confessions on the sweet life of life candy.

"You're a mommy blogger, right?", I was once asked by my RL friend Casey.  And contrary to what many of you may think, my response was NOT to stab him in the face with the fork I had in my hand at the time. 

I'm okay with the title.  Really.  I've scored awesome gigs, made some great friends, and bathed in my 15 minutes thanks to people calling me a mommy blogger.

But I like to think I'm actually a lifestyle blogger.

So, how did I get here?  (She's going to tell, she's going to tell...  you know, from Monty Python & the Holy Grail... No? Okay, never mind.)

1: I created this blog as a getaway from my mommy life.  Oh, the irony!  (That is irony, right?!  Sheesh, thanks, Alanis Morrisette, for making me all weird and self-conscious.)

Me as Mommy

2: This Body is a Temple was the first title of this blog, and its focus was on Calorie Reduced Eating and Optimal Nutrition that helped me lose 15 pounds and get healthy.

3: Then I fell off the wagon.

4: In 2007, I changed the name to Life Candy, ditched the health/nutrition posts, and started talking about life-simplification and life-improvement.

5: By 2009, I was writing more and more about my crazy family, and OMG, you all couldn't get enough.  I had to face that I couldn't keep their funny all to myself.  I continued to share it, and became mommy-life blogger.  crap. sigh. woohoo!

But now, we're changing.  I'm no longer ALL MOMMY, ALL THE TIME!!!  And my kids are becoming more independent, and their privacy is becoming more important to them.

So, Life Candy and I are going back.  Back to more life-improvement, simple living, sustainability, and natural health/beauty/girly-stuff, because that is where I am in life right now.

Although not as often, you'll still get the family stories, because they won't leave me alone to pursue my dream of becoming an international-spy/minimalist/supermodel/rocket-scientist, and insist that I feed them and cloth them and hug them with their adorable faces and their heart-kersploding exclamations of "I love you, Momma!"
What's a girl to do?

You loved me back then (see #4 above).  And you won't be able to resist me now, while I go back to sharing stories of my decluttering, simple living, home renos, and natural beauty...

... because I know you're dying to read more stories of my hair.

I just know it.

almost wordless: earth hour 2011.

My two beautiful reasons for caring...

It's Aloha Friday

earth hour.

We're doing it, and you should totally do it too.  Tomorrow, March 26 at 8:30pm local time, people all over the world will be unplugging for Earth Hour.  Yes, folks, once again, we earthlings, terrans, homo sapiens, Sol 3 inhabitants will be taking our stand in the fight for our planet against climate change.
This isn't our family's first time doing this.  We did it in 2008, 2009, and 2010.  We even did a second one in 2008, when we didn't have to!  We're such keeners.

Don't get me wrong -- we're environmentally fanatical already, so this is just another fun family activity... with more meaning than just going out to eat greasy fries, loitering at the mall, or sucking on Slurpees like hummingbirds.

welsh cheddar.

Roomie came home with something new to try.  Relieved that it wasn't some new weird sex thing, I gave it a go.  I know, my ND told me to avoid this but I couldn't help myself.  It's welsh cheddar.  And it was GOOD.  Mild to start with a sharp zing that sneaks up on you like a kiss from the hot dude from Theatre class that you'd been dying to lure into the sack but thought he was totally out of your league.  Ahem.  Try it.  You'll love it. 

save sgu.

I'm still pissed that SyFy has canceled Stargate Universe.  Bastards.  Oh, apparently, said bastards don't even like science fiction.  No, I'm not kidding.  The new owners don't like sci-fi.  Further proof?  Exhibit A: the name change from Sci-Fi to SyFy.  Exhibit B: wrestling.  Oh, yeah, WRESTLING on a science fiction channel.  I agree with the fiction part, but what's scientific about it?  Exhibit C: the new lineup of shows is mostly reality tv. 
Because I officially think this blows, I've joined SaveSGU on Twitter and Facebook.  You should too.

