DEBBIE ~ I don't recall her name presently, but I will keep my eyes open for her work. I get most of my books from a second-hand thrift shop here in town; and I may check out our local library. She must be good if you have read her books twice.

I just finished one from a new young author called PATTERNS OF LOVE by Christine Holden from a Quilt Series (by JOVE); was so pleasantly surprised what a wonderful story this was. I just loved one called TO MARRY AN IRISH ROGUE by Lisa Hendrix: very funny and so nice to read about the Irish people (as we have Irish lines in our family on both sides). Read Maiden Voyage by Judith O'Brien last week; a historical romance that moves between two different eras.

I read a cute Harlequin romance called CONTRACTED: CORPORATE WIFE by Jessica Hart. A very pleasant story where the ordinary 40-something lady gets the tall, dark handsome (and rich) guy for a change. All these books I have mentioned would make terrific movies IMHO ....

I read several multi-story books that had Christmas themes at Christmas. I have at least 4 or 5 LaVyrle Spencer books; and I read a few stories by Richard Paul Evans at Christmas too (The Christmas Box and 2 other stories in one book).

JOSEY ~ didn't know that TIMMIES now has oatmeal available for breakfast; that's a healthy alternative for us all.

We had a lovely :sunny: all day here; the nights have been very cold but our Winter Carnival is on this week(end) and it will keep our lake in good shape for us. Had a good session at the dentist today; all went well for me. I needed two fillings but he did them together; and I was soooo glad about that!!! Then we went up town and picked up some groceries.

Hope you are all having a great week; take care ... Rosebud :flow2:

Hi everyone, I notice there is a lot of chat about books these days. I am a mystery fan, and prefer police procedurals and "cozies". I know they seem opposite, but thats my taste. I have been getting into the "spence" books, by Robert Parker, (of course now that he is passed away and there won't be any more) since I liked the Jesse Stone books, after watching the movies with Tom Selleck. (Big crush on Selleck, but don't like the new show, Blue Bloods) I love Margaret Maron's series, and can read MC Beaton like I'm eating popcorn, they go down fast and leave you wanting more.
TTFN, and stay warm, Canada.

Hi All! Welcome to the new faces!!

I've had a string of bad vibes this winter. My favorite elliptical at the gym was gone, it broke. I tried the other ones and my knees hurt for a week after, so I will have to use my one at home and only use the bike for warm ups at the gym and do my weights.

I'm going to sit down this week and do a meal plan. Plan, plan! I still haven't done it.

Last week my middle boy came home with a stomach bug and it's gone through the house. I think I've had it the worst with both ends. Nasty achey body and two days later I still have trouble with food. I've lost 8lbs, it's crazy. Now to just keep my calories down and no more pop and lots of water and I'll ride this wave!!

I need to start popping my vitamins again. My depression is still very up and down, so maybe it's more hormonal, i had to cancel my dr appt this week since i was sick. Life is just busy, crazy right now too!

I will try to get back on here more and I really want to reply to others in the thread, so I'll try that later today since I'm busy at work today. Take care everyone.

Try it, it's awesome. Plain, maple or with berries. It's whole grain! Loooove it!

I am mostly reading romance novels when I read fiction (not much). I have a "thing" for SEALs right now so favorite authors include Suzanne Brockmann, Cindy Gerard, Marliss Melton and Christy Reece. Some scary stuff there not just corny romance.

@SnowboundChick sorry to hear you are having some rough days. Hang in there! Summer is coming. Maybe not right away but we are getting there!!!

Just checking in to keep my Canadian status! I'm in several Forums here but I AM CANADIAN as the commercials say. This winter has seemed particularly difficult. I seem to be cold most of the time although I keep my house at about 21ºC. Right now, I'm wearing a t shirt under a long-sleeved t-shirt and a fleece shirt-jacket on top of that. I am considering wearing gloves in the house.

For those of us with SAD, the lights definitely do help as does getting outside even for a wee while every day. The days ARE getting longer and, from what I hear from my Delaware friend, spring IS moving north.

Anybody from the Kingston, Ottawa, Brockville area? I'd love to have a mini-meet at a Timmies sometime. Now that I have a GPS, I'd even tackle southern Ontario.

Weigh in was tonight and I was down another 2.6 making that 6 lbs in the last 2 weeks. I am very happy with that. I wasn't expecting quite that much, maybe 1.5 or so, so I was pleasantly surprised.

