Cloth diaper Users Take Note...

I discovered a new online cloth diaper store – http://www.parentingbynature.com/

My freelance suggested a piece on cloth diapers and interviewed a mom who had started an online business after realizing cloth diapering, for her, was the way to go. Within the article she mentioned a diaper pail liner that could be thrown in the washing machine along with the diapers so there was no touching required.

Perfect, as I not only handled dirty diapers several times more than necessary, I was also using green garbage bags, which were smelly and would get moldy.

So I contacted the source my freelancer used in her story. About a month later, there was still no answer from her and while I appreciate she is a mom with a business, customer service is still customer service and I expect a phone call or an email back in a reasonable time.

So then I went on Google and simply typed in 'cloth diapers'. I checked out several online stores until I found parentingbynature.com

Also run by moms with young children, this business offered excellent customer service.

I ordered the diaper pail liner and four hemp inserts. According to parentingbynature.com, hemp inserts offer excellent protection for heavy wetters or to keep your baby dry overnight.

And anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows the issues I have had with a wet baby with both cloth and disposables.

So I ordered four. Parentingbynature.com not only had the ordered processed in record time (and quickly corrected a mistake I made in ordering), the package arrived at my local post office within a week.

I still haven’t heard back from the original person.

So those who use cloth, or thinking of going that route, parentingbynature.com is a great source for all things cloth.


As a side note, the hemp inserts work really well. My son was wet one night but I think it was because the diaper wrap I used was too big. If I use a smaller wrap, he is dry after a 12-hour sleep with drinking through the night.

Help! I am Lost Again

On Wednesday I had to drive to the Hospital for Sick Children in downtown Toronto.
My husband was supposed to go with me but he fell victim to the flu that my son brought home on the weekend and I had to fly solo.

I have driven to Sick Kids dozens of times yet I am one of those people who can’t retain directions.

Let’s just say if the police closed down my route to work, I would have to really think about how to get there another way.

It’s sad really.

So my husband gave me directions on how to get downtown, including what he said was the off-ramp from the Gardiner Expressway.

He lied.

OK, he didn’t lie per se, but he gave me lackadaisical directions including an off-ramp that didn’t exist.

We have been together for 10 years now. You would think one would know you can’t do that.

If you tell me to get off at say, York, I will get off at York or at least I will stay on until I find York, which in this case didn’t exist.

I knew I had missed my turnoff when I was past the Air Canada Centre and travelling west. I called him telling him I was getting of at Dunn Avenue and had no idea where I was or how to get back to where I was suppose to be.

He informed me he didn’t know where I was either and had no idea how to get me back to where I was suppose to be.

Great.

So I turned right and hoped I was heading at least in the correct direction. I had a lovely tour through Parkdale, one of the communities we cover in my job at a newspaper.

Eventually my husband called me and directed me to where I was suppose to go.

Unfortunately, the City of Toronto was against me. Everywhere I wanted to turn left, I couldn’t. If I wanted to turn right, I couldn’t. Eventually, my son and I made it to his appointment – minutes to spare.

I am happy to report we did not get lost getting back onto the Gardiner Expressway, or getting home.

Success.

As Promised …. Hummus Recipe

I have been promising Danielle from Humes, Party of Three this recipe for months now.

It’s been even longer for my freelancer, Maria Tzavaras.

I apologize to both of them for tempting them, Maria physically, with the goods and not delivering.

I wish I could take credit for this recipe but that goes to Canadian Living, a fantastic magazine that never fails to provide timely information and fantastic recipes.


Herbed hummus dip
Makes 2 cups
1 can (19 oz/540 ml) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp each lemon juice and water
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp each dried dillweed and salt
pinch pepper
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced (it makes a good and hot, yummy)
1 green onion, chopped
In a food processor, blend chickpeas, lemon juice, water, mayonnaise, oil, dillweed, salt and pepper until smooth; stir in parsley, garlic and onion.
Make a head: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.

Nutritional information:
Per 1 tbsp: about 23 calories; 1 g protein; 1 g total fat (trace saturated fat); 3 g carbs; 1 g fibre; 0 mg chol; 60 mg sodium.

Changing Canada’s National Anthem

I heard someone in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office is considering changing the words to Canada’s national anthem.

When I heard that on the news this morning, I swore.

I rarely swear.

Apparently, people are offended, or at least concerned, about the words: True patriot love in all thy ‘sons’ command.

According to local radio station 680News, in the 1990s, Toronto Council asked the federal government to change the lyrics to our anthem. In addition to taking offense to ‘sons’, they also wanted to change ‘Our home and native land,’ to ‘Our home and cherished land.’

Yes, that seems something Toronto council would worry about. This was likely the same group of people who attempted to change the words Christmas tree to Holiday tree.

Are people so sensitive they think Canada only supports its ‘sons’ and not its daughters? Are we still living in a world where we have to be politically correct? Who are the people who have so much time on their hands they have to worry about making everything equal? I appreciate equality. I appreciate the strides women have come in become equal. I believe we have, for the most part, achieved equality. I do not need some gender-neutral word inserted into our national anthem.

On behalf of the normal Canadians of the world, leave our anthem along.

O Canada lyrics
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Visit http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/symbl/anthem-eng.cfm for more information about Canada’s national anthem and to listen to the words.

Warren Cartwright Photography

I ordered some photos from my brother’s website yesterday.

My older brother, Warren Cartwright, is one of THOSE people. You know the type – the people who are good at everything.

My brother was the guy who went through high school believing his future held a career in marine biology, only to change his mind in his last year and decide to be a graphic designer instead.

Math, science AND art. Why is that fair?

A new venture for my brother is photography and you can see by his website – http://www.warrencartwright.com – he is really good at it.

I never tire looking through this site and encourage everyone to do the same. I ordered a few photos from his African collection to hang in my son’s room.

My absolute favourite picture is under the ‘underwater’ header and is of the jellyfish. It’s such a powerful image.

However, if I was diving and saw that in my path, I think I would be rapidly swimming up and away.

The black and whites are spectacular and the flowers are beautiful as well.

Take some time to poke around the site and order a picture or two for your walls.

Joanne Abrahams from Coconut Palm Designs conducted an interview with Warren about his photography. You can see it by clicking here.

It’s Tuesday

How often are you excited about a Tuesday?

It’s not Wednesday, hump day, the mid-week point. It’s not Friday, the end of the long week. It’s Tuesday.

But it’s sunny outside. It’s warm. And the snow is melting.

Yah, Tuesday.

Cracked under Pressure

I have watched a lot of hockey.

I come from a hockey family; both my brothers played, my Dad played and we watched Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday night.

Hockey-watching newbies think the game is in the bag if the home team is up a goal or two with a couple of minutes left to play.

I don’t feel that way.

I have seen the home team loose with seconds left in the game.

Case in point, the Olympic gold medal game between Canada and the U.S.

We were up a goal with a couple of minutes left and while my husband was confident, I was holding our son a little more tightly than was necessary.

And at the 30-second left mark, what I fear will happened, happened.

The U.S. scored, tying the game and pushing us into overtime.

And then I cracked.

I don’t need that kind of stress in my life. So my son and I went home, played, had dinner and a bath.

When I heard the door open about a hour later, my heart sank.
‘Well?’ I asked.
We won.

Phew.

Later, while watching the highlights, I remembered the other reason I don’t need to watch hockey any more.

The other goalie.

Perhaps because my older brother is a goalie, my heart goes out to those who play this position.

And when I watched the U.S. goalie fall to his knees after letting in Canada’s winning goal, my heart broke.

Hockey watching just isn’t for me.