I have a craving for GMO-free snacks

I have had a craving for GMO-free foods for quite some time now. Or at least a few specific genetically modified organism (GMO)-free foods. I recently received a generous gift from Toronto’s Daniel Clarke from Bare Foods - an online store selling 22 products from six brands. All Bare Foods do not have GMOs, artificial flavours, high fructose corn syrup, harmful preservatives, hydrogenated oils and bleached or enriched flour. The are all nature and all delicious. Well, except for the mocha dark chocolate bar, which was too dark for me, and the chilli protein chips, which were too spicy. Right now, I have a serious craving for Sommersaults, little sunflower bites of deliciousness, that come in cinnamon, where you don’t taste the sunflower seeds, and sea salt, where the seed taste is quite strong. I wouldn’t say no to the dark chocolate and peanut butter bar, nor a chocolate quinoa bar. I would also say yes to the Taste of Nature bars. Who know GMO-free would be so addictive.

Success...Three years in the making

Three years, dozens of stores and four returns later, I have a shoe success. Shoes that fit, are comfortable and look nice. An added bonus - I do not need to step into a shoe store for, fingers crossed, another three years.

You Know It's Spring When...

- The last bit of ice has melted from the lake. - The annoying, but non-biting bugs have come out from where they have been hiding to fly in your mouth, eyes and nose when walking or biking. - Your son strips off his clothes and plays in the sprinkler. Note: Again, the upside down photo. Why, Blogspot, do you do this? And I really miss a decent photo editing software. Painting is not my forte.

Violence=yoga

Yoga. It brings to mind a sense of peace and relaxation, calm and inner stillness. Or in my case, I want to punch the smiling yoga teacher in the face. I think I might not be into yoga right now. The first month of my yoga and Pilate practise went really well. I was doing it three times a week and in that time could feel my flexibility and strength returning. I was feeling good and enjoying it. Then I had a setback and for the last month or so – time does fly these days – I have been getting to it once a week if I was lucky. And in that time I have apparently lost strength, flexibility, ability and desire. It didn't help that I really didn't feel like doing it today, but thought I should has it had been a while. It didn't help that when I attempted to do downward dogs, the cat went into attack mode, biting my upper arm with ears flat and fur raised. When I attempted to lock him in the bathroom, where bad cats go for a timeout, he attempted his door-opening trick (my cat opens doors) and then bounced and cried until I let him back out. By that time, I my strength was failing, my mind was on anger and what I once thought was a smiling yoga teacher, began to feel like a smug yoga teacher showing me up with her ability to do the splits and sun salutations without pause. With those thoughts running through my head, the cat making his crying sound and my patience at an all-time low, I called it quits. Another day, perhaps a new exercise tape and a cat in the downstairs bathroom.

I am too tall

Personally, I think I am the perfect height. Five-foot 10-inches, 34 inches of which is leg, to me is the ideal height. I guess the problem is my house is too small or at least too small for a five-foot 10-inch girl trying to do yoga and Pilates in her living room. I can't stretch out. When I do any of the exercises in Pilates that require me to stretch out or to put my hands behind my head, I can't. Instead I put my hands to my sides and hope for the best. When I am doing yoga, I spend a lot of my time switching my mat around so I can still see the TV and have room to do my poses. I watch the instructors on the DVD, they seem to have so much room. When I took a yoga class, I had to have a perimeter around me. I need a perimeter in my living room.

The Things I know

Bubbles freeze. When you blow bubbles on cold spring day, some float down the street and high into the sky, while others freeze, turning clear bubbles into opaque bubbles that sink to the ground. When these bubbles eventually pop, it looks almost like a skin that sits on your mitten before eventually melting away. Google frozen bubbles. Fascinating.

Blast from the past

I have a hope chest filled with pictures, my son's baby clothes, my old toys and gifts I pick up here and there.

My son wanted to look into my hope chest tonight so I pulled out the gifts and hid them elsewhere.

He discovered the markers I left for him to find and Super Merlin from my childhood.

Tonight we played with the '80s version of a DS. It takes six AA batteries and has nine games such as E's favourite hi-low and matching.

Super Merlin now resides in E's room. He would like to keep it forever. Take that new toys.