We got yet another dumping of snow yesterday and then it dropped to a deep freeze again in a flash freeze overnight so this morning was an absolute mess to get around. The roads still aren't great but are definitely better than this morning when they were all a sheet of ice from the freezing. I am so tired of winter. Bring on March when at least there are a few warmer days and some of this can melt!

I don't get SAD too bad but I do find I get antsy this time of year cause I want to get out after work but it gets dark so fast. I find myself in as many windows as I can through the day to get some sun. Can't wait till we change the clocks again in a few weeks so it'll be lighter longer after work and I can get out more.

Tired tonight. I was up extra early this morning in case I had to shovel out behind the car but it wasn't drifted too bad. But that extra hour is making me dopey LOL

Ruth - I am always cold too and I refuse to turn my heat up. I have a fuzzy throw blanket that is my best friend i swear every night when I am reading or watching tv or anything. I am too chilly without it.

Hope everyone had a good day! I'll check back tomorrow..

I've lived in the North all my life and I don't believe I'm affected by SAD and I don't get out as much as I should ever day since some days are as low as -40 or colder and that's tough being out there for 15 minutes. I have started taking vitamin D this year though and I'm 35, so maybe it's catching up to me.

I love the Diana Gabaldon books but I haven't read the newest one yet, it's been sitting on my shelf since it came out. I really have to be in the mood for her fiction and history.

I don't know why but this week I am soooo hungry. I. AM. HUNGRY. Pretty much all the time. It is really tough to stick to the plan (WW) but I am getting through it.
The weather changed and it is warm (around +5) and sunny and it feels like spring. I love it. Though I am sure it will change after this weekend.

Any exciting plans for the weekend, girls?

:wave: HI TO ALL OUR CANUCK FRIENDS HERE ~ my PC has been acting up on me again: by the time I made one or two posts elsewhere, it started freezing up on me. I am suspecting my AV programs are causing part of the problem; and this is a very, very old machine so I am not surprised. I haven't been on the net as much as usual becuz of this too ...

I twisted my left knee last week; so I am on crutches right now. I get up every 60-90 minutes to get a bit of exercise and keep my blood circulation good. So DH has had to be my helper lately; fetching and carrying things for me; and doing little chores to keep the place looking presentable. I told him that it's payback time, baby! But he just laughs when I say that ... ;)

So we have been eating anything that is quick but still healthy to eat: things like baked fish & chips (I have sweet potato fries); tourtiere meat pie & veggies; a slice of pizza with a salad; a Blue Menu burger & salad; deli roast chicken & salad, etc. Tonight, it will be wg spagettini and mini-meatballs (the frozen kind).

I will have to catch up with personals a bit later on; congrats to those who are steadily losing right now!!! I have read the posts and you are doing great. I have been staying on plan really well this month; so happy about that; just can't do as much but as long as I stick to the plan, all should be OK.

The night temps were cold, but now that warm spell seems to have reached us today. I think it was even about 0 C or higher today; and the :sunny: is peeking out a bit this afternoon as well.

Take care and have a great week ... Rosebud :flow2:

:wave:

Hi there! Is this where us Canadians come to complain about winter? LOL

I just wanted to introduce myself to my fellow Canadian chicks. I'm a 38 y/o SAHM to 2 girls (ages 6 and 4). I live near Calgary and I'm tired of winter and cold weather!

Good thing is, we can use that "winter" thread all year. haha

:welcome: COOLMOM ~ glad you found us over here! YES, it is a Canadian tradition to complain about the weather; and we do our fair share in here too! :lol: We have other people here from out your way too.

So, I went to the doctors today and yes, I have pulled the muscle on my inner knee and under my knee, just like I suspected since I can feel that! My doctor has a great sense of humor, and told me not to fall down any stairs with my crutches: ya, he's a Canadian all right! Thanks DOC ... ;) Anyhoo, I have to use the crutches for another 2 weeks and if it isn't healed by then will have to go back and probably see about some physio ...

After that, we went up town to pick up a few groceries and something quick for dinner (got baked wings & ribs; had salad with mine), and while at the cash, we look out the windows and see that we've been hit by a WHITE-OUT STORM ... but, we made it home OK, as the wind was blowing the snow quite a bit.

