goodmorning vanilla wake-up

• ice
• vanilla protein & vitamin powder
• Bolthouse Farms Vanilla Chai drink with green tea, protein & vitamins
• instant coffee (mixed with hot water to dissolve it)
• rolled oats
• flax seed
• wheat bran

smoothie goodness!

We've been drinking smoothies for breakfast lately. Each one is uniquely different.
Today: Berrylicious

• frozen strawberries, raspberries & blackberries
• soy milk with Omega 3
  
• vanilla frozen yogurt with probiotics & fibre
• Bolthouse Farms 50/50 berry/veggie drink
• oats, flax seed & wheat bran
  

It's all a blurr now...

I had an eye exam with an optometrist today.. Nice place, nice people. I have inflamation in my eyes and need to stop wearing my contact lenses for ONE MONTH... and then go back to see him. We are going to try silicone contacts. He said there is some scarring on my macula (from smoking and the sun) as well. so i also need some good sunglasses.
They put so much stuff in my eyes that it is still blurry 2.5hrs later...

Has anyone tried silicone contact lenses?
I have never even heard of them....

p.s making ratatouille for dinner. with brown rice. yummy =)

food

I am on a clean eating diet. Meaning food that is free of chemicals and preservatives. Food that is healthy and freshly made. Trying to limit our impact on the earth and animals while eating.

Basically...something like this:

breakfast
--high protein smoothie with skim milk (or soy milk) flax, rolled oats and cocoa nibs
--going to start making vanilla/raspberry smoothies soon too!
snack
--unsalted trail mix and fruit/veg or low fat piece of swiss cheese and trail mix
lunch
--leftovers from dinner the night before or WW toast with almond butter or large salad
snack- see above
dinner
--*lots of veggies*, small amount of soy meat or chicken, small amount of carb (potato/brown rice)
occasionally a drink or two
occassionally a small amount of dessert (preferably clean)
--we make our own marinades, sauces, and salad dressings from scratch...

No refined sugar
--instead we use: agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, sucanat
No White flour
--instead we use whole wheat, multigrain, wheat germ, buckwheat
no preservatives
--no boxed foods unless they have very few ingredients that are all natural and healthy.
--no deli meats
--no fast food
--very little cheese

We drink mostly herbal & green tea... and water. Lots and lots of water.

We have switched to organic where possible
We plan to switch to local, small farm meat and eggs and local veggies.
We compost and grow veggies and herbs in the summer.

We would LIKE to lean more towards a raw food/alkaline diet. For good health, to prevent diseases such as cancer and diabetes. I think many diseases can be controlled or cured by what foods you eat.

google search Tosca Reno/ clean eating for more info....
I read a ton of FOOD books. Books on how foods can heal your body or harm it. I have a stack of them... sometimes I read them before bed. If I do not feel like reading a novel I will research natural health options and food...

This year I would like to:

• move to Rome (NY)
  
• sell our house
• pay off all our debt =)
  
• go to Toronto and take courses/workshops
• start a business (I have so many ideas....cannot wait!)
  
• take a cruise in the carribean in December....
  
• continue on our new financial plan
• visit Nat's trailer this summer
• take belly dancing classes
• follow our clean eating diet
  
• get into awesome shape =)
• get pregnant...hopefully!
  
• have a college reunion in TO
• become an aunt again TWICE this summer! I am so excited.

movies....

new haircolor. under $10. L'oreal Feria diamond 100 very light natural blonde....

Movies I have seen lately:

• Religulous
• Remember Me
• The Fourth Kind
• Murder in the Hamptons (although I missed the very ending)

I want to see:

• Food, Inc.
• Dear John
• Post Grad
• Alice in Wonderland
• Shutter Island
  

Movies I want to own:

• Love Me if you Dare
• Middle of the World
• Easy
• Heidi
• Bella
• Wuthering Heights

Friday =)

I miss blogging.. I used to blog everyday. Off and on now for years.... maybe 5 years. I have changed blogs over the years.. but I think I will stick with this one. For a while I made it private but now it is public. If you are not interested in what I have to say, then don't read it. It is quite possible that NOBODY reads this, which is just fine with me as it is like a diary of my life and helps me remember the chronological order that things happened. It helps me sort out my feelings, goals, resolutions. I like to write. probably more than I like to speak.

It's March. so far this year I've:

• had a miscarriage
• many trips to the lab for bloodwork
• had cat scan, ultrasounds, and major abdominal surgery
• been hospitalized
• been on morphine and oxycontin and codeine
• had a tumor the size of a grapefruit and solid as a rock removed from my ovary, along WITH the ovary and fallopian tube, and a biopsy of my omentum
• had Julie visit us in North Bay for a week and my DAD for 4 days.
  
• contemplated moving to New York State and still not sure if we are moving this summer...
• have decided we might like to try and get pregnant
  
• had a couple of emotional meltdowns (but I am fine now!)
  
• started a new financial system as of Jan 1st and LOVE IT
  
• put my gym membership on hold while I recoup from surgery
• taken a road trip to Sudbury with my husband (Feb)

Once I recover I plan to:

• work out vigorously
• eat clean(er)
• go to Le Nordik Spa
• take belly dancing classes and aquafit
• go to Maple Sugar Festival in April
• use my income tax $$ to take workshops in Toronto so that I can start a business on Esty =)
• have a reunion with some college friends this summer- in TO.
• organize a street wide yard sale
  
• go back to work (I seriously cannot wait!)

It's been 17 days since my surgery. I am wishing I could do more than I can. I want to go back to the gym, clean the house, organize things... but I cannot. All in good time.

I've been researching cruises. Thinking we have decided on a 10 to 12 day cruise to the southern caribbean visiting 8 or 9 islands. We *MAY* go over Christmas.... but most likely December will be THE month we go.
I cannot wait any longer than that. And it will give me several months to get into good shape for the trip so that we can hike in rainforests and feel healthy and fit, and possibly get pregnant. I want a tropical "island" holiday.

I am going to spend some time working on my scrapbooking over the next couple of weeks. I am working on a "Animal Shelter" and "wedding" scrapbooks. and want to do a small "surgery" one as well.

Oscar weekend. Corina and Mike are visiting for our yearly oscar party. Mexican food, some wine, lots of FUN.