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.

Spotted in Style at Home / A dilemma

I spotted one of my paintings in the May issue of Style at Home that just hit my mailbox. It's an older one, from a series I did of dresses. Just 5x7", it's little - a gold dress on a bronze background, on page 76. I was disappointed that I wasn't credited in the magazine (they are usually pretty good about crediting artists), but happy to see my work out there, even if it is from an older series.

You know, I was so excited to get the new Style at Home... It's my favourite magazine (closely followed by - almost neck and neck with - Canadian House and Home). This issue is super thick and I was practically racing home from the mailbox to crack it open, when I realized... the last third of the magazine is some 'yellow pages' business with wall to wall ads. This is above and beyond the regular glut of ads in the mag... . What a let down! Here I was, hoping for gorgeous pictures and interesting articles, and instead I got an extra hefty, environmentally unfriendly and definitely unwanted dose of ads?! Boo.
___

I also have a little dilemma... three reviews + giveaways to post, which one first? I do prefer to stagger the giveaways and already have two going on (go enter, won't you? there aren't many entrants yet and these are both great products. Links at top left) - but I also want to hook you guys up with happy winning goodness a.s.a.p.!

So, any votes? What are you eager for...

• something manly for your honey?
  
• something for your listening pleasure?
• something for grown-up fun time?
  

Help me out of my dilemma!

Yumminess for YOU! - Tropical Traditions Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED
***Winner: YogaMama!***

Perhaps you read my post & review about using coconut oil in yummy soup (yes, there's a recipe for this quick and delicious soup!). Remember how that organic virgin coconut oil that I used was from Tropical Traditions?

Guess what???

They've offered to give one of my readers a 32 oz. jar of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil! This stuff is so versatile. You can use it as a cooking oil, in baking (tried it! works for me - I made this bread with it in my bread machine last week), as a spread if you're so inclined, in teas (really)... There are loads of recipes here!

It has a lovely aroma and flavour of coconut - not too strong, not overpowering, not sweet - just a little exotic hint. It's really very nice! If you're interested, you can check out their video, “How We Discovered Virgin Coconut Oil - An Interview with Brian Shilhavy, CEO Tropical Traditions”

Now the fun part!

The giveaway: A 32 oz. jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

How to enter: Head over to Tropical Traditions 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 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 Oil from @TropTraditions at Emily's Latest @emilyisland http://bit.ly/crfpHT US/CAN 4/1

• 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 April 1st at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

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. 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!)

Some yumminess for your Wednesday

I had to actually check that it's Wednesday. It is, in case you were wondering.

Yesterday (that would be Tuesday) was a good mail day - I got a one-pound bag of Tropical Traditions Organic Golden Flax Seed in the mail! Hooray! I opened it right up and tried a spoonful - nice and fresh! I use flax seed in most of my baking, and love sprinkling it along with chia seeds on my cereal or oatmeal in the morning, too. Super healthy goodness.

Also, one of my students had done a painting of a giant bowl of pears, and the pears reached their peak and had to be eaten. She took half, and left half for me - how sweet! So I whipped up a pear cobbler to take advantage of both these things.

This is very quick to put together, then you can go do other things while it bakes. You could also use apples, or pitted fruits like peaches or plums (or a mix) - whatever you've got on hand.

Pear Cobbler

• 3 1/2 cups peeled, sliced fruit (I used 4 pears)
• 1/4 cup of raisins (or dried cranberries, dried cherries, currants, goji berries, diced dried apricots, whatever! Diced candied ginger might be nice with the pears; use 1/8 cup)
• 3tsp + 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
  
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 Tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp flax seed
• 4 tsp softened butter

Preheat the oven to 325F.
Toss the fruit and raisins with the 3 tsp brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a bowl until coated. Put it in a 8" square baking pan (no need to grease the pan).
Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl until crumbly and the butter is evenly distributed. (I found I needed to add a little extra butter, but it was in the fridge and hard as a rock - so I added a little of the Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil that I told you about last week; perfect.)
Spread the oat mixture evenly on top of the fruit and bake for 45 minutes. I browned it under the broiler for 2 minutes at the end, just to get a nice toasty crumble. The flax seed adds a subtle nutty flavour, and is full of omega-3 goodness!Thanks to Tropical Traditions for the chance to try the flax seed out!

