I love a challenge.  So, when I read about the 5/30 Health and Wellness Challenge for Albertans in yesterday's Calgary Herald, I jumped on the bandwagon.  This morning I registered at the website and then proceeded to read what I am supposed to be eating.  Did you know that Health Canada has upped the daily recommended portions of fruits and veggies from 5 up to 7 portions?  7-10 portions a day is now the goal.  I never keep track but I know I probably don't even get 5 portions a day which is what the goal is for the 5/30 challenge. 

So here we go...lunch was a fruit salad with 1 apple, 1 banana and 1 orange.  I added in a dollop of plain yogurt, a few pecans and a sprinkling of cinnamon.  Delicious and satisfying.  Mom and Dad took one look and decided they wanted one too.  Healthy eating is contagious!

Speaking of portions and healthy eating, Max has been on a hunger strike for the past few days.  This always gets me stressed out until I remind myself that there are a lot of changes happening in his little body and changes affect appetite.  This article that I found on one of my favorite websites, www.wholesomebabyfood.com reminded me to calm down and keep offering healthy, nutrient packed foods and Max will eat how much he needs.  He still nurses, although it seems like he has been on a nursing strike too.  As of last night I can feel the sharp ridge of his second tooth, so it has probably been a teething issue and I expect to see his appetite return this week.

Scents
Very often I find myself taking a trip down memory lane.  Sometimes the trip starts with a food I taste, a song I hear or a person I see.  A lot of times it starts with a scent.  Isn't it funny how you can close your eyes, take a deep breath through your nose and be transported to a place or a time?  I think that my earliest memories are triggered by the smell of the perfume my mother used to wear.  Whenever I get a whiff of it, I am not transported to a place but to a feeling.  The perfume is not expensive, it's probably one of the cheapest on the market but I wish my mom would wear it every day.  Tabu, still available at your local Wal-mart or drugstore.  It makes me feel loved and taken care of.

If I were to put my life into a timeline broken down by perfumes it would look something like this...
Tabu - Anais Anais by Cacharel - Ombre Rose by Jean Charles Brosseau - Poison by Dior- Grass by The Gap, Contradiction by Calvin Klein, Roma by Laura Biagiotti - Venezia by Laura Biagiotti - Cashmere by Donna Karen, Chaos by Donna Karen, 24 Faubourg by Hermes, Escape by Calvin Klein, Vera by Vera Wang, Oxygene by Lanvin and woven throughout a little Frangipani oil and a lot of Patchouli!

I considered ordering sample sizes of all of the above to see if they are as I remember.  After remembering that Cashmere and Chaos went out of production and then came back under Estee Lauder (they have never smelled the same as the original) I decided I would rather preserve my memories as they are.  I can see these images and smell the perfumes as if I were sniffing the bottles for the first time.  Like the memory of a first kiss.  Exhilerating and never replicated.

Now one of my favorite scents is Max freshly cleaned and lotioned with Mustela.  I could smell him all day!  Also, a new love affair I am having, Thieves Household Cleaner!

It smells like cloves and cinnamon and is an all-natural, plant-based disinfectant and cleanser.  Works great on every surface I've tried it on so far, glass, mirrors, and countertops.

Sensibility
Shopping for shoes has always been a difficult task for me.  I love shoes but my feet are like babies, very sensitive and fragile.  The most comfortable shoes I've ever worn were my Birkenstocks, then my Bjorn clogs, and then the few pairs of Frye's I've had.  I am on a mission to find some comfortable and cute flats.  You know the cute Tory Burch 'Reva' ballet flats that everyone has?  I heard they were the best, bought them, wore them for a day in NYC and promptly returned them.  Thank God for Nordstrom's generous return policy.  Anyway, I was excited to see Piperlime's email in my inbox this morning.  It was titled Comfy meets Cute! My heart would like to wear these gorgeous shoes by Joe's Jeans...

...but my feet would really like me to try these by Gentle Souls and Cole Haan.

My budget is really hoping that this last pair, which just happens to be one of Rachel Zoe's picks, will be the most comfortable of all.  They are very cute, listed in the cute and comfy section and on sale for $39.99.  That is a sensible shoe!

