Cleanliness is next to Godliness

So I spent about 6 hours today scrubbing my bathroom and kitchen. I had my rubber gloves on so long my hands smelled... not so good. For almost the last four years I've been trying to find a cleaner that actually gets/keeps glass shower doors clean. I think I found that today. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It works quite well and thought I'd share that with you.

I also thought I'd share another way that Brian and I (but mostly I) have been keeping our lives a little more organized. I've never been one for planning. I.e. in school, if the teacher asked for an outline, I would write the paper and then give them an outline from that. For some reason it's hard for me to sit down and map out thoughts. But I forced myself over that hump (it took a good hour the first time) and started making weekly meal plans. From there I can make a very good grocery list, making sure I have every little thing I need.

Here is a link to the meal chart I made. I also included a place to keep track of my water, coffee, and soda intake and my exercise.

And here is a link to a blank grocery list I made. (There are two blank lists on one page.) It's organized according to the layout of the grocery store I always go to, but you could make your own according to how you like to shop.

Do you have any tips or tricks that make your life easier? I've been eyeing these recipe jotters thinking I could easily make may own version...

Thanksgiving

We had an awesome time celebrating Thanksgiving this year! I even got to watch part of the parade! Our wonderful friend's family hosted Brian, me, and two of our Canadian friends for the Big Meal. It was a mini project reunion, minus the other half of our team from this summer.

Here are some photos from Turkey Day:
Megan cooking pancakes for us.



Megan and her jersey from Hjorring Fortuna. (I know I didn't spell it right... I don't speak Danish.)



Brian getting familiar with the rules before they dove into Uno Madness.



Let the Madness begin!

Megan freaking out as the tiles popped. They don't call it Madness for nothin.

The delicious spinach salad with pears, parmesan, and homemade vinaigrette.
And some reading material about Fortuna.

Tim was ready for the man food.

Laura, our hostess, showing off the beautiful sweet potato pie. (She did the marshmallows, Fred did the rest.)

Fred carving the bird. It was so good. He's quite the chef. I won't tell you his secret for getting such a juicy bird. ;o)

Megan diving into the goodies. She cleaned her salad plate first, so I suppose it's okay.

Thanksgiving Eve

I know it's been a long time since I blogged, and I know you've been checking here everyday for the past month crying, waiting for us to check in, desperate for news from the Great White North. Well we're back! Alright, enough of that. ;o)

These past few weeks have been busy but good, sorting through things and figuring out life together. The rain has set in. It's dark by 3:45. I feel like a bear getting ready for hibernation in my cave. But I'm so excited about Turkey tomorrow! For the last 3 years I haven't celebrated Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving. And worst of all, I haven't watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!!!! But I will tomorrow. :oD

I've updated my photogblog so you can check that out. Also, you can check out my Flickr site any time to see what we've been up to in pictures.

Also, life update, we got Blackberries. Was it a good idea? We'll see. But so far so good! I always have my calendar at my fingertips and don't feel the urge to respond to every single ding. Plus, it has BB Messenger which means I can text anyone with a BB for free any time.

That's all for now. It's date night and we rented Four Christmases. :o)

Quinoa Recipe

In an effort to be healthier, we are making some lifestyle changes including daily vitamins, exercising more (okay, that's just me), and changing our diet to include more natural, whole foods. Part of this diet change is to incorporate more protein in every meal and snack. I have been searching for good recipes for home made granola bars, oat meal, and general recipes with quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah by the Canadians), millet, and kamut. Those last three I hadn't heard of before a few weeks ago. Well, I have a good recipe for quinoa and thought I'd share it with you. I adapted it from a pasta dish I used to make.

Ingredients:
1 C quinoa (rinsed and lightly toasted in the pot you will cook in)
2 C water (vegetable stock or chicken stock would be good too)
1 C shredded cheese (parmesan or cheddar would be good)
1 large zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
2-3 roma tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
extra virgin olive oil
S & P to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa and toast on medium heat, stirring until it's dry and slightly brown. Add 2 C of liquid and bring to a boil. Cover with lid and simmer on med-low heat for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
   
2. Chop zucchini and tomatoes and place in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with e.v.o.o. until coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (I like to use Montreal Steak seasoning sometimes).
3. Spread the zucchini and tomatoes on a baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and broil until they are brown and look nice. You may want to oil the baking sheet with Pam or e.v.o.o. on a paper towel.
   
