year in our yard, and are planting two more this year (I can't wait!)
• We are vegetarian
• I work at home (no commute), and my husband has a minimal 15-minute commute to work - for which he drives our small, efficient car.
  

Majesta does use 100% new materials (that means trees) - but the company plants three trees for every one that is harvested. That to me is definitely commendable. They also whiten their products without chlorine bleach.

Now if you need a little more incentive to check out Majesta, they have a contest going on right now where you could win $15,000 towards any 'green' home project, for example, landscaping or home improvement projects!

You can enter daily until June 27th for your chance to win!
(only Canadians are eligible)

Awesome! I can think of a few things I'd love to do around here with that kind of green. I would do a lot more landscaping in the yard, providing habitat for birds with shrubs and trees. I would love to put some bat houses up in the nearby woods. I think it would be a lot of fun to get trees for all our neighbours in this new subdivision and help plant them. I'd love to get some furniture for our nearly empty living room that is made of natural, sustainable materials. I'm not sure if that last counts, but it sure would improve things around here in a green way.

What are the things you do with your family to be environmentally friendly? What would you do if you won the $15,000? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Pad Thai's Long Lost Vegetarian Fraternal Twin (recipe)

This recipe is inspired by a few recipes I've seen online, notably at An Opera Singer in the Kitchen, on Recipezaar, and at Vegetarian Times. However, I've adapted it to include a few new ingredients and work with what I had on hand. We had this for dinner tonight and it was delish!

If Pad Thai had a fraternal twin (a vegetarian one that was raised in a different country), it might go something like this. The key is to prepare all the ingredients beforehand, so that the cooking is actually very quick. The rapini has a very distinct sour taste which I think balances nicely with the sweetness of the sauce, but if you're not into that just leave it out!

Pad Thai's Long Lost Vegetarian Fraternal Twin

1 package flat rice noodles

The veg:

5 stalks rapini, trimmed and chopped
4 mushrooms, sliced
½ zucchini, julienned
½ cup broccoli florets
1 green onion, slivered

1 Tbsp coconut oil for cooking

The sauce:
2 Tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup Mirin
3 Tbsp Tamari
3 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp chili sauce
2 Tbsp coconut peanut butter
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed

The garnish:
lime wedges
chopped peanuts

• Whisk together the sauce ingredients. If the peanut butter won't mix easily, just pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds, then mix and set aside.
• Heat the coconut oil on medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms, zucchini and broccoli, stirring, until vegetables are tender and the mushrooms start to lose their moisture. Add in rapini and cook until it begins to wilt (just about a minute).
• Add in the sauce and stir to combine. Cook one minute more (to take the edge off the garlic).
• Add the noodles and toss to distribute the sauce.
• Sprinkle with green onions and chopped peanuts, add a wedge of lime and serve! Serves 4.

Now - options. I rarely follow a recipe exactly, and certainly don't expect you to!

If you don't have...

• rice noodles, try soba, fettucini, or even ribbons of zucchini lightly steamed.
  
• any of these vegetables, try julienned carrots, snow peas, bean sprouts, slivered onion (red or white), tofu, fresh spinach or kale, green beans, bok choi, bell peppers - whatever you've got. You can certainly make this without vegetables too, for a very simple, saucy noodle dish.
  
• Coconut oil, use peanut, canola, or your favourite mild cooking oil
  
• Mirin (Japanese cooking wine), use vegetable broth, or half and half rice wine vinegar and water
• Tamari (Japanese wheat-free miso-based sauce), use low-sodium soy sauce.
• Ketchup, use a little more nut butter, or tomato paste and a bit more sugar.
• Lime juice, use lemon juice or rice wine vinegar. In desperate times even apple cider vinegar will work.
• Chili sauce, use red pepper flakes to taste and add just a touch more oil, or chop up a fresh chili or jalepeno pepper (to taste).
• Coconut peanut butter, use almond or peanut butter (smooth or crunchy), or a bit of buttermilk or cream, or just leave it out.
  
• Fresh garlic - well, just leave it out, don't use powdered (ick). You might add a minced shallot if you happen to have that on hand. Or some minced ginger.
  
• chopped peanuts - try chopped cashews. You could also garnish with cilantro, if you like it.
  

