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It’s Friday, Friends. Have some Heart!

heart1

Today's Friday music video is thanks to some old high school friends on Facebook. It's conversations like this that make Facebook worthwhile ... And if this wasn't entertaining enough, a fourth person (who I dated in high school) jumped in to the conversation at this point to add:  Now, THAT is a great way to start off a Friday! I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay safe, laugh lots. Julie xo … [Read more...]

Makeup Primer, Arbonne, and my Cosmetics Quest (Part 2 of 2)

deacon book

This post is a continuation. To read Part 1, click here.   As I was telling you in my post yesterday, I went to an Arbonne party. I had fun. I tried stuff. I bought stuff. Arbonne is different from a number of other products on the shelves of my drugstore because they are formulated without: Parabens Formaldehyde donating preservatives The following petroleum-based ingredients: Benzene Mineral … [Read more...]

Makeup Primer, Arbonne, and my Cosmetics Quest (Part 1 of 2)

Book inscription by Gillian Deacon

This post is part of a personal quest to find and use face and body products with fewer toxins. To catch up on this series, you can start here.  So have you heard of ARBONNE? I hadn't heard of this company until just recently, and now it seems all my girlfriends are mentioning it of late. Like Tupperware, Stella & Dot, and other direct-to-consumer businesses, Arbonne is sold at parties in people's homes. I'm sure you've been to similar … [Read more...]

BIG Bedside Tables Reveal!

Master Bed - Wenge Wood

I love piles of books--waiting to be read, half-read, already-read, or just looking pretty. Hubby jokes that the pile get so high on my bedside table that one day he's worried he'll find the pile collapsed on top of me. (I figure there are far worse ways to die!) Because of my book-collecting affliction and the long rectangle shape of the master bedroom, he thought BIG bedside tables were in order. No more tall, toppling piles. These tables … [Read more...]

It’s Friday, Friends. Let’s Celebrate True Colors.

Today closes out an international anti-bullying campaign. In schools across our city, kids are shown videos, encouraged to act out skits, and generally work hard not to roll their eyes as they're told over and over again that bullying is bad -- don't be a bully. None of it, in my opinion, truly prepares the teachers or the students for how to effectively deal with kids who are bullying and kids who are being bullied. I wish I knew the answers; … [Read more...]

Books for Tweens: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Book cover for: The One and Only Ivan

Stella goes through books like I imagine most kids go through cheerios. You'll find four or five hoarded under her pillow case, others scattered about on her bedside table with an overflow pile on the ground beside the bed. Her massive, double-sided bookcase is already filled and she's reluctant to part with any of them. I used to indulge her taste for books with constant trips to Chapters. But between the cost and the sheer volume of books … [Read more...]

Where did that Baby come from?

Picture of It's not the stork book

We have a beautiful addition to our neighbourhood gang -- a new baby! In trying to explain to Max, who is 4, that his friend has a new baby sister, some questions arose. Yes, *those* kind of questions. Stella, our 10-year-old daughter, immediately jumped right into this and offered that he could borrow her book It's NOT the Stork. "Um, I'm not sure Max is ready for that book," I blurted out. You see, Stella is like a walking encyclopedia. … [Read more...]

This Blog has Some Major Competition!

coffeewithjesus-ungrateful

Sometimes it feels like one should just throw in the towel when it comes to blogging. There is always someone funnier, more poignant, cooler, or quirkier. I've seen bloggers lament this before, and admit to their own feelings of inadequacies. But really, I can't be bothered with that. I spent most of my youth feeling insecure. So I'm totally over it (or drank it out of my system in university years. Whatever). I don't see my blog as … [Read more...]

Terra20 Gift Certificate Winners!

terra20 gift cards

Last Monday, I announced a giveaway for Ottawa's new eco-store Terra20. And today, I'm happy to share the names of the lucky winners! The winner of the $50 gift certificate is Jacquie Baillie who that she was most surprised to read about the parabens in tumors. The winner of the $100 gift certificate is Sarah McCormack who wasn't surprised by the article but "i have just had my head in the sand on this topic.  i have made big changes in the … [Read more...]

School for Bloggers: Book Keeping (#BlissdomCA)

Brian Kent-Baas at #BlissdomCA

I am home from work today with a sick child. She just finally fell into a much-needed nap on the sofa, so I thought I'd finally catch up on this series of posts I wanted to do from my trip to the Blissdom Canada conference. You can read the first post here, and this is the second one.  There’s no formal training to become a blogger. You teach yourself what you can and you learn from other more experienced members of the blogging community. … [Read more...]

The Dining Table is Finished! The Dining Table is Finished!

Dining table showing the base

Back in April, I had told you about Hubby's plans to build a dining table. We wanted something BIG ... big enough to host our whole family easily at any time. And he has a strong affection for modern, crisp clean lines. It was a labour of love my friends, but it is now complete and I am thrilled! It is over 9 feet in length, so we'll be able to have 10-12 people around it for sure. After the jump, you can check out some more photos. … [Read more...]

It’s Monday. Let’s Do a Giveaway, Shall We? Enjoy a Visit to Ottawa’s Terra20!

Daniel Thompson Beauty at Terra20

So, yesterday, I started to tell you about my visit to the Ottawa store Terra20. My goal was to go in to the store and learn a bit more about commonly used chemicals in cosmetics, try out some of Terra20's safer cosmetic brands, and then share it all with you. At the Terra20 store, like most other large department stores, you are welcome to come in and receive a complimentary makeover. I've done this before at other makeup counters ... … [Read more...]

Terra20, Gillian Deacon, and My Cosmetics Quest

Gillian Deacon and Julie Harrison

In my quest to learn more about what chemicals are in my cosmetics, I took a second visit to Ottawa's new eco-store Terra20 this past weekend. Gillian Deacon, who wrote Green for Life and There's Lead in Your Lipstick, was scheduled to be in the store to autograph books and to chat with store visitors. As soon as I walked in, I thought: Where have I seen her before? Take a look at this photo and see if you have the same reaction: So, it … [Read more...]

It’s Friday, Friends. Let’s Blame it on the Rain!

Cocktail Deeva

This Friday's music inspiration goes out the fabulooous Ms. Cocktail Deeva, who dressed up as Boy George for the annual costume party at Blissdom Canada. Despite looking EXACTLY like him, people were asking her if she was Pippy Longstocking or perhaps Jack Sparrow -- they were too young to know who Boy George was!!! ... Gah!! ... which meant only one thing, right? That she (and I!) and our Cotton Ginny slouch socks were getting a little … [Read more...]