4. When everything is done, add the vegetables and cheese to the quinoa and stir until the cheese is melty throughout. Enjoy!
   

enlightenment and cortisol

I had the most enlightening and helpful doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon. I left my naturopath thinking, "I wish I knew this 5 years ago. I wish everyone knew this!" You may not know, but I've been dealing with health issues that flared up this summer and have been going to a naturopathic doctor since we got back in September. It feels so good to finally know what's behind all of these symptoms that I didn't think were related. I'm going to be a little more open in this blog than normal because I feel like it's beneficial for you. Over the past few years, pretty much since graduating, getting married, moving to Canada, and starting a new job, I've had various different health issues that were wearing on me. I have been having irregular heartbeats, suffering with depression that was set on from seasonal changes, feeling quite sick/nauseous a lot more than a normal person should (but I wasn't pregnant), feeling tired and weak, lack of clarity (can't think of words or put my thoughts into cohesive sentences so much so that I knew something was off in my brain), sleeplessness at night, extreme anxiety, cuts and bruises seemed to take longer to heal, and I just didn't feel like my normal, generally positive self.

My doctor determined that I have "21st Century Stress Syndrome." In other words, I have adrenal fatigue. You're probably familiar with the phrase, "fight or flight." Well, in our culture we can't fight or flee from most of our stressors so we're stuck and our body takes a beating because of it. When you experience stress, your brain sends signals to your adrenal glands, which are located on your back over your kidneys. Your adrenal glands then release cortisol. When enough cortisol reaches your brain, you experience the, "Okay, everything will be okay. I'm going to figure this out..." feeling. But if you've been under a lot of stress consistently or a major stressor (like unemployment or being in a job you hate, death of a loved one, major life changes, etc.), your adrenal glands can't make the cortisol fast enough and your body begins to feel the effects of it.

Cortisol does a lot for your body other than helping you feel calm. It regulates your blood sugar levels and sodium levels, helps maintain a healthy white blood cell count, makes you feel awake, helps your immune system, helps you remember things, acts as an anti-inflammatory (it reduces histamines so if it's low or missing, you may feel like you're having allergy attacks that you've never had before), and more stuff that I can't remember. (Ha.)

I feel better already, mentally that is, just knowing what's going on. I have started taking some supplements and have talked with her about lifestyle changes including diet and exercise which should help. It's good to know that I'm not going crazy and it wasn't all stuff that I just had to live with. I will get back to normal soon. :o)

If you want to read more about it, here's a good article from Project Aware. If you read it and feel like it's describing your life, talk to a professional. I had never heard of a naturopathic doctor while living in the States, but perhaps there are more out there now. Their goal is to get you back to good health naturally, not just treating the symptoms but taking care of the root issue. Seriously, I feel like my life was a piece of paper full of dots and she connected them all and now I have a picture of a flower.

what do you see?

when you see this blog, do you see chocolate?

wedding photos

So I officially completed my first wedding as a paid photographer. :o) I learned quite a bit and am still a little sore, but I had a great time and am so thankful for the opportunity. Here are a few of the things I learned:

1. Most importantly, I could not have done it alone. Beth, you are awesome and I'm so glad to work with you. hmm... something about FowlerFisherFotography has a ring to it. ;o) Perhaps it's the hunter-gatherer part of me that likes the name.
   
2. I will wear my Uggs next time.
   
3. Professional wedding photographers must have their own special work out routine which includes lots of squats and other such awkward poses.
4. In order to be a healthy photographer long-term, I will have to learn some hand stretching techniques. Seriously, I had "the Claw" by the end of the night. ;o)

I'm planning to post some of my favorites of the bridal portraits from a few weeks ago now that the Bride is officially married and the Groom has already seen the dress. You can check them out on my PhotogBlog: http://carolinaphotography.wordpress.com/