Listen to me.  I'm starting to sound like some sort of pusher -- join Save SGU, do Earth Hour, try Welsh Cheddar... DO IT NOW!!!

mathematical snoopy.

Guess what almost went out in our on-going, 3-year declutter-fest.  Yup, my addition/multiplication Snoopy ruler!  I only have 3 toys from my childhood that I would never want to part with: my bristle blocks, my wooden turtle toy, and my snoopy ruler.
I hope explains why I'm not striving to be a minimalist, but a minimalish-ist.  Yes, it's a word.

spring break.

Next week is Spring Break in these parts, and lo and behold, we're all actually healthy.  [...knocking on wood...]  Mini will get her retainer(s).  Lam will drag us out to hang at the mall.  And hopefully, we've truly seen the last of the I-have-the-flu-and-feel-crappy looks... like the one on that dude above.

the iterative declutter: family room.

The road to minimalish-ism is paved with lots of looking-like-I-should-be-on-Hoarders.  But after 3 passes, we've finally got the family room cleared up a little!

The kitchen counter needs to get done, but hey, the overall clean up isn't that bad, eh?!  We're definitely more than halfway there.  Maybe another 2 or 3 passes, and we'll be done this area.

The clutter was mostly kids' toys, so together the kids and I separated them into KEEP and GIVEAWAY piles.  Roomie went through the GIVEAWAY pile to make sure we weren't giving away things we weren't supposed to, like his old childhood toys.  And now they're ready for this summer's Big Garage Sale.

Yup, we worked so hard.  How hard?  Check out the Before and After...

BEFORE

AFTER

why I get why roomie doesn't love wally world.

I'm sure you've all seen this, but if you haven't, I think you should.  It's become even more important to me lately as I declutter my stuff, become more minimalist, and simplify my life.

rebuilding the temple - month 1: choke hold.

Lost (Total): 2 pounds

Okay, how many times do I say "Haven't lost any weight -- didn't work out consistently -- ate a tub of lard in protest" before you want to unsubscribe, give up on me, hunt me down to scream at me, stab me in the face, or all of the above?

Let's see, shall we?!

Kidding!  I'm truly not that foolish.  So, I've decided to loosen the choke hold on this project and just update once a month -- on the 1st Fridays.  I'm doing this for several reasons:

1: I visited my ND this week, and based on her observations, she told me to pull back on the things that make this Get Healthy journey stressful.  Reporting that I've done nothing on the exercise front -- even when it's because I've been too ill to even walk to the bathroom without screaming bloody murder from the aches and pains of the flu -- was starting to give me heart palpitations.

2: This is a total lifestyle change, and I've found that when I need to do that, I can't ***MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT!!!***  See me making a big deal out of it there?  The weekly updates are a form of me doing that.  So yeah, I can't do that anymore.  Oddly enough, if I want this to stick, I need to be subtle, almost have it sneak up on me.  I know, I'm a freak.

3: I have a couple of other projects that need my focus more right now.  Reporting on this just adds to the brain clutter, and simplifying my life is one of the side projects here that I'll be pulling into the limelight and making into a prime blog focus.

4: It's starting to become an obsession offline.  And I know that when I'm freaking about every little thing I'm eating and getting down on myself for not exercising because "OMG, what am I going to tell my darling readers?!", I've got to pull back.

5: I don't want to bore you all with the same ol' same-old.

The important thing to remember here, folks, is that I'm still going to live healthfully and make my lifestyle changes.

I'm just not going to report them as often.

So, until the 1st of April, I'm going to continue to eat properly, continue to detox, continue to fit in my 100 pushups workouts, and continue to dance hula and do intervals alternately every day.

See?  I'm growing and accepting.  And I feel like I've lost 5 pounds of stress already.  :) 

Happy St. Patty's Day!

30 songs.

I found this challenge on Facebook and thought I'd try it out.  This list is not the original, but by Lucy 'spoon' House, and I like the categories better.