This could be about a hundred different recipes, depending on what's in your pantry :)

BTW, I was using Tropical Traditions products here (among others, of course). I used their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, and their Organic Coconut Peanut Butter. The coconut peanut butter, by the way, is pretty yummy! I made granola with it the other day, but I need to tweak the recipe some before it's worth sharing (it was tasty, but it was too loose to be bars, yet too firm to be cereal). Anyway, I have been really happy with their products so far! And for those of you that read this far - keep an eye out for an upcoming giveaway of the Organic Coconut Peanut Butter very soon!

Hope you like it! I'd love to hear if you try it (and what you do with the recipe!).

EcoMom Review and Giveaway!

***This giveaway is closed***
Winner: CapitalMom!

Well – are you excited yet? I mentioned that I was going to be doing a review and giveaway for EcoMom, and today’s the big day!

EcoMom (formerly known as Sprout Baby) is an online store featuring eco-friendly products for the whole family. There is a focus on baby stuff, with natural products from skin care through diapers, toys, mealtime, bathtime and more – but there are also items for adults, whether they are parents or not!

One of the features they offer is a an EcoPass membership, where for a $99 annual fee, you get a 15% discount on every order, as well as free shipping with no minimum requirement. I’m sure you can imagine how fast the savings would add up.

I was thrilled to see a selection of beauty products that are toxin free. I’m kind of a girly girl (despite my lack of skill in the hair department), and wear makeup every day. I’ve started worrying about what exactly is in the makeup I’m wearing and it’s nice to know there are safer, more natural options.

I used to love having pretty painted toenails, but when I learned about the nasty stuff that’s in regular nail polish, I stopped. Now that I’m taking yoga again and summer’s on it’s way, I’ve been missing having painted toes! Luckily, you don’t have to compromise your health with the Priti Nails polishes that EcoMom has to offer.

I was sent the Priti nail polish in lambs-tail cactus, which looks like a deep grey with micro-sparkles in regular light, but really comes alive in sunlight – each tiny sparkle shoots off a rainbow of colour. It also dries really fast which is a bonus – I hate waiting around for nails to dry. It’s not a colour I would have thought to pick for myself, but I think I’m converted. I hope you can see in the picture how pretty this is (you can click it for a larger version).

(Let's all just pretend that my hands are photogenic and I'm not remarkably clumsy with a nail polish brush)

Another product that we can’t live without in this house is natural soap. Again, I used to use the big brand shower gels, but when I learned about the harmful chemicals in most of these products, I switched to handmade soaps with safe ingredients (I recommend the book Slow Death By Rubber Duck if you’re interested in learning about chemicals in ordinary household objects and products – you can read my review here).

I was happy to see some really nice soaps available at EcoMom! The Pangea Organics line contains all natural and essential oils to make a bar soap that is truly clean (and smells amazing!!). We were sent the Italian White Sage, Geranium and Yarrow soap bar, and it has a spicy, rich, and intoxicating herbal scent. It’s a very gender neutral kind of scent, one that my husband and I both will be happy to use. I also must comment on the packaging - recycled paper and oh, so stylish!

Of course, EcoMom has way more to offer. Loads of good stuff for little ones, and big ones too. I recommend browsing through their site - it's conveniently categorized by product and by recipient - you will be pleasantly surprised at the great eco-friendly products they have!

Great news - EcoMom has generously offered one of my lucky readers the same package that I got!

AND, here’s a coupon code for everyone – use SBBL220 to receive 15% off your first order, valid until May 31st!

The giveaway: Priti Nails Nail Polish and a bar of Pangea Soap.

How to enter: Head over to EcoMom and let me know one thing that catches your eye, OR one thing that you learned there. Make sure I've got a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entries (please leave an extra comment for each):

• Become a fan of the EcoMom Facebook page (please comment with your first name & last initial for verification)
• Sign up for the EcoMom newsletter
• Follow @ecomom on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Tweet about this giveaway for ONE entry, this is not a daily! You can use this if you like:
  

You’ll love this - win Priti polish & Pangea soap from @EcoMom at Emily's Latest @emilyisland http://bit.ly/bbcFQW US/CAN 5/5

• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog– 2 entries, leave 2 comments (please leave a link to your blog)
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to EcoMom – 2 entries, leave 2 comments and please include a link to your post
  

I will be verifying comments so please actually do the things you say you do ☺

Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be rejected. Canadian or US mailing addresses only, please. Giveaway ends May 5th at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed! Prize will be shipped by the sponsor.

I was provided with products for an honest review and to keep, but was not otherwise compensated for this review. While a disclosure is not required for Canadian blogs, I see nothing wrong with being transparent!

Psst!