Tropical Traditions also 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 complimentary copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! 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 you can incorporate coconut into your diet.
___

I'm now wondering if maybe day 24 was the big day? I guess I'll know soon enough. Meanwhile you can be mystified if you like, too. Or be wise and let me know what you think :) I appreciate all finger crossing and babydust!

Spring, almost

I heard a robin (good old Turdus migratorius) in our neighbourhood today. The first sign of spring! The chives are up 1/2", and the garlic that I planted last fall is 3" tall already! I saw tiny buds of tarragon poking up, too. The strawberries even have some fresh new leaves. It's nearly time to plan what crops I'll be planting this year.
When the snow melted in the backyard (the last of it went today), we saw the evidence of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus - not nearly as funny a name as the robin) - tunnels in the sod. Cute little guys, eh? I'm definitely a rodent fan (I used to have pet mice and rats. They make very sweet pets! I miss my ratties!), but I do wish they would hang out in the copious green spaces nearby, instead of in our lawn. And I hope this doesn't mean they're going to snack on our vegetable garden this year. That will make me cranky.

Me, I'm waiting for a sign... I'm on day 26 and haven't seen the temperature dip that indicates ovulation. I'm not sure if maybe I missed it when I had the fever last week, or if it hasn't happened yet. Last cycle, day 26 was the big day, so today was a bit anti-climactic! Any guesses?

Anecdote

Remember that woman I told you about in my class - the one who keeps making comments about how my husband and I should have children (oh, or adopt)?

The other night, when she was talking about it again (seriously... I have no words), this conversation came about.

The context: We're in my studio, there are a number of students there, working away on their paintings, while I oversee and give help where needed.

She: So, you guys should have kids. When you guys have kids... But... wait a second, you're vegetarian, right?

I: Yes.

She: (gasp!) But... your babies will eat meat, right?

Um. No. I'm not planning on spawning little sharp-toothed carnivore babies. Or, you know, raising them on someone else's moral system.

Winner announced!

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BestBabyOrganics - Review & Giveaway (TTC?!)

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!
**** The winner is: Holly (confirmed)! ****

I have an exciting post today! It’s all about Best Baby Organics. If you haven’t heard of this online shop, get ready… it’s pretty sweet. Their goal is to bring affordable and eco-friendly maternity and baby gear to you. (Two of my most favourite adjectives are in that sentence!)

If you are in the market for before, during or after baby – or if you know someone who is, and are looking for an affordable AND eco-conscious gift – this is a great place to shop.

For where we are in the whole baby process, I’m impressed that they carry fertility products. You can find the same digital thermometer that I use for my BBT (basal body temperature) charting here, at the super affordable price of $8.95 (recommended! I really like mine). They also have a pretty moonstone bracelet – if you have faith in this sort of thing, moonstone (selenite) is supposed to boost fertility. Hey, it can’t hurt and it is pretty! And they carry that awesome preconception supplement that I was telling you about… FertilAid for Women! Remember that bit, I’m going to come back to it!

They have tons of stuff for baby, like:

• those adorable Japanese Monkey Pants (so freakin’ cute) - along with lots of other organic baby clothes (FYI – there’s currently a 30% off SALE on baby clothes! Check for the code on left sidebar of BestBabyOrganics.com!),
• all sorts of different kinds of carriers, from the more structured (like ErgoBaby and Kokopax) to wraps and slings (popular brands Moby and Hotslings),
• diapering essentials like bags (both shoulder bags and wetbags), skin care and BumGenius cloth dipes,
• nursery furniture (including the stylish Bloom brand), mattresses and bedding
• strollers,
• high chairs,
• toys,
  

and MORE. Yeah, there’s even more – go check it out!

There’s stuff for mama too – they also carry nursing wear, belly bands, the Belly Bandit (which I’m sure you’ve heard of – a compression band for post-baby body recovery), hospital gowns, and organic skin care products for mum. The big brands that you have seen reviewed on many a blog are there.