It's like the movie challenge that I stole from Adam.  You're supposed to do one each day, posting the youtube video link on your FB status, but I'm impatient so I'm doing it all in one shot.

You do it too.

day 01 - A song from the first album you ever brought: Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen.  I gotta be cool, relax, get hip, get on my tracks.  Take a backseat.  Hitch hike.  Take a long ride on my motor bike.  Till I'm ready.  Ready Freddie.  Crazy little thing called love...

day 02 - Your favourite single:  It's a Beautiful Life - Ace of Base.

day 03 - Your favourite album track:  Suddenly - Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard from the Xanadu Soundtrack.

day 04 - A song by the first band/artist you saw live:  Maneater - Hall & Oates. 

day 05 - A song from your teens/childhood: Down Under - Men at Work

day 06 - A song by your favourite band/artist: Roxanne - The Police.

day 07 - A song that reminds you of a season: Kiss You When It's Dangerous - Eight Seconds.  Actually, it reminds me of all 4 seasons.  Have you seen the video?  It's about the... um, seasons.

day 08 - The song u play the most on your mp3/itunes/etc.:  Groove is in the Heart - DeeLite.

day 09 - Favourite new release (has to be less than 2 months old): On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez.

day 10 - An awsome driving track:  Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf.

day 11 - A song that reminds you of your best mate: It's Raining Men - Weather Girls.

day 12 - A song that makes you laugh/smile: F*ck You - Cee Lo Green

day 13 - The song that contains your favourite lyrics:  What A Wonderful World - Louis B. Armstrong.  I adore all the lyrics in this song.  ALL. OF. THEM.  Even the Oh, yeah at the end.

day 14 - Your favourite acoustic cover/track: Don't Speak - No Doubt.

day 15 – A song of an album that has brilliant cover art: Smooth - Santana (featuring Rob Thomas.

day 16 – Your favourite TV theme tune: Futurama.

day 17 – A song that reminds you of a holiday: Holiday - Madonna.  Sorry, I read it and couldn't get past the word Holiday.

day 18 – A song that makes you think of a family member: Conga - Miami Sound Machine.  My sister LOVED this song... and would drag me to the dancefloor when she'd hear it at a wedding reception.  Mortifying.

day 19 – A song you never get sick of hearing:  Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth, Our House - Madness, Come on Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners.  Couldn't choose just one.  And that's not all.

day 20 – A guilty pleasure song: Public Affair - Jessica Simpson. OMG, yes, I love a Jessica Simpson song.  Please don't hate me.

day 21 – A song you can’t help but sing along to: Everything Counts - Depeche Mode. With grabbing hands, grab all they can, all for themselves after all, it's a competitive world...

day 22 – A song that reminds you of your bf/gf/partner/etc.: Squeeze Me - Kraak & Smaak.

day 23 – A song you play when you want to relax: Somewhere Down the Crazy River - Robbie Robertson. Just one of many songs that relax me.

day 24 – A song you play before a night out:  Hella Good - No Doubt.

day 25 – A song from a band/artist you’ve just ‘discovered’: Rolling in the Deep - Adele.

day 26 – A song off of the last album you brought/last track you downloaded:  Pump It - Black Eyed Peas . Yeah, it's been a while.

day 27 – A song no one would expect you to love: Not Afraid - Eminem.  I'm on board with this incarnation of Eminem.  He's a beautiful man when he's not all high and shit.

day 28 – A song you would sing at a karaoke night:  I will survive - Gloria Gaynor.

day 29 – Your least favourite song: Having My Baby - Paul Anka. Oh lordy, this song makes my ears bleed.

day 30 – Your favourite song of all time:  I don't have a favourite.  I don't want the other songs to feel bad.

a brand new gig.

Hey, this doesn't look like my 'rebuilding the temple' update!  No, it does not.  This week's was pre-empted by pi day festivities yesterday.  And considering that I've been sick all week and have done NOTHING to further the project, I've decided to update next week.