JOSEY ~ yes, it seems like winter is here most of the year; especially when you live in the north, but I have heard that you gals get snow even in the summer out there. Hope you found a way to feel less hungry; I try to eat things that are nutrient rich and filling like apples, cheese, or high-fiber foods like cereal to feel fuller; veggies can do that too ...

Hope all our friends here have a wonderful weekend in spite of the weather. Stay home; bundle up and sit by a nice fire to keep warm ... Rosebud :flow2:

Good one josey124! LOL

Thanks for the welcome JustWant2BHealthy!

Check it out! I finally got my ticker! Yayyy

Hello Fellow Canuck Chicks.
I'm not going to complain about the snow this year.... in the last 8 weeks we have rcv'd 200 cm of snow and I shoveled all 200 cm of it off of my 2 Decks at 2 hours at a time, this has had a curious side affect... -9 lbs. perfect way to get a kick start.

and boy are my legs and Arms bark'n.

Josey124 congrats on the Ticker... I want to be just like you when I grow up ...LOL!!

:welcome: IZZADAWN ~ happy to have you join us here on our Canadian thread. What part of the country are you from? Or did you say? Nope, I don't see anything in your profile details under your avatar. ;)


We had lovely :sunny: here today; all day and that was really nice. The temps weren't too bad; around -10C. We just had a quiet weekend here at home while I rest up my leg (I tore some muscles on my left knee so have to rest it for a few weeks). Since it's winter and we can't do that much outside anyways, I have the time to recupe.

Been eating well this month; and very happy about that. When I went to the doctors last Friday, I had the best blood pressure reading ever for me; only 132/76, so I was super glad about that. Nice to see these NSV's for all the hard work I'm putting into my healthier lifestyle choices.

Hope all our friends had a nice civic holiday break today; have a wonderful week coming up too ... Rosebud :flow2:

-24C but with windchill -37C today! BBBBRRRRRRRR

JOSIE ~ it's supposed to be really cold here tonight too; :brr: We can feel it dropping already; may go down as far as -32C; and DH says the wind is blowing a bit from the north as well. So up goes the furnace for the next few nights anyways; but we did have lovely :sunny: all day today, so that was nice. I hope it comes back too ...


Just staying home and resting my bum left knee for the weekend; I get up and walk around a little bit (with my crutches) every now and then to keep it flexible though, as it tends to tighten up when I sit for any length of time.

Have a great weekend everyone; bundle up and keep warm ... Rosebud :flow2:

OMG! If you like yogurt, check out President's Choice new 0% greek yogurt (plain or fruit). Super thick and creamy! Looooooove it! (And usually I don't do low fat products).

JOSIE ~ I've seen it advertised; but do you mix it with fruit or anything? How do you eat it? I'm not that into plain yogurt unless I use it for a salad dressing or like sour cream, but then we can get low or no-fat sour cream here as well; and it is great too so I don't sub that. Honestly, I rarely eat those types of things that often anymore. :shrug:

I usually eat SOURCE fruit yogurts; no sugar & no fat (I'm more concerned about the sugar though). I just like the flavors they have and they taste great too. I have lactose intolerance (and a dairy allergy), and I find these don't bother me at all. They are about 1/2 cup or maybe only 1/3 cup; and only 35 calories -- they make a nice, light snack.

We have a doozy of a ***** storm going on here right now; probably what many people would call a blizzard with blowing winds & snow. Everyone is just staying indoors at home and keeping warm. So are we ...

Hope you all have wonderful Wednesday tomorrow ... Rosebud :flow2:

Hi Rosebud,

they have fruit versions (small containers) too. The plain yogurt I usually mix with honey, walnuts and banana or homemade jam or some fresh fruit. I don't eat plain yogurt either.
I also like it as a base for dips or German cheesecake which is fluffier and lower calorie than a North American one with cream cheese. I just made cheesecake muffins with the PC greek yogurt and they are sooooo delicious. Only a little sugar (to taste), vanilla custard powder, egg and vanilla (optional fruit or raisins).

Not sure about your lactose intolerance though.

We have a cold front here with minus gazillion degrees. So sick of winter right now!!

:wave: HI FRIENDS ~ we had a bit of ***** during the night and it was quite mild here today for March -- only 0 C or 32 F; so that was a nice change. We were spoiled this week with lots of :sunny: which I just love to have in March; even the roads are starting to melt here.