I just wanted to say I'm so excited about some really nice review products I received from EcoMom (formerly Sprout Baby)! These aren't specifically "mom" products, either - and would make a great treat for a lucky couple (or just keep them for yourself!). One's for women, one's... well, for either women or men, but my husband has claimed it. Both eco-friendly and toxin-free. And that's all the hints you get.

Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming review and giveaway soon!

Life.

I know I haven't posted that much lately. Things have gotten busy around here with my work - lots of deadlines approaching and demands on my time; plus, I've started a new teaching session.

I've also joined the gym that my husband joined, and we're going about three times a week. I love the BodyFlow classes (yoga, tai chi and pilates), which I had really missed since quitting the gym a few years ago. My husband likes the BodyPump classes, which are weight-training classes with barbells and free weights. So we've been going together to both. I don't enjoy the weight class, but it is definitely a workout I feel (for days afterwards, I'm aching).

Meanwhile, I've been alternating between manic getting-things-done mode and bouts of emotional lows. The 9th anniversary of my father's death was yesterday, which is always a hard time for me. I miss him terribly. It's as though there are two days that bring that loss home, as well, because he died on a Good Friday. So each year both Good Friday and the 13th of April are reminders of his death.

Looking back on the last 10 years, a lot of bad things and a lot of change has happened in my life. Not all of the change is bad, of course - but I find change very stressful. I quit the first real job I had since university and started my own business, my father died suddenly, I got married, bought a perfect little house, got separated, sold the house, got a new boyfriend, moved to an awful apartment, my boyfriend moved across the country and we split up, he moved back and we got back together and moved to another awful apartment in a new city. I got a divorce, bought another house, waited through two years of battles with the builder, moved in, got married, my grandfather died, and we lost two pregnancies. That's a lot. I never in a million years expected my life to turn out quite like this.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to high school and make decisions over, lead a different life. On the other hand, that path would probably never have led me to my husband, and despite the long struggle to get here, I wouldn't change where I am. I guess I just wish I had been lucky enough to skip the struggle. I know women my age who are well settled, with two or three children, a 10+ year marriage, a settled life, while I feel like I am still playing catch up, still trying to get to the kind of family life that I always dreamed of and expected to come easily. I wish I'd met my husband when I was 23 and not jaded, brave enough to move across the country to be with him when he moved. Still a young woman with two living parents and no real concept of the pain that loss can bring, young enough to feel like my whole life and potential was ahead of me.

I have changed a lot over the last decade. Lost a lot of my optimism and some of my confidence, too. I'm less likely to give myself over to joy, because too many times that has led directly to pain for me. I'm less likely to 'get my hopes up', because I've been let down again and again. I'm more of a skeptic. I no longer trust that things will go well or turn out right, that people will be true to their word.

I miss the old me. She was happier. More naive, of course, but also braver, more trusting, more adventurous and more hopeful.

I guess sometimes we all want a re-do. And death makes us consider our lives. I've got a birthday coming up too, which I am dreading. Don't you sometimes wish you could put life on pause while you get your act together?

My mother is now with a truly wonderful man whom she loves. We love him, too - he's kind, smart, funny, and generous of heart. I am beyond thrilled that we have him in our lives. Her experience, and my own, show me that although we may struggle through awful times in our lives, it is possible for things to work out.

I just need to remember that when I'm feeling low.

ABC Neckties Winner!

Time to draw the lucky winner of a $25 gift certificate to ABC Neckties!

Sorry it's a little late today - we went for a really nice visit to my parents' house. It's about an hour and a half away, a beautiful drive through countryside on a beautiful day. My mother is a fantastic cook and made the most delicious lunch. Yum. We took Cadbury (our 7 year old chocolate lab) for his first meeting with their Airedale, who's only a year old. They had a blast playing together!

Anyway, down to the fun business of winning! Random.org picked:

#22 wins - congratulations! Watch for my email.

Two things you need to know about.

1: For my Toronto area readers (and online shoppers too!), the super fashionable store My Bump is having a 4th Anniversary Sale on April 17th!

This is really something to get excited about. My Bump carries some of my favourite mama and baby brands (yes, despite still being in the 'trying to conceive' stage, I have favourite brands - I've spent 18 months now researching and trying out products!).

Here are the details:

Saturday, April 17 & Sunday the 18th
25 % OFF All Spring/Summer Maternity & Breastfeeding Fashions
(sweet! They have gorgeous stuff from Boob Maternity, Momzelle and more!)

