March Break Fun!
March 15th, 2010 by linda.martelli
Stuck for things to do with the kids this week, here are a few fun ideas……
Midday entertainment at the Princess Cinemas in Uptown Waterloo…
Movies pics include Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Squeakuel, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Cloudy with the Chance of Meatballs, Planet 51 and Where the Wild Things Are.
The price is right at only 4 dollars.
It’s a Bug Feast at Wings of Paradise!
Not only will you gain a greater appreciation of the role insects play in nature, but you’ll also get to sample REAL INSECTS in food!! Bring a steel tummy with you or a paper bag……ONLY 5 DOLLARS FOR KIDS AGES 3 - 12.
Wings of Paradise is on 2500 Kossuth Rd. in Cambridge
What are you doing for March break? Any fun, creative ideas? Please share!!
Let’s hear it for eggs!
March 10th, 2010 by linda.martelli
I’ve always been a fan but moreso now with some recent news.
An egg a day could keep the doctor away….
Nutritionists are calling eggs a ’superfood’ because they are high in protein, nutrients and antioxidents. Eggs also help people lose weight…..they only contain 80 calories!
And the joy of eggs? They can be cooked so many ways! Omelettes are my absolute favourite….load ‘em up and don’t forget the cheese! Oh and I love devilled eggs too! Our own version of the Egg mcmuffin is popular in our household…the boys would eat them everyday if they could!
Do you have a favourite egg recipe? I’m looking for one of those ‘make ahead’ dishes that you pop into the oven the next morning.
Have an “Egg-cellent” day!!!
Good news for wine lovers!
March 8th, 2010 by linda.martelli
Whether it’s a glass at the end of a stressful day or a toast to a special occasion or maybe just that glass or two over dinner, wine certainly has its advantages. In addition to health benefits (which are listed below), there’s now more good news, especially for we women who watch our calorie consumption.
WOMEN WHO DRINK WINE ARE LESS LIKELY TO GAIN WEIGHT THEN THOSE WHO DON’T…..
THE STUDY CARRIED OUT BY RESEARCHERS AT BOSTON’S BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL SURVEYED ALMOST 20,000 WOMEN AND ASKED THEM ABOUT THEIR DRINKING HABITS OVER 13 YEARS.
THE GROUP WHICH GAINED THE MOST WEIGHT WERE WOMEN WHO DIDN’T DRINK WINE.
THOSE WHO DRANK A GLASS OR TWO OF RED WINE GAINED THE LEAST.
Five of the benefits that you get from drinking wine are outlined below.
1. Good heart health. Wine is good for the heart because it helps to thin our blood which allows the heart to work a little less. Additionally, studies have shown that people who consume wine in moderate amounts have lower occurrences of heart disease and other heart problems then people who do not drink wine.
2. Lowers risk for diabetes. Studies have shown that drinking wine helps to reduce the risk for developing diabetes. The make up of the wine and its alcohol base help to extend the function of the pancreas and sweep glucose from the body, allowing a person to avoid diabetes onset later in life.
3. Lowers risk for stroke. Just as wine helps with heart disease it helps prevent stroke. The thinning of the blood helps to prevent clots that lead to stroke.
4. Lowers risk for cataracts. Studies have shown that wine helps to prevent cataracts. More studies are needed to determine why, but it has been shown in study after study that people who drink wine regularly have a lower occurrence for cataracts.
5. Lengthens life. Wine has been shown to help lengthen your life. With all of the health benefits it is no wonder that drinking wine will help you to live longer. Wine has been shown to help slow down the aging of the brain and therefore allow better brain function longer.
Wine lovers will rejoice when all these studies are completed and finally prove that wine is good for you. The one thing, though, that should be noted about the benefits of wine is that these benefits have only been shown to outweigh the negative effects of alcohol consumption when wine is drank in moderation.
Excessive use of wine can lead to problems with the liver and other health issues associated with excessive alcohol consumption. Usually a glass of wine a day is enough to reap the benefits and avoid the problems.
CHEERS!
Should Jessica accept Mayer’s apology?
March 4th, 2010 by linda.martelli
Just to refresh your memory….in recent weeks John Mayer (former beau of Jessica Simpson) was quoted in Playboy and Rolling Stone Magazines as saying “sex with Jessica was like crack cocaine”. Initially I thought, wow, what a compliment but at the same time I thought wow, that’s a little ‘personal’. What’s that saying most of us use “too much information”?!!!
Apparently John has apologized to her after getting so much grief. Oh poor baby, maybe he should have thought about that prior to shooting his mouth off about such personal affairs.
Jessica appeared on Oprah yesterday and said she does not accept his apology and feels betrayed by him.
What do you think? Should she mend the fence? or just let it be?
Likely not an audience choice….
March 2nd, 2010 by linda.martelli
…but it was obvious how Jake was head over heels in love with Vienna. I think our opinion of Vienna was distorted right from the start when controversy began in the house and all the gals felt like she was a threat. I think she played her cards right. She was careful not to get too close to any one particular gal and stayed away from “cliques”. Kudos to her for being her own person and not getting involved in any kind of drama.
Tenley was bubbly, positive, pretty and charming but I have to agree with Jake. There wasn’t that magical “spark” when they were together. For me it was almost watching a brother/sister relationship. They were so alike in many ways almost to the point of being too “nice” if that makes any sense.