A big thank you goes out to Best Baby Organics for stepping up! After hearing about the FertilAid giveaway that just closed on my blog, they have generously offered to give one of my readers a one-month supply of that awesome preconception supplement! You can read my review, if you haven’t done so yet – it’s pretty thorough, I think! I went over what’s in there, and why it’s important for us wannabe moms.

Remember, this is a preconception supplement, not a prenatal – as in, you take this to prepare for conception, but once you have that Big Fat Positive (BFP to those of us with baby fever), you stop taking these and switch to a prenatal multivitamin.

So if you didn’t win the last time, here’s one more chance!

The giveaway: A one-month supply of FertilAid for Women!

How to enter: Head over to BestBabyOrganics.com 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):

• Follow the Best Baby Organics Blog (heads up: they have great giveaways there monthly, too!)
• Follow @bestbabyorganic on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Subscribe via email to the Best Baby Organics newsletter (on the left side of their website)
• 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:

  TTC? Win FertilAid for Women from @bestbabyorganic at Emily's Latest @emilyisland http://bit.ly/dolfyY US/CAN 3/26

• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog– 2 entries, leave 2 comments and please leave a link to your blog
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to BestBabyOrganics.com – 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 March 26th at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

This review was based on a product that I received at no charge from the sponsor. No payment was made for this review. Prize will be shipped directly from the sponsor.

Impressed by Jessica Simpson

I bet you weren't expecting to read that here. I'm not too into celebrity stuff, usually.

You may have heard about John Mayer's absolutely tasteless recent interview with Playboy. It hit the news because he used some unacceptable words; I found it distasteful in a number of different ways from his discussion of his porn "addiction" to his comments regarding ex Jessica Simpson. (He's since apologized for some of the things he said.) While I do like his music, I also think he's got some really nasty aspects to his personality now.

I just caught this article on Dose with a video of Jessica's interview on Letterman. She handled the interview with a lot of class. I know she played dumb on that silly show with her ex-husband (who treated her like crap on camera, I thought)... but I think this girl's got her wits about her. Worth the 5 minutes to see the intelligent, focussed and classy side of Jessica Simpson.

Score: Jessica +50, John -100

Sharing

Last night I shared some time and conversation with a group of other women who are trying to conceive. It was brief, not too intense, but very friendly - and I was left with the good feeling of not being alone. Sometimes I forget that, surrounded by friends with babies and reading so very many mom blogs. If you're interested in joining in on the chat, you can read more about it here (the info about the chat is on the left side under "TTC Happy Hour Details").

And I want to share a couple other things with you -

First, on "training" your husband - my mum sent me this link to a funny little article that I think has some real gems on interpersonal relationships. I think that a lot of the time when we get close to someone we stop the little social niceties that make things run smoothly - like taking the time to thank them for doing good things. Expectations can take the place of gratefulness. The article is a little tongue-in-cheek, but if you look beyond that, the advice is sound.

Second, if you're in the market for a thermometer, there are a zillion nineteen different giveaways for Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometers (the kind where you just scan the forehead) going on - and that's just the ones open to the US and Canada; there are a few US only ones as well. You can find them all listed here on Mama Buzz.

Spicy Lentil Soup (with Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil!)

You know I'm all about delicious food, and I take care to ensure we're eating a healthy diet. We're vegetarian, and I would estimate that 90% of what we eat is homemade from scratch (we love trying new restaurants as well!). So to have a new pantry staple is pretty exciting for me, since I do the vast majority of that cooking and baking!

I was lucky enough to receive a jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut oil to review. I've never used coconut oil before, and I'd been reading about the health benefits lately. The oil contains antioxidants, and (admittedly, I don't completely understand this part) apparently because the structure of the fatty acids are different than the fatty acids in the majority of fats in the North American diet, they are metabolized differently and apparently stimulate metabolism, give you more energy, and subsequently promote weight loss.

Sounds too good to be true, right? I did a little reading and learned that researchers at McGill University in Quebec did a study that showed this result (in animals). So... maybe. You can read more here, and even more here, if you're interested. I'm not convinced, myself.

For me, I'm not as interested in the weight loss idea as in the potential to reduce the amount of hydrogenated fats in our diet. We do eat butter (mainly in baking, which I do a lot), and rarely vegetable shortening. Coconut oil can raise cholesterol* - just like other saturated fats can - so, like any food, use in moderation!