So, in lieu of me moaning about how it's going to take a miracle to get me into a bikini this summer, you get some awesome news!  

I'm so proud and honoured to announce that I'm the Editor for Filipino Parent, a new supplement for the Filipino Journal, the staple publication of the Filipino community here in Winnipeg.  

The first issue hits the stands in May and will becoming out quarterly.  In a nutshell, it'll be jam packed full of information, ideas, tips, local news, and announcements for new parents, new-to-Canada parents, and parents who hope to reintroduce their kids to their ancestral culture here in Winnipeg.

We are all so very excited about this new project.  And I hope you're all excited for me too.  Yes, you should be.  Because this is awesome!  And I'm so thrilled to be a part of it.

So, how about you?  Any news?

happy pi day.

It's Aloha Friday

+ germ-killing salsa.

Don't judge me.  I've been sick.  Iced tea and fiesta dip are all I can handle.  Fever of 38.9C finally broke on Wednesday, but I'm still blowing my nose, coughing up swamp scum, and feeling as weak as a baby.  Opening a fruit roll-up for Mini reduced me to tears.  Really, Suri Cruise and her little high-heel shoes can kick my ass easily.

+ bikini.

Mini outgrew her one-piece bathing suit.  Our baby girl had to wear her bikini to swim class.  Roomie's eyes started to bleed, then his brain kersploded.  Blam.

+ sash.

Lam earned his white sash in Kung Fu and received it at his class on Wednesday. So, be nice or he'll kick your ass.  Aw, I'm so proud of my little hired goon.

+ chicken.

A family favourite.  400F.  45 minutes.  Add Diana sauce on top.  15 minutes more.  Yum.

+ bedtime reading.

I just finished re-reading Ransom by Julie Garwood, my fave historical romance author.  Or "lady porn", as Miss T calls it.  Next Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood.

International Women's Day.

Fighting the flu to pay tribute to the wonderful, inspiring women in my life...

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

rebuilding the temple - week 3: push, push, in the... well, you know.

Lost (Week 3): 0 lbs.
Lost (Total) : 2 lbs. 

Hey, darling readers, as I said in yesterday's post, I've been sick.  Again.  I know.  It totally sucks donkey balls, but here I am.  I didn't get sick at all in January and the beginning of February, so perhaps I'm just trying to catch up.  Ha!  Yeah, okay, totally not funny.  Especially since I'm coughing like a 5-pack-a-day smoker.

My energy is already plummeting too low for me to put effort into good meals.  I foresee lots of fruit in my sick future.

And it only follows that I don't have the energy for working out.  Which, again, sucks because exercise is the factor that I haven't included in the program... AT. ALL.  And yes, I too suck.

You see, I know what to do and what works for me:  weights, hula, push ups, squats, yoga, intervals.  It's just a matter of doing it.

I recently asked my girlfriends on FB to tell me what they do for workouts, and they came back with what they did and how often they did it.  OMG, INSPIRATION!!!  My girls are workout mavens, taking care of their bodies, making me realize that I REALLY need to get off my butt.

So, with the eating/nutrition crunching along well, my focus -- as soon as I get better -- will be my workouts.

What I'll be doing/starting this week:

Hold me.

almost wordless: when the going gets tough, the tough have a tea party.

Despite the start of a new and enchanting cold, I powered through and helped my little girl make tea cakes by Easy Bake.  We put that bad boy through its paces and set up a tea party that would surely get a gold star from Martha.

Daddy thought it was awesome.

 It's a good thing.

a simple misunderstanding.

In the kitchen, as the kids are getting ready to go to school...

Roomie, looking at one of Lam's Pokemon toys: "What's the name of this guy?"

Lam: "Rotom."

Roomie: "Scrotum?!"

Lam: "RO-tom." 

Roomie: "Oh."

NOT a scrotum