Door Prizes & Free cupcakes for first 50 customers.
Yes! Free cupcakes!

If you can't make it to the store on the sale weekend (it's at 944 Kingston Road, in Toronto), for the entire month of May you can still get 15% OFF all new spring/summer fashions.

And if you aren't in the area, online shoppers get free shipping in May!

That's #1.

2:EcoMom is having an Egg Hunt (on until April 15th! There's still time!) on their website with three prizes of a $25 gift certificate! Another great store with products for mom, baby and dad too. Just find the 12 eggs on their website, drop a quick email, and you're in. Details here. There are lots of eco-friendly goodies here that you could buy with $25!

And, a little heads up - I'll be doing a review and giveaway for EcoMom sometime soon!

For the record, I wasn't paid for this post or anything... These are just two cool stores I am happy to support.

Skin MD Coupon Code! and, me prattling on.

Remember that review I did of Skin MD Natural a while ago? I'm still really happy with this product (my bottle is down to the last few drops after twice-daily use for 4 months!), and also happy to share a coupon code with you! If you use the code LATEST at the Skin MD website, you can get 20% off the purchase price! Sweet!

This is a brand new code so if it isn't working yet, give it a few hours - it will be soon! The coupon code expires on May 8th, 2010. A big thank you to Skin MD for creating this code for my readers!
___

In other news... I went ahead and joined the gym that my husband joined a few weeks back. We had left the gym for the last few years because when we moved to this small town, the nearest one was 20 minutes away and we thought we'd never go. But after a couple years of no gym membership, we are both feeling unfit and a little pudgy, so back we go, despite the 20 minute drive.

We've been going 3-4 times a week, to the BodyFlow and BodyPump classes. BodyFlow is an hour-long tai chi, pilates and yoga workout combined, all set to music - a class I LOVE and have been doing for years. BodyPump is less appealing to me - it's a weight-training class, kind of boring but definitely a good workout. So if I'm around a little less, it's partly because 6 1/2 hours are now 'gone' from my week.
___

Other than that... not much is up. I've been working a lot lately - the galleries are asking for more work and I've got a huge show in the summer to get ready for. Swamped is an understatement. And, I decided to run another beginners' class starting on Monday for eight weeks - what was I thinking?! Definitely under a little work stress right now.

As for the blog - I do have three reviews lined up (with giveaways!), I just need to find the time to get going on them. So hang in there, if you're into that kind of thing :) OH, and don't forget there are a few more days in the ABC Neckties giveaway! Win a $25 gift certificate!

A portrait of a woman

A woman who's trying to conceive, that is. There's me - and there are so many others who are trying for a baby. Who are they? Are you one?

The results from a recent survey (run by Early-Pregnancy-Tests.com) are up that paint an interesting picture of who we are. I was one of the respondents, and my answers are mixed in with the other 619 women who answered the questions about where we are in our journey to have a child. I found it very interesting to see the results.

Just wondering from my TTC readers, what do you think about the results? Do you feel represented here?

(ps, this is not a paid post or a plug for the website, just some interesting info!)

Winner!

Time to draw the Eden Fantasys winner! With 198 entries, random.org picked...which means...
Congratulations! Watch for an email from me.

Didn't win? I think you will find that Eden Fantasys has very affordable and fun options for anyone.

Winner!

One lucky reader is going to get an awesome package in the mail, full of Organic Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions! Is it you?And the winner is -
Hooray! I'm just about to email you (and probably tweet at you, too :) ). As usual, the winner has 48 hours to respond or I'll redraw.

One more thing.

I hardly got anything productive done today despite my best intentions. Not cool.

One thing that I did finish was this.

Dress somewhat inspired by this one on Prudent Baby - one of my favourite creation/inspiration blogs (though my dress is clearly not as awesome), and bunny is from this Martha Stewart pattern. As you can see if you click the link, the MS pattern makes a bunny that looks like it has to pee. That's why I added the dress - plus, my bunny fabric was not all that interesting. The colours came out kind of weird in the photo, but the bunny is ivory with yellow ears, and the dress is more turquoise with little carrots on it :)

If I do it again, I'll want to make a new bunny pattern. I don't quite like the way the legs bend towards each other. Or the shape to the head. Or the long skinny arms. The pattern is just a little unconsidered. Am I being picky? I have an old pattern from a bunny my mother made (her own design) for me as a child... I should have started there.

