THE BIG SURPRISE! Introducing...

After joking about it for a long time, Cheryl & I have decided to take our neurotic organizing to a professional level! Our homes are NOT perfect, but we have figured out that for us, and for most women, chaos & clutter is burdening & distracting. We've got some good ideas that have worked for us in keeping a little more control, how to eliminate what we don't need in the house and how to find what we do! We think we can help people who are struggling with clutter issues & disorganization, and we want people to be able to use their spaces well, and at the same time enjoy them and breathe without all the clutter!

We're really REALLY excited and will be helping our "debut" client next week... Mrs. Fern and her scrapbook room!

Thank you for your excitement... we hope to have our website up and running soon!
If you know someone who needs a room refreshing or rescue, thank you for passing our name along!

If you're curious... here's the scoop...

How it works?
It will be very case by case, but what we plan to do is... start with an in-home consultation ($50) where we look at the space and talk about what the client wants to achieve with it. From there we will provide 3 options for your project...

YOU DO IT: We’ll provide you with some written steps to tackle your particular project on your own. Sometimes, a little direction is all you need. (Free with consultation).

WE DO IT TOGETHER: We will prepare a plan with us leading you through the project. We’ll be on site to help sort, toss, tote, pack, organize, carry, clean... and keep you on track.

DREAM IT AND DONE: From paint to furniture, we work together to completely organize & refresh your space. Our philosophy is always to make the best use of your dollar, so even though this is a larger investment, we promise to find you the most economical way to get your dream done well. As part of your consultation fee, we'll give you a ball park cost, and if you'd like to pursue this project option, we will work with you on an itemized budget, then make sure all the pieces fall into place.


RATES
Consultation fee: $50 (will be applied as credit towards further Project Fees, should you have us come and work with you.)
Project fee: $50/hour for first 4 hours, $35/hour for additional hours.

Any storage units/bins, etc. are extra. We suggest you set a budget for those expenses as well.

SO, THAT'S THE BIG SURPRISE!!! WHAT DO YOU THINK????

Remembering Summer '06

sorry, I had to remove this for now until I can figure out how to have it without it bumping away all my other stuff on the right hand side...

Ready for your bikini?

Me either.

BUT, I did want to pass along the name of a wonderful girl I met over a year ago who is passionate about fitness and helping people suceed in getting there! Stephanie led the running course that got me going and now I'm meeting with her once a week in a very small group for intense training... she's awesome. She has that ability to push you to work hard without making you feel like a loser when you've reached your limit. I highly recommend her!

She recently finished her Personal Training program and is just starting out with her business, called, "ACTIVE 8 Fitness"

Here are some snippets from her newsletter...

Introducing Active 8 Fitness

Active 8 Fitness provides customized fitness solutions that fit into your busy lifestyle.

Don’t belong to a gym? No Problem! Active 8 Fitness focuses on providing you with a program that you can do at home, on the road, or wherever you choose!

8 week Learn To Run Clinic
$75/person or $130/couple.
Runs Monday afternoons, 5:30pm, April 16 to June 4, 2007
Meet at the wharf at Gellatly Bay (bottom of Gellatly Rd.).
Pre-registration required: active8fitness@telus.net

Join us for Accelerate Workouts
workouts that challenge your cardio, agility, speed, and provide for a whole lot of laughter!
Wednesdays: 9:05—10:00AM
Thursdays: 10:05—11:00AM

Buy a 8 times punch card and pay only $65!
Meet at the field at Anders Park, on Anders Rd. in Lakeview Heights


Activate your lifestyle with 8 Personal Training Sessions!
Active 8 Fitness is pleased to offer you 8 personal training sessions for only $300! That’s a $100 savings!
Includes:
Benchmarking & Fitness Assessment
Personalized Exercise Program
8 one-on-one sessions
Review of Progress

Tired of your current routine? Try a 3 session package for only $125.

