This year marks a year of transformation and re-birth for a house that has served as a home for many years in my family.  I have been fortunate enough to be able to call this home mine now for nearly the past decade.  Over the years the house has seen much change to the people who have enjoyed time within it's walls but very little change to the house itself.  

This will soon change as we embark on renovations to bring this home back to it's glory.  The home itself is a modest three bedroom home with a full basement.  The home sits on an oversized corner lot which backs onto a hydro line.  The privacy cannot be beat and the neighbourhood is well established.  We are hoping to renovate just about everything in the home from kitchen, bath, flooring and all the way to the basement.

Some of the updates have already taken place but most are still very much int he planning stages.  I am hoping to document the process of the renovation because I believe the experience is truly in the journey.  Also, I hope to connect with those that are doing the same or who have already been down this road to discuss and offer different view points about products techniques etc.

​#staytuned

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I am not a natural cold weather lover.  So much in fact that my body works really hard at reminding me of that everyday during the winter months.  My hands are really good at this.  During the first hint of winter, the skin on my hands begin to crack and bleed. My Dad's hand do the same thing and for years I used to tell him he needed to moisturize.  In my early 20's, the same thing began to happen to me and I learned first hand (pun alert) that it didn't matter how many times you moisturize.  

When I was at Lush last week, I picked up their 'Golden Handshake Hot Hand Mask' . I have had paraffin wax treatments before and they have done wonders for my arthritis in my hands and dryness so I was super excited when I came across this.  The girl who sold the hand mask to me told me not to use whole thing at once as there was plenty for two or even three applications.  

LUSH - Golden Handshake Hand Mask

I would have to also suggest breaking up the hand mask as one application would leave you with a lot of the product wasted.  I could see after a couple of application for me, I could easily get three uses out of one product.  

The next part of the application is to put it in a bowl that you can fit both hands in comfortably, place the product in the bottom of the bowl and then pour hot water over top.  It is important to note here that if you are planning on using the treatment right away, be sure to put warm to hot water that your skin can stand or you will be waiting until the temperature adjusts.  I have also taken before and after photos of my hand for caparison.  

Here are a few of my thoughts about the product.  After reading some of the reviews, I likely had a different view of it going in.  A lot of negative reviews came about due to the wax not melting in the hot water.  I didn't think that it would however I could see why most thought this.  

The wax didn't dissolve as one would expect, but it still suspended in the water.  I didn't only submerge my hand but I also rubbed the product into my hands because mostly I was bored of simply sitting there and I felt I could work the product in better to some of my problematic areas.

Because it does not 'melt', it also does not make a 'mask' around your hand like paraffin wax does. However, without being a dermatologist, I would imagine that the product not being peeled off your skin would allow more of the moisturizing ingredients to soak and stay in your skin. 

Overall, it has been nearly a week since I did the treatment and I believe that my hands are more soft and not even close to cracking.  I still need to apply moisturizer as needed which I don't think can be avoided in a climate that sits well below freezing for about 6 months.  If you struggle like I do with dry skin on your hands, give it a go.  It is far less expensive and much more convenient then a salon treatment.  

#livelush

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One of the numerous things that running has taught me is that when your body says rest, you listen.  Well, you don't have to listen but if you choose not to, you will pay a greater price down the not to far distant road.  

That was me last night and today.  Yesterday was my scheduled rest day. I could feel this cough just slowly creeping it's way into existence.  By the end of the night it was there and my thought was ... but I start my next week tomorrow.  So, Buckley's down the hatch and off to bed.  I will sleep this off...right?  Now I should preface this with this is mild and really not to worrisome however for running and using your lungs, having a clogged up tube really isn't desirable.  

This morning I realized that yes, I needed to start to think, run or not... but I packed my bag to be fully prepared. As the day wore on, I knew that running was likely a no and rest was probably a yes.  Some how confirming with your run coach (who just happens to be my brother, he got speed I got the good sense) just to see if maybe there was some benefit to slowing down pace...some other workout he hadn't given me... made me realize that yes... I am enjoying this and no...your not super human.  Take.a.rest.day.

Listening to your body and knowing when to draw the line in the sand is so difficult these days.  There is pressure from work, peers, society, social media, media, and most notably ourselves to live up to some super human version of what we think perfection is.  What we think others will value.  What we think others will aspire to be, because we want to be liked, followed searched and noticed, because each of us are human and want connection.  We each want to know that we are enough.  I know that this whole exercise, healthy diet, healthy lifestyle thing is a huge trigger button.  We have all started something and not followed through, we have all started to live healthier and then life got in the way.  We all blame ourselves for "getting comfortable". 

The thing is this, we need to be kinder to ourselves.  Life happens.  Wether we are ready, willing and able or not.  We need to know that any positive choice is a good thing.  We have control of ourselves and really that is all. So take control of you, make better choices for you.  If you can't, don't but be sure to tell yourself you can when YOU CAN.  

Balance is a just that, balance.  If you stayed active wether you were sick, had a family crisis, or there was a major earth disaster, you would be just as unreasonable and out of balance.  Be present, listen and be mindful.     

I get it, ok fine, I will have a rest day.  Here's to having high hopes for tomorrow, getting a good nights rest, spending some time to ones self and listening to your body.

#listenwell



  

OPI (Samoan Sand), Lights and Wine

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This week, temperatures plummeted in my little area of the world which forced much of my time indoors.  All but two of my six runs had to take place on the "dreadmill" (treadmill) which I had planned on based on the forecast which of course this time was bang on. Running inside on a treadmill for me is akin to medieval torture but that is a story for another time in another blog.