So now I have this bunny and am not sure what to do with it. Etsy it? (Can I do that with a Martha pattern creation?) Or... I have a pregnant friend (no idea what the gender is yet), and a bunch of friends with little girls - it could be a gift. Or... I could do a 200 followers giveaway here.

What do you think?

Five things

1. I got this awesome makeup palette from Eyes Lips Face in the mail yesterday. I won it at a Twitter party put on by the Clever Girls Collective for Project Runway. Um, fun! There's another Twitter party tonight, sponsored by L'Oreal - perhaps I'll see you there? RSVP here! I played with the palette today. It made me look like this. I'm not as snarky as I look in the picture. And please excuse the bra straps. My only strapless has given up the ghost. Oh, and this is what it looks like when I do my own hair. Messy. One side flips left - and so does the other! Why does the hairdresser always cut in two levels, one 3" shorter than the rest? That's not what I mean when I say I want layers! Grr!

2. I have a crush on the Pür minerals 4-in-1. It's $40 at Shoppers. For a compact of pressed powder. Ugh. Why is it MORE expensive to get make up with LESS in it (I don't want the chemicals, parabens, garbage fillers that are in all the regular drugstore brands, thanks). If you have a suggestion for a decent concealer and foundation that aren't full of toxins, xenoestrogens, comedogens and carcinogens... I'd love to know. I would go without but, unfortunately, at my age I still have acne issues.

3. I have been Beyond the Rack shopping again - this time for my husband. We picked up a pair of Doc Martens for him for $45 in one of their events last weekend. Just for the record - remember when I ordered that adorable Dereon lingerie set? Well it never came - I guess they oversold or something dumb like that. So they refunded my account... I was disappointed. I'm curious to see what happens with the Docs. I love Docs and wore one pair of their 8-hole boots for eight years before they wore out. They're a pain (literally) to break in, but soooo nice and durable once you get through that. My husband is a lucky man, is all I can say.

BTR is an invite-only online designer outlet. If you want to join and try it out, here's your invitation. Joining is free, and you can see all the current and upcoming events. They have stuff like shoes and clothing (men and women), handbags, cosmetics (Balmshell's on now!), lingerie, housewares, swimsuits, toys... You know. Stuff.

4. It was a good mail day yesterday. I also got a Made in the Shade dress from DownEast Basics that I won at Getting Kinda Crunchy (thanks!!). Lovely, although the value was marked at $30 on the shipping invoice, and that dastardly UPS charged me $29 in "import fees". This isn't duty or taxes, it's UPS' greedy money-grubbing evilness at work. UPS sucks.

Dearest US companies,
Please - when sending to your customers in Canada, go with a better courier.
Love, Emily.

5. I love spring. This year is a little harder. I wish it hadn't occurred to me that Lost Baby #1 would have been 10 weeks old today. I don't mean to torture myself. I don't mean to keep track at all. I wish I could forget. I confess, it's hard to see all the moms walking around the neighbourhood now that it's nicer out, babes in strollers and carriers, tots held by the hand. And the whole April Fool's "I'm pregnant!" joke on Facebook makes me ache inside. Not. Funny.

Easter deal on Sing-A-Long Favorites!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Madacy Entertainment. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of the things I can’t wait to do with my child(ren?) is sing. I already do this with the dog (yes, I sing to our dog. Hush.). My repertoire is limited, though, mostly to music from the 90’s. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but Tori Amos’ Waitress might not be exactly the ideal song for young ears.

So I’ll be looking out for music that is a little more age-appropriate. For you moms who are ready for it now, here’s a little deal you may be interested in. On Easter Sunday (coming up soon: April 4, 2010), Amazon MP3 Will offer an "MP3 Daily Deal" on the digital album "Ultimate Countdown Kids Collection: 200 Sing-A-Long Favorites". This digital album normally sells for $11.99, but it’s going to be on sale for less than half off at $3.99.



This as an amazing collection of children's favourites that is perfect for sing a long fun! Many of them you will remember from your own childhood, and there are also songs that were new to me – maybe they’ll be new to you, too. I know that I can remember the chorus, or the first verse of children’s songs, but often not the whole song. I need a little help with that.

If you're looking for a fun way to spend some time with the kids, check this out!

20 years of baking

...and I still have a baking disaster from time to time. I made muffins on the weekend - a previously untested recipe, that I modified to be eggless: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip (at my husband's request). They did not rise. They did not muffinize. They fall apart. They taste pretty good, but these are not muffins. I've been upending them in a bowl, pouring milk on them and microwaving for 30 seconds. They're better that way.