Plus... I just love the flavour of coconut. I think dessicated shredded coconut is nasty (like eating sawdust!) but the flavour of coconut milk or fresh coconut is something to swoon over.

Anyway, my point is that I got this jar of coconut oil to try out. With this cold/flu/whatever that I have, I know I'm not tasting at 100% right now, but I just couldn't wait to play in the kitchen with a new ingredient. On opening it and scooping out a dollop, I was surprised by the texture. It has an almost waxy texture to it. The oil was solid (our house is at about 21 degrees - it liquefies at 24) but melted really quickly once in a pot on the stove - much faster than butter.

Coconut oil can be used as a spread (not for me, I don't spread oils on my food but if you use butter like that, this could replace it. My husband tasted some of the oil out of the jar and said he could definitely see using it as a spread!), a cooking oil, in baking, as a soothing drink when mixed with honey and hot water, and even outside the kitchen as a lip balm, skin moisturizer and hair mask! Amazing - when I mentioned I got this to review, I heard from two separate people on twitter that both said it's a great moisturizer! So I have a lot of experimenting to do.

Here's what I made with it tonight - a hearty, filling and mildly exotic soup that has rich flavour and a great texture. Plus, it's super fast (30 minutes max and most of that is just boiling on the stove). I started with this recipe from St. Margarets Kitchen, but changed it as I went. The bones are the same, but I tweaked it.

Spicy Lentil Soup

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne (or one minced jalapeno pepper)
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 cup red lentils
1/2 cup grated carrot
4 cups water
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

the ingredients (less the water & sugar!) - spices are in the pinch pot

In a medium sized pot, saute the onions and garlic in the oil until translucent. Add the spices, stir to combine, and cook another minute.Add in the lentils, carrot, brown sugar, and water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, then add the red pepper and boil for another 5 minutes.

You can blend it if you want (let it cool a bit before pureeing in batches in a blender), but that's just another step and a blender to wash. Phooey! I found the unblended texture was quite nice as is. Plus, I think it's prettier unblended.

Just like that. Yum.
You could sprinkle it with a bit of chopped parsley if you wanted, too.

And yes, you can taste the coconut oil - it's very subtle, but adds a layer of richness.

I'm looking forward to more cooking experiments with coconut oil :) Thanks to Tropical Traditions for providing this for me to try! I can recommend their shipping wholeheartedly as well - the glass jar was packaged so well that I can't imagine it breaking in transit. The time it took to receive? Seven business days to Canada. Pretty good!

Oh, and if you decide to order from Tropical Traditions (aside from the coconut oil, they also sell a wide array of organic and natural foods and household products!) - add my user id 5687267 on your order, and you'll get a free copy of the Virgin Coconut Oil Book included with your purchase!

Sneak peek!

Just a little heads up about some upcoming reviews and giveaways here on my blog. I'm really looking forward to working with the following companies and also looking forward to hooking up my readers with some goodies!

Best Baby Organics is going to set one lucky wannabe mama up with a month's supply of FertilAid for Women! If you didn't win my giveaway from Fairhaven Health, you'll have another chance to try out this great preconception supplement!
Update: the giveaway is on! Ends March 26th :)

ABC Neckties will be sending out a $25 gift certificate to one of my readers (which is enough to buy two ties for the lucky man in your life). I can't wait to show you the tie they sent my hubby - I just have to catch him post-work day and pre-evening, because he changes from Office Guy to Casual Guy in a flash when he gets home, and I want to add a photo to my review.

Eden Fantasys will be sending one reader a fun prize of Paradice and a gift certificate! And yes, I'll be giving you my thoughts on the Paradice as well... should be interesting!

I'll be reviewing two healthy products from Tropical Traditions. You know I love to bake :) I can't taste a darn thing right now because of this flu or whatever it is, but soon I will be ready for taste-testing. And I'll let you know what I think!

There are a couple of other things in the works, but not finalized yet, so I'm not telling!

Meanwhile, stick around for the fun stuff to come :) If you're not following yet, hook yourself up so you don't miss out!

Fairhaven Health (FertilAid) Winner!

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