JOSEY ~ those cheesecake muffins sound really yummy!:D


Well, we had baked fish & chips (I had a few sweet potato fries) with coleslaw and slice tomatoes for a quick & easy dinner tonight. My knee is getting better each day; I hope it will be all mended and strong again for the spring so I can enjoy the summer -- it's on its way soon!

Hope all our Canadian friends are keeping warm out there; esp those out in the western provinces. Take care and have a wonderful weekend ... Rosebud :flow2:

Good morning!

-20 here this morning without the wind chill ~ where is our spring like weather?

I found plain greek yogurt at Costco ~ Liberte brand ~ It tastes like eating a bowl of full fat sour cream. So, I will be using it to make veggie dip and salad dressing. I might try it with honey and fruit if I can work up the courage.

I tried making sweet potato fries and they were a soggy mess. Maybe I didn't have the oven heat high enough?

Stay warm everyone!

Hi everybody,

it is still pretty chilly here too. But sunny! And they promise warmer temperatures next week. Still no spring in sight but at least not bitterly cold like the last few weeks.

I haven't tried the greek yogurt from Liberte yet but the fruit ones. I love the Moka (coffee) flavour and the coconut is great too.

Koolmum, regarding the fries... I haven't made sweet potato fries but lots of regular oven fries. Apart from soaking the cut potatoes in water for a bit and drying them really well I also pre-heat the oven at the highest possible temp (550F in my case) and cook it at that temp. They are crispy but not as crispy as the fried ones. But good enough for waaay less fat. We usually make potato nachos. I top the baked fries with tomato, olives, green onions, bell peppers and a little bit of cheddar cheese and mexican spices. They just need a few minutes under the broiler. Oh, I should make them soon again. Soooo yummy.

Have a great weekend everybody! Stay warm!

KOOLMOM ~ I cheat and buy my sweet potato fries pre-made; and yes, you do have to bake them with the temperature at least at 400 F so they crisp on the outside and stay soft on the inside. I prefer RIDGEFARM the best, and McCAIN's is my second choice. I haven't tried to make them homemade yet; we always have sweet potatoes here, but I usually just bake them in their jackets.

I have not tried the Greek yogurt yet, but I should at least once; I like to dip baby carrots, celery, and slices of cucumber in dips which makes a great lite snack. DH & I like to try new things all the time. If we dont like it, we don't buy it again; but if we love it, it will become a regular staple food for us. This month we are trying a new dry cheese for the first time: Kraft grated cheddar.


Just doing laundry today; easy, so I can come on here and play at the same time. I think we are having hamburglers & salad for dinner tonight. Hope the weather warms up for you all pretty soon. We have lovely :sunny: out there today; the temps were about -5 C the last time I looked, but with the sun out, I bet it is closer to 0 C now (oh, I just checked and it's -1 C).

Have a great weekend everyone ... Rosebud :flow2:

Good morning!

Cold (-21 plus a wind chill) and snowy morning ~ again. Will this winter ever end?

So, I bought some peach/passion fruit and some strawberry greek yogurt from Superstore. Hopefully it will be good.

We had some friends for dinner last night and we made sweet potato fries ~ cranked the heat up and still soggy ~ I think I will stick to the packaged frozen ones and eat my sweet potatoes baked from now on.

Cheers!

Good Morning Canadian Lovelies!
NSV- I have not had chips since the end of January! Or sugar in my coffee!! So there's that. On the other hand, I haven't managed to lose very much weight, but I am making some changes. Drinking water again.
I had noticed how terrible my skin was getting - I kind of figured as I get closer to forty that my skin might be a little less bright and smooth (and all those things you take for granted when you're young) but it was looking AWFUL. Breaking out and looking dry and dull. So I'm back on the water. It's looking better all ready. Now I'm off to the gym later today and fighting this bloody awful weather. Skatch'wn. Where winter never ends. I can't wait to read what people are up to, once they are out of hibernation.
tam

Sorry I've been away ladies and totally off track. I'm up to 314lbs this morning.

Last week my father died and the funeral was yesterday. It's been pretty tough but he had terminal cancer and we knew it was coming but that didn't make it any easier.
\
I'm so ready to recommit and really get it right this time. Only problem, I've been smoking this last week and my Dad would not be proud of me since it was terminal lung cancer that took him from us. So I have to not let this become a habit again.

Donna - I am sorry for your loss. Will send some prayers and good thoughts to you