We went to the Leafs game on Saturday and it was a blast. The Leafs actually won (in overtime), which made for a more exciting game. The suite we were in had a great view of the rink, comfortable seats, and we were provided with Corona, veggie pizza (among other snacks, not all of which were edible vegetarian) and Haagen Dazs treats. Yum. This was my first NHL game and definitely fun to watch. Not quite as fun as a Raptors game, but pretty good! I must extend a thank you to Wonderlist for the great experience. I wish I'd asked someone to take a photo of us there, but I was too shy.

Ummmm not much else is up. DH is away this week, working out of town, so it's just been me and the dog kicking around the house. We're both getting increasingly whiny the longer he's away.

I'm not really sure what the point of all this is - I guess just to say that I'm still here!

Oh, and to remind you that I have three great giveaways going on - all open to Canada and the US - check the top left sidebar for links.

Best Baby Organics (FertilAid) Winner!

The winner of the FertilAid for Women from Best Baby Organics is...

Holly! (confirmed)

Thanks all for entering, and I am still 100% behind this product (I'm still on it myself) - I really believe in it. If you are interested in trying it out, you can find it at Best Baby Organics.

(The first comment wasn't an entry, which is why despite having 72 comments, I used 1-71 in the random number generator. Then I added one to the number it came up with to get comment #37. If you're curious.)

ABC Neckties Review & Giveaway!

***This giveaway is closed***
The lucky winner: Jennifer!

Finally, a giveaway for the man in your life! Doesn't he deserve it?

I love a man in a suit. I know I'm not alone (how many of you went to see the movie Up in the Air just to watch George Clooney wander around in a suit for two hours? Be honest!). And I have been tie shopping with my husband a few times (not nearly as fun as it sounds) and realize exactly how difficult it is to find a nice tie that is good quality, will work with the shirts, blazers or suits he has, and is a reasonable price!

So when I had the opportunity to work with ABC Neckties, the answer was yes! My husband and I spent quite a bit of time looking through the many options on their website, from silk, striped, solids, patterned, novelty ties and more! My husband ended up choosing the Clark Fashion Silk Tie, which has a subtle pattern on green with just a hint of blues woven in. The fabric is really nice quality, nice and thick, and just the right length and width. I think he looks pretty awesome in it, don't you?

He noted that it makes a nice thick knot even with a simple knot, which apparently is good. This must be a Guy Thing. I have never looked that closely at the knots on ties but given that there are a ton of ways to knot a tie, it must be important.

Just to give you an idea of some of the many, many other options...

I also liked these:

This is the Bennett Striped Silk Tie, I like the soft silvery grey and the tiny stripes in different greens. This one's on sale right now for $20.36.

To the right is the Chesapeake Checkered Silk Tie, which I love because it looks fairly neutral and tame from a distance, but up close has lots of colour in it.

And just for fun, here's the Stethoscope Necktie - is there a doctor in the house?! I think it's pretty hilarious. They have a Coach one, too, in red with a silver whistle :) and other fun occupational ties.

They also carry accessories, like cuff link sets and handkerchiefs - with really great prices on those as well!

--- Here's the good news for you ---

ABC Neckties has generously offered one of my readers a $25 gift certificate!

That's enough for a super nice tie, or even TWO, depending on what styles you like! Or, a tie and cuff links set! Mix and match :) When was the last time your sweetie got a nice surprise in the mail? Here's your chance to hook him up.

The giveaway: A a $25 gift card to ABC Neckties!

How to enter: Head over to ABC Neckties and let me know one thing that catches your eye, OR one thing that you learned there. Make sure I've got a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entries (please leave an extra comment for each):

• Become a fan of the ABC Neckties Facebook page (please comment with your first name & last initial for verification)
• Follow @ABCNeckties on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Tweet about this giveaway for ONE entry, this is not a daily! You can use this if you like:

  Hook hubby up! Win a $25 gift card for @ABCNeckties at Emily's Latest @emilyisland http://bit.ly/avFRqQ US/CAN 4/10

• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog– 2 entries, leave 2 comments (please leave a link to your blog)
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to ABC Neckties – 2 entries, leave 2 comments and please include a link to your post

I will be verifying comments so please actually do the things you say you do ☺

Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be rejected. Canadian or US mailing addresses only, please. Giveaway ends April 10th at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

Disclaimer: ABC Neckties provided a free sample of this product to review. These opinions are my own. Prize will be shipped by sponsor.

Last day!