I tend to have leeks on hand this time of year if they look particularly good or happen to be on sale.  There is something about leek soup that just screams winter cold, mugs, sweaters and crispy bacon.

Luckily today was a perfect day to put a pot on the stove and start cooking. What I love about this recipe is it's simplicity. My cooking style is very simple, rustic, and full of fresh flavours.Although I appreciate the complexity of high end dining and recipes and I enjoy experiencing and from time to time cooking them, for me and my lifestyle, simple is always better.  This likely had roots in cooking with my father, and Italian immigrant from the south who just cooked good food. Simply that.

I had been searching for  leek soup recipe that did not call for cream or milk as I am lactose intolerant. What I found is a very flexible recipe that you can really make your own and I have and I hope you do to.  What you need to create this recipe is chicken or vegetable broth, leeks, potatoes, butter, bay leaves, marjoram, thyme,prosciutto and hot sauce.    

Leeks being prepped on our Epicurean Kitchen cutting board.

The one thing about leeks is that they are amazing little creations for holding dirt which really isn't that surprising given that this is where they are from.  So, for me, the best way to tackle this is the trim the upper green until it is tender, trim off the root then run your knife down the middle of the leek.  From there separate all the layers and place them in the sink to rinse each layer off.  

Using kitchen sheers to cut up the leeks

I am not a kitchen gadget person at all.  I find they had clutter and really are not that convenient but one tool I am glad was added to my kitchen are sheers. They make short work of many jobs including cutting leeks!! The soup is blended so as long as the pieces are fairly uniform,you are good to go.  Since leeks are actually onions, I am not a fan of spending much time chomping them up and sheers are designed for this job. #tears

Once the leeks are been prepped, they go into the pot where the butter has melted over a medium heat.  While the butter is melting, I chop up the potatoes.  After ten minutes or so I had the potatoes, broth and spices (including a pinch of salt). It is simmered for around 20 minutes.

Top with prosciutto and your favourite hot sauce

Once the potatoes are tender, I blend with an immersion blender.  If you prefer a more rustic texture, you can mash the potatoes or remove half of the soup and blend only half of the soup.  I like to top with pan fried prosciutto and then add dollops of bomb sauce. You can use whichever hot sauce is your favourite or none at all, really it is up to you.  Freshly ground pepper and parsley can also be added.  

I hope you enjoyed my lactose free version of my most favourite recipe.  It is a go to for me and is prepped and ready to become a quick and easy lunch for the beginning of another busy week. Hopefully outdoor runs become a thing again this week.

#bonappetit

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Jamie Oliver - Everyday Super Foods

Pattern everywhere

Thyme, squash, bomba and olive oil

Onions and ground chilli flakes

Let's eat !

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I love walking into someone's home and being welcomed by a pleasant scent.  Since the time the time that I have had my own space, I have used many different products to achieve this (candles, room fresheners, carpet scents etc).  But with that came that "chemically" scent or finding out that many of the products that I liked weren't all that good for you to be exposed to for long periods of time.  

Last Christmas, I was gifted a essential oil diffuser and a variety of oils from a family friend. I had used oil diffusers previously but with a candle and found them pesky to use as you had to pay close attention that they didn't run out of water or you would be burning oil which is a very  unpleasant...trust me on this one.

So, essential oils in hand, I have began to experiment with the oils and have since tried to learn more about them as the year as gone on.
 
Our favourites to use are by far Theives and PanAway.  Thieves is antibacterial and helps prevent and reduce illness. Being a teacher....you can understand how this very much appeals to me...and those that are closets to me. Interestingly enough, you can use this oil internally.  We both have at the early onset of flu symptoms and it does seem to work to reduce the onset and the length of time of the illness.
   
PanAway helps with relieving pain and muscle soreness.  We use this after especially hard workouts to help reduce DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). The jury is still out as to wether the DOMS are diminished but somehow we don't want to experiment with not using it!

What I love about the diffuser is that it is aesthetically pleasing (you can make it glow ambient lighting of your choosing) and it shuts off automatically once the water is gone (no more burning oil!!). Which means I put it on before bed and then easily spend the three hours or so with the full effects of the oils.  

To go along with my new found love of essential oils, last fall I was on an excursion with my class.  We attended an event at a local historic park where different aboriginal activities were taking place.  On elder had something on the boil and I asked what it was. He said it was cedar and began to tell me the many benefits of boiling cedar at home.  He said that he boiled cedar throughout the winter months to help combat illness.  I decided to do my own research and discovered that cedar also has many antibacterial and cleansing properties.  With this information in hand, this fall, we began to forage cedar from our area and now boil cedar throughout the week.  Again, not knowing if it actually doing anything for our health, I have found that it at least leaves the air feeling fresh and clean without any staleness.  A tip for keeping cedar that you foraged is to clip them off the branch and put them in ziplock bags in the freezer.  They keep and easy at your disposal when you want to boil a few bits of foliage.  Also, we use a dedicated pot to simmering them as the leaves secrete their oils as they are heated and it is difficult to clean to use afterwards for cooking.

Like anything else, I feel it is best to do your own research and know that not everything is going to be a good fit for you.  For instance, you might find you are allergic to an oil or plant and not have a good reaction at all.  What I wanted to share is my own experience with oils and how I have noticed improvement in my own health.  Of course, I know that there could also be a pretty good chance that it is a pseudo effect happening.  If that is the case, I am also more then ok with that scenario too!  If my body can help itself, I think that is a pretty good skills to have! Also, I am not a purist and still use candles and the occasional wall scent but I think what is important is I try to make better choices about where these products come from, when I use them and what they are made of.  You only get one shot at this and I want to make it my best one yet!

#oilsofmytrade   

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