Stephanie has had a lifelong interest in fitness and health. She began competitively swimming at the age of 5 and still continues to enjoy the sport today. After graduating in 1996 from Simon Fraser University with Bachelors of Business Administration and a minor in Kinesiology, Stephanie moved to the Kelowna area. In addition to getting involved in the business community, Stephanie began competing in local running races and took up the sport of triathlon in 2002. Stephanie has been a leader and guest speaker for several learn-to-run clinics over the past 5 years and enjoys assisting others in achieving their goals. In 2003, Stephanie was honoured with the YM-YWCA’s Young Woman of Distinction Award for her achievements in fitness, her career and volunteerism. Keeping busy is what keeps Stephanie going. In 2005, Stephanie was the Westbank & District Chamber of Commerce president. That same year, Stephanie trained for and completed Ironman Canada, and a 100km run to raise funds for Partners in the Horn of Africa. Stephanie also participated in the World Masters Games in 2005 for swimming and took home a silver medal in the 400m Individual Medley. In 2006, Stephanie decided to combine her business knowledge and her passion for health and fitness to start a personal training business.

Questions or comments? E-mail us at active8fitness@telus.net.

Puppy Love

The boy's were doggy-sitting for Gen on Friday... do these pictures scream "this boy need a dog" or what?

Fresh Bread - It just keeps coming...

You know those good days where you get up a little earlier and start the day right? This is what I read this morning in the quiet of the house and it got me thinking that even though my day will be peppered with disappointments & frustrations, that even though the phone could ring any second and my world could be turned upside down, that it will certainly not be a perfect day, I'm going to choose to proceed focusing on this... This is what I read and wrote in my journal on this gorgeous morning...

"From the fullness of His Grace, we have all received one blessing after another". John 1:16

7:10am... Already I can count blessing after blessing I will receive today...
- A beautiful warm home to wake up in
- a beautiful warm man smiling beside me
- two giggling boys doing who-knows-what in the bathroom
- It's hotdog day at school today so I don't have to make lunch
- a big mug of tea with milk and honey... more in the kitchen
- my kids have their choice of breakfast foods---and can eat until they are full
- I'm sending my husband out the door in a reliable vehicle on his way to a great job.
- I hear birds outside, not gunfire
- from where I sit, I can see the front doors of several neighbors who would do anything for me.
- My kids will ride their (new) bikes a few safe blocks to an amazing school where they will learn & play & succeed, (plus, did I mention it's hotdog day?? :-)
- after they leave I will have the luxury of an hour and a half to have a hot shower, check my e-mail, putter, bake cookies...
- I am going to work late today, because I have a flexible job that lets me help out at the school when I want to (cooking 300 hotdogs..., I guess I do have to make lunch after all :-) but it's a fun way to help out)
- My family will sit down to pizza tonight, a treat from the "O's"
- After the kids are in bed Joel & I will snuggle up and watch "must see TV" together... there will be no yelling, no shoving, no insecurity.
- And I will end the day warm & comfortable, beside my biggest fan, thanking my God for Blessing after Blessing.

I hope you all have a fabulous Thursday, noticing your blessing after blessing!

Just a Typical Wednesday

Things I did today...

7:45 Sprayed my son's hair with silver hairspray for "Wacky Hair Day"

9:05 Met with Stephanie for my personal training session (luckily, she gave blood yesterday and was slowed down by the experience, so I had a great workout without ever feeling like I might just drop dead there in the field.)

10:15 Worked with Cheryl on our big suprise.... OOHHHH, Don't you just hate us?? Soon, little ones, soon.

12:50 Had my very first Orthodontist appointment! I'm pretty seriously considering getting braces... will decide soon. I'm excited and scared.

1:30 Bumped into my friend Alexis at Quality Greens and we headed over to Starbucks... funny I'd just been thinking about her as I drove to QG's because she, too, had braces as an adult.

4:00 Cleaned the master bathroom, wondering why Joel can never put his toiletries in the drawer or the metal bucket I have provided to hold such tubes & cans & containers.

4:54 Dinner is ready to go, round 3 of laundry has started, the boys are jumping on the neighbor's trampoline, and I am enjoying a cup of tea as I blog, procrastinating some paper work I need to do here at home. 35 minutes till Arrested Development... perfect laundry folding entertainment.