Just a little reminder... today's the LAST DAY to enter the giveaway for a month's supply of FertilAid for Women, sponsored by Best Baby Organics! I'll draw the winner tomorrow. If you are trying to conceive, this is the stuff for you. You can read my long-winded review here, and enter the giveaway here.

I've got some errands to run today, but will try to get that other giveaway I mentioned up later! I put up a new recipe last night, in case you missed it, for some yummy, easy enchiladas.

Baked Enchiladas (vegetarian, of course!)

Not sure what to make for dinner?

This is really quick to put together and gets a lot of love. Everything marked with an asterisk is optional. Just leave these ingredients out if you don’t have them on hand - it will be just as good. I add nutritional yeast because it gives an extra hit of umami flavour, and is a good source of B-vitamins and protein.

Baked enchiladas

Filling:
1 can Mexican red beans (or black, or kidney), drained
1 can corn (drained)
1 scallion, chopped (or 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion if you don’t have a green onion)
1 ½ tomatoes, chopped
*½ to 1 jalapeno, chopped (canned or fresh, amount according to taste)
*½ bell pepper, chopped
*2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 ½ tsp chili powder
*1 tsp chipotle sauce
1 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup salsa

Topping:
½ cup salsa (or a small can enchilada sauce)
½ cup grated cheddar

6 large tortillas

Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon into tortillas, rolling up and placing them seam-side down in a lightly greased 11x13” baking dish.

I used green spinach tortillas!

Spread the remaining ½ cup salsa on top, and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. You can use more salsa if you like - I was using our homemade salsa, which is like gold (if you've ever made salsa, you know... the chopping!), so I skimped a little.

Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Broil for a couple minutes at the end if the cheese doesn’t look sufficiently melty.

Use the remaining ½ tomato in your ...

Guacamole

1 ripe avocado, seeded, peeled
juice from ½ lime
½ tomato, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
couple drops hot sauce (to taste)
Mush up the avocado in a bowl with a fork, add remaining ingredients and stir. YUM.

Use the remaining ½ lime in your Corona :)

Serve with guac, salsa, sour cream if you desire, and Mexican beer!

I'd love to hear if you make this!

It's a date!

Oh, my! I'm so excited. I just got a phone call to let me know that I won something super fun!

I entered a contest at the Toronto Star's Wonderlist... and won this:

one pair of tickets to the NHL game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, 2010 at Air Canada Centre in the Toronto Star Executive Suite. Limited food and beverage will be supplied by Contest Sponsor. Each prize has a value of approximately $500.00.

Now THAT is going to be a fun night for us!

Awesome.

Well, I'm still not pregnant. What can I say? It's not for lack of trying... it's not that we're not 'relaxed'... just not this month. Again. *sigh* I'm not feeling bitter, just tired and disappointed awesome.



Moving right along...

Did any of you try the Rice Bowl of Deliciousness? Do you want to see another version? I came up with a different one and will share if anyone's interested. Speak up, if you are :)

I have another giveaway coming up, which I will probably post Friday - and then another early next week as well. I've had a lot of fun stuff to review lately, and I love sharing with you guys! In case you haven't noticed, I've still got THREE ongoing giveaways - all open to the US and Canada. Check the top left sidebar for links!

Aside from that... not much is up. Just working away; this is a busy time of year for me for work. If you are missing those giveaway lists that I was doing, follow me on Twitter - most of the giveaways I enter there are posted these days.

Eden Fantasys Review and Giveaway!

***This giveaway is closed.***
Congratulations to: Huguette E.

A promise is a promise... and I did say I'd post a giveaway today! I have a few things lined up to review, and when I asked you guys the overwhelming response (okay, two people said something) was that a grown-up review and giveaway should come first.

Hey - it's spring. Almost Easter. Insert your own make-like-bunnies joke here.

***adult content below!***

As I won't shut up about you may know, my husband and I have been TTC (that's trying to conceive, for the uninitiated) for a while now. And when you've been 'trying' for 16 months it can get a little... well, trying. So when Eden Fantasys approached me to do another review on my blog, it seemed like a good idea to try something that might break up the routine a bit.