Soon to come...a day with my friend Annette (and her mouse).

It began with Victoria Magazine in 1989.  My love affair with magazines.  I was 14 years old and fascinated by all things romantic and feminine.  I started a binder of clippings that inspired me and found them when I organized or storage unit last summer.  As I turned the plastic-sleeved pages, I fell in love all over again with each clipping.  Memories were stirred and I was inspired as my older more distracted self remembered my younger dreamier self.  What a treasure.  It's like a diary with no words. 

One of my favorite Marc Jacobs ads, it was in my bathroom for years.

I love the way RL Home ads make me feel.  Even when I don't like every element in the room, it still speaks to me of warmth and history.  I want to be there.  I am completely in love with this camp chair!

The chair retails for $4,485.oo.  I think it is time to start thrifting again!  Value Village?  The Barn?  Probably wishful thinking but you just never know! 

It was bitter cold in Calgary today!  I was outside for a couple of minutes and it felt like my hands were going to fall off.  No exaggeration!  On the opposite end of the spectrum is my son's fever.  We were up most of last night because he was so miserable.  My gut feeling is that he is getting another tooth but if I'm right then this one is much harder  than his first time around.  His fever was 102.5, the Tylenol didn't seem to help and when he did drift off he moaned and groaned in his sleep.  It is so frustrating that the teething process is so painful.

Calgary's 2011 Home & Garden show started this afternoon and will be running through Sunday night at the BMO Centre and Corral at the Stampede Grounds.   The last time I went to a home show in Calgary was about 6 years ago and it has doubled in size!  There were a lot of the typical booths (landscaping and  hot tubs) but there were a few booths that I loved and want to share with you.  

#1.  Karoleena Homes has their Karo Cabin set up with landscaping done by Babbling Brooks.  It is what I like to call Rocky Mountain Glamour at it's best!  I am a big fan of The Wee Homes but these are even better because it is a Calgary company started by two of our own local boys, Kurt and Kris Goodjohn.  I could take the Karo Cabin exactly as it is at the Home Show and move right in!

#2. Pop-Pops! My mom bought some of these on the spot and I know that Max is going to love playing in the Firetruck, School Bus and Caterpillar.  Tony, the owner of PopPop Amusements, is at the booth showing how easy it is to set-up and then fold up and put away these awesome toys.  He promised me that he would have an instructional video up on YouTube by the end of this week.  I will post a link as soon as he does.  If you buy from Tony at the Home Show he is giving a fantastic discount plus you don't have to pay shipping!  These would be equally fun indoors or out, at the beach or wherever you go.   They are lightweight and store flat and very compact.  Great gift items!

#3.  Bali & Beyond has a gorgeous area set up with items from their store 40 - 70% off.  Feel like a little Eat, Pray, Love?  Enter to win a trip for two to Bali!  You can also enter the draw by liking their Facebook page. Yes, I signed up!

#4. Habitat for Humanity's ReStore teamed up with Calgary designer Deborah Wilkinson from Touch of Elegance and reupholstery company Bare Bones Furniture Studio.  The result is a whimsical space that makes you want to visit ReStore and see if you can be as creative as Deborah was with these recycled and repurposed items.  ReStore is good for the environment and good for the soul as 100% of their proceeds go directly to Habitat for Humanity.

5. ElleGolf - Calgary Women's Golf Club has a drawing to win a one year league membership.  It looks like a great way to meet people while learning and/or playing golf at the best of Calgary's golf courses.  Yes, I entered this drawing as well.  :)

I would love to hear if anyone else is going to the home show and which booths you liked...

Calgary's Lacrosse team is in trouble.  This is a shame for a few reasons. 

#1 Lacrosse is one of Canada's National Sports. 
#2 Lacrosse is definitely one of Canada's oldest sports.
#3 The Calgary Roughnecks run training camps for our young people.  A great activity!
#4 The Calgary Roughnecks are involved in our local community.
#5 The Calgary Roughnecks have won The Champion's Cup twice in the past 10 years!

Any other fans out there?  Can you add some more reasons to support The Roughnecks staying in Calgary?