Whether or not Jake & Vienna will last remains to be seen but in the meantime they seem to be happy and I’m happy for them. I admired Vienna for her confidence, her honesty and her naturalness. When I say “naturalness”, I was impressed that she did not wear alot of makeup, she chose her clothes carefully and didn’t come across as “wanting to impress”.
Good choice Jake. There’s more Jake for us soon….he will be competing on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars (starts Mar.22)…..hmmmm, wonder if those dance tips Tenley gave him will pay off?!
Next on the agenda….Ali as the new Bachelorette….guess she didn’t mind losing her job after all.
Our gals are truly Canadian!!
February 26th, 2010 by linda.martelli
Okay so our women’s hockey team celebrated with cigars, beer and champagne. It seems they should have kept it off the ice…..
Hockey Canada apologized for the team’s behavior in the following statement:
”The members of Team Canada apologize if their on-ice celebrations, after fans had left the building, have offended anyone. In the excitement of the moment, the celebration left the confines of our dressing room and shouldn’t have. The team regrets that its gold medal celebration may have caused the IOC or COC any embarrassment.”
Waddya think? Should they have been penalized for celebrating this way?
Girl crushes…
February 25th, 2010 by linda.martelli
….is there a celebrity you have a total “girl crush” on?….someone you really admire and you know you would just get along with.
Cosmo recently had an article about this exact thing and what it really says about you….
Angelina Jolie was tops on the list and if she’s on yours….”daring and independent” describes you.
If Jennifer Aniston is your girl crush you tend to be conservative and conscientious.
Maybe you have a crush on Taylor Swift which shows the soft, feminine side of you.
My girl crush has always been Faith Hill. And not because she’s linked to Tim…okay maybe just a little (LOL!)…..she signifies beauty in the most natural way. She’s talented, gorgeous, a great mom and any time I’ve met her, she was kind, graceful and sincere.
I have to admit she went down a notch or two a few years ago when she had a little “rant” during the CMA’s when she lost to Carrie Underwood (see video below). But I looked at it as “everyone has a bad moment”, in fact some of us have many bad moments. Mis-interpretation? You can decide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyZRiEJnIag&NR=1
Forgive and forget.
So back to the girl crushes…do you have one? It’s okay to admit it. Heck even guys have ‘em…just ask Mike Farwell who has a guy crush on George Clooney!!
Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever “gone”??
February 23rd, 2010 by linda.martelli
And when I say “gone”, I mean “gone to the toilet”!!
It got me thinking when I heard about all the peole stuck in traffic yesterday due to the road conditions. You’re at a stand still on the 401 and “you gotta go”! Waddya do? Clench those butt and thigh muscles? think pleasant thoughts to distract the urinary pain? It’s a tough one, especially when the next exit isn’t for miles and you’re crawling along the highway.
How about those times when you’re at a concert and in between acts, everyone runs to the bathroom. You get there and it stretches outside the door and around the corner! Do you opt for the men’s and risk not getting caught?!
One of my worst experiences was on a boat ride. A family member’s cottage is on an island and the boat ride is about 40 minutes from Long Point. Halfway through, a mini storm blew in creating atleast 3 meter waves which caused the boat to rock more than I could handle. Not only was I terrified but I had to go to the bathroom. I held it and held it until I couldn’t take it anymore. Action plan…..can’t tinkle on the boats’ edge for fear of falling overboard…..looking around I spot a mini cooler…..let’s do it! Oh yes I did. The cooler was emptied….hey I was desperate!! Everyone was polite enough to look the other way and it easily flushed into Lake Erie. And the cooler? It was bleached but didn’t want to take the chance so it was discarded.
Okay, so now it’s your turn. Tell me the strangest place you’ve ever “gone”? Or the most desperate thing you’ve ever done to relieve yourself?
That is so cliche!
February 17th, 2010 by linda.martelli
Cold as ice. Ants in your pants. It ain’t over ’til it’s over. Am I talking to a brick wall?!
Hot as hell. Between a rock and hard place. The cat’s meow. Sink or Swim.
Shall I stop now?!! LOL! There are so many cliches that an actual Cliche dictionary is available where you can even find out the origin or meaning behind these expressions.
Do you have a cliche you use often? or Are there cliches you are so sick of hearing?
Olympic fever….
February 16th, 2010 by linda.martelli
….do you have it?!!
I love the spirit of the nation and for some reason I am noticing it more this time around as opposed to previous Olympics. What a great feeling. And it’s not just adults, it’s kids and teens that are “into it” too.
Another thing I noticed was the amount of Olympic wear that is being worn. I got anxious about the women’s full zip hoodie when I saw it in the Zeller’s flyer and thought ya I’d like one of those. You may have seen it…..it’s white with the red lettering across the front and official olympic logos on the sleeves. Well, good luck finding one! I searched every Zellers and Bay stores in our region…Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo and I even telephoned a few in Burlington, Hamilton and Guelph. Guess it wasn’t meant to be. If you happen to know of a shipment somewhere, let me know.
Are you sporting Olympic wear? Are you glued to the tube?
It’s definitely bringing families together with great conversation at the dinner table. Love it!
In search of the hoodie…..