With all the stuff that Eden Fantasys has to offer, from adult toys to lingerie, books and videos, candles, lotions, etcetera - there are a lot of options. We weren't sent anything too exotic; we received the Rainbow Paradice.This is a fun pair of dice that has various locations (in the house!) and positions on the faces. The dice are bigger than I was expecting. I guess that makes sense, as you need to be able to figure out the illustrated positions on there. It definitely brings a little chance and a sense of play into the mix! I think this would be a very cute bachelorette party gift; it's not so racy as to offend anyone but it does have just a touch of naughty to it. Or, fun if you are looking to get some of the spontaneity back into a long-term relationship!

ps, excuse my weird-looking hand
(honestly, it is a normal hand in real life. Apparently not very photogenic, though. Who knew?)
- I just wanted to give an idea of the size of these!

If I have any complaints, it would be that there's a spelling mistake on the dice. I'm one of those people, I know it's not a big deal but bad spelling just really bugs me. So, I have renamed our dining room "The Dinning Room", and thus it is no longer an error on the dice. Phew. Spelling freak-out averted.

They also sent a $25 gift card so that we could shop for something else. And I have started a list (I've just been piling things on a wish list on the site) and am trying to narrow down the options! They have lots of choice for individual or couples play (including more sensual things like bubble bath and massage oils - it's not all 'toys').
I can vouch for their shipping process. Shipping in my experience has been fast (yes, even to Canada), and very discreet. Items arrive in a plain box with a return address that doesn't let your friendly/nosy courier know what's in the package.

Here's the good news:
Eden Fantasys has generously offered one of my readers the same package I got!

The giveaway: A set of Rainbow Paradice of your own, AND a $25 gift card to Eden Fantasys!

How to enter: Head over to Eden Fantasys and let me know one thing that catches your eye, OR one thing that you learned there. Make sure I've got a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entries (please leave an extra comment for each):

• Subscribe via email to an Eden Fantasys newsletter. Each newsletter subscription counts as one entry (they have five!).
• Follow the Eden Cafe blog via RSS (or Facebook)
  
• Follow @edencafe on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Tweet about this giveaway for ONE entry, this is not a daily! You can use this if you like:

  Win Rainbow Paradice & a $25 gift card from Eden Fantasys at Emily's Latest @emilyisland http://bit.ly/badU2e US/CAN 4/5

• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog– 2 entries, leave 2 comments (please leave a link to your blog)
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to Eden Fantasys – 2 entries, leave 2 comments and please include a link to your post
  

I will be verifying comments so please actually do the things you say you do ☺

Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be rejected. Canadian or US mailing addresses only, please. Giveaway ends April 5th at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

Disclaimer: Eden Fantasys provided me with a free sample of this product to review. These opinions are my own. Prize will be shipped by sponsor.

Shopping, working out...

I've been quiet, I know... I will probably post a giveaway tomorrow. By request, the grown-up giveaway will come first! I do have a couple of others in the works as well - nice stuff - so be patient. Meanwhile, please go ahead and enter the new FertilAid for Women giveaway, and the one for Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil!

DH and I went to Vaughan Mills today - meant to be a belated birthday shopping trip for him, but the only thing we got (besides a badly needed bathrobe for me on sale at the Gap outlet) were food court snacks and Starbucks drinks (I am in love with the new Dark Cherry Mocha, btw!). Not very many deals to be found, unless you count the $1200 Prada blouse marked down to $400 (um, yeah, still just a blouse). Or the $800 Manolo Blahnik shoes (marked down from $2195) - and they were uuuugLY!

We also hit the gym - he's signed up again with Goodlife (we're kicking ourselves for cancelling our memberships when we moved, as we were paying much less then). We went to a BodyFlow class, our perennial favourite. It's awesome. Tai Chi, yoga and Pilates combined. If you have a chance to try this out, take it! Super workout, great for flexibility, balance and strength, and truly relaxing as well. We both get mellowed out afterwards (and then sore for two days).

This particular location is so busy. The one thing I hate is trying to get a spot - the classes are really full at this gym and you really have to rush in there and claim your territory. Then worry about kicking someone in the head (or getting a foot to the face) as you do the standing strength poses. And the only other nearish location is women-only (but we like to do the class together)...

I'm feeling really out of shape, though - especially after spending a few hours in changing rooms today. Seeing my body in the harsh light of the change room was a real eye-opener.

So, I am debating whether to join the gym as well. I got a 7-day 'trial' pass when hubby signed up as I wasn't ready to commit - the closest one is 20 minutes away from our home. It's near hubby's work, but I work at home. Will I go? Or will I be spending $24 bi-weekly and not using it?

And, on a more personal note, I'm on day 31 and still clueless about what's going on this cycle. It's a mystery. I love mystery novels but not so crazy about cycle mysteries, as it turns out.