Please sign the petition to Save The Calgary Roughnecks!
Please join the Facebook Group!

Privacy is a huge deal for my husband.  This is hard on our relationship because I am a big mouth.   

Take this morning for example:  We are in bed with our son who starts grabbing at Josh's chest.  Ok, let's just be plain, he was trying to give him a purple nurple.  Not that he knows yet what a purple nurple is but he sure knows how to give them.  So, Josh pulled away and said, "Sorry Dude, they're vestigial!"  Well, this just made me laugh.  First of all, I do find it funny when my husband is the one on the receiving end of our son's brutal hands.  Secondly, the word vestigial is too funny especially when inserted into a conversation with a 10 month old.

In the midst of my laughter I said, "I have to blog about this, will that bother you?"

His reply, "I will never get any respect!"

Sorry Babe, your future run for Presidency is now shot!

An article I read in the Calgary Herald today reminded me of how necessary it is that I start exercising on a regular basis.  Sooo much easier to talk about than to do.  The piece is worth reading if you want to be inspired to live longer.  The short version is that they genetically altered mice to age quickly and then made some of them exercise for 45 minutes a day, 3 days a week.  After 5 months the difference in the test subjects was remarkable.  The scientists noticed that the exercised mice were lively, more healthy and younger in appearance than the non-exercised mice who "huddled in a corner, barely moving."

Huddling in my house where it is warm and comfy, my future is not looking too bright!  So, I started looking for cheap and easy ways to exercise.  If you, like me, have a small child and would like something you can do together, Calgary has some great options.  Salsa Babies sounds like a lot of fun and they offer a free trial class.  I wonder if I could dance with Max in a baby carrier for the entire 45 minute class?  Fit Mom offers a lot of classes in several locations around the city.  From stroller classes to yoga, all the classes are designed to do with your baby.  I couldn't find anything suggesting a free trial class but that won't stop me from asking about it.  Like my Papa always told me, the worst they can do is say 'no'.  Tri-Yoga was recommended to me by a Calgary mom that I met the other day.  They don't have mom and tot classes but they do have childcare right in the studio for $3.00 (if you buy a 20 pass punch card).  Right now they have an introductory offer of 2 weeks, unlimited classes for $30.00.  On the other end of the spectrum from yoga is Bootcamp!  Bellies, Babies and Beyond offers indoor and outdoor classes that take you from pregnancy right through early motherhood. 

The cheapest option I found is Spa Lady.  For zero down and $23.00 a month you have full access to free weights, equipment, and group classes such as Pilates, Yoga, Zumba and more.  They also offer childcare for $3.00 if you buy a 20 pass punch card or $4.00 for a drop-in class.  

I would love to try all of these but for now I will stick to trying the free classes and will report back to you after.  Are there any moms out there who exercise with their baby?  Do you have any suggestions for me or are you a huddling mouse too?

We have been having a wonderful Family Day Weekend!  My brother Matt and his friend Ashley came up from New York.  My mom made all the favorite family recipes from Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits to her famous Gumbo Dinner.  Star made the full Indian menu.  Josh made some very special breakfast sandwiches.  To top it all off, Matt invited some of his favorite people over last night and they just happen to be some of my favorite people as well! 

Earlier in the day our friend Clara dropped off homemade Perogies and Sauerkraut with Sausage.   The perogies were little nuggets of melt-in-your-mouth goodness!  They disappeared  before I could snap a picture of them.  I did however get a picture of my second piece of leftover pecan pie this morning.  When Matt called Lila yesterday afternoon, she casually whipped together 3 pecan pies for the party last night!  We are so spoiled!

Today we are enjoying the holiday by relaxing!  Also, my little guy is 10 months old today and he stood on his own for a full 2 seconds!  I think he is going to take off walking very soon!  He is still too young to take full advantage of all the free events going on today in Calgary so we may just take him for walk.  If you haven't figured out how to spend your family day, check out www.familyfuncalgary.com for some awesome events and museum admissions.

On a side note, imagine getting this invitation in the mail over the weekend!  I love the dress code requirements: Uniform, Morning Coat or Lounge Suit.