5:28... back from blogging interruption... 8-year old came home crying, frustrated with himself for "losing at everything" and "because his body is bigger than all his friends" so he can't "manuever as easily and swiftly" (seriously, those were his words)as the other kids lately. Had a good cuddle, a good "everyone has a bad week once in a while/you can't win at everything/your body is growing and sometimes it takes a while before your brain can manage it properly/you're the only 8-year old I know who can play electric guitar/it'll be better next week/would a coke make you feel better?" conversation. Never let it be said that a kid can't be cheered up with a coke. Now he's living like a king, eating triskets, sipping on a coke, watching "Fairly Odd Parents". Oh, to bounce back that quickly from my own frustrations with myself! YIKES! 5:34... A.D. & Laundry await!

Hip Hop that would make Tupac roll over in his grave.

So, last week we got the notice that we were invited to our elementary school to watch our grade 5'er and his "little buddies" (in grades 2/3) in a "hip hop performance" as part of their Phys. Ed. program.

I really don't know what to say.
They all gave it their full effort. They were cute. They had fun.
But it was like a scene from a Saturday Night Live skit. You know the old one with Will Ferrell & (I forget her name).. where they are the music teachers and try to be cool singing "hip" music. It was that, only with dancing children.

It's astounding, what passes for hip hop in the suburbs.

(note: I believe Tupac was a rapper, but I can't think of any dead hip hop artists at the moment... they probably share the same musical roots or something, anyway.)

LIfe Experiment

You know how there are spenders and there are savers?
We have, for our entire life together, been savers.
We've lived on one vehicle for the better part of 15 years to avoid a car payment.
We've done the "load up on coupon day at extra foods" to save the $45 a month.
We buy most of our clothes at costco.
blah, blah, blah, blah.

Then this fall & winter came and we
1) bought a car
2) finished our basement (which is an investment, but still a heafty purchase)
3) purchase a lot of techy/media stuff for that basement
4) bought a hottub (second hand, but hey, it's still a luxury item.)
5) went on a trip (which we mostly paid for last spring when we booked it, but again, big ticket & luxury)

So, inorder to reset our spending habits (i.e. remembering what it's like to say "no" to things)... I did a little wallet experiment for the month of March.
Every Sunday I took $100 cash out of the bank machine and I had to live on it for the entire week. That meant trying to use up all the food we had at home, saying no to almost everything that was non-essential (a dinner out with the girls and a little bit of scrapbooking paper here and there being the obvious exceptions).

I wasn't sure how it would work. I knew I had a lot of food to eat through at home and it would be mostly suplimental groceries (milk & produce) that I'd have to spend on. But what other little things would come up? Would I be able to do it for just 4 weeks??

Week 1: I had 27 cents left at the end. Seriously. That week the little extras were to pay for a kid's haircut and buy a birthday gift for B's buddy.

Week 2: Monday I splurged a lovely dinner out with friends. By Friday I needed to pick up some groceries but that bill took me $4 over so I had to take an advance on my money for week three. Also, I needed to fill up the van with gas, so decided that I would not include gas in my $100. Handy how I can adapt my experiment, isn't it?

Week 3: Was doing GREAT until Saturday came and we made the deadly mistake of going into Kelowna. We stumbled upon an amazing deal on a sectional for the basement that we couldn't pass up, added 6 dining room chairs to the order, got our 11-year old his birthday present (a very nice bike), a pair of shoes for each of the kids, and a beding for the guest room. Cha-ching.

Week 4: Ended up $5 over... darn that Basic Grey paper!


I know I couldn't live like this forever (our freezer & pantry only had so much in reserves), and there were a two dinners out and a couple of shopping errands that Joel paid for, but it was such a good perspective re-set to my spending & saving. Every time I went to purchase something I had to see what was left in my wallet. Every dollar mattered. I couldn't help but put myself in the shoes of a single mom who has to reach for the no-name prepared mustard instead of the "fancy" mustard that we like, because saving a dollar matters. Or saying no to the kids about grabbing Wendy's instead of eating at home. It was a good little experience for them too.

This was a very good excersize for me. I'd encourage anyone to try it. It's nice to be in a place where you can comfortably say YES to a lot of things, the problem is, it's so easy to forget what saying no feels like, and you just stop appreciating the huge priviledge of saying yes.

Other benefits:
- I can now defrost my freezer!
- Our Mastercard bill will be next to nothing! (Oh, yeah, except for the couch, chairs, bike...)
- Didn't have room in the budget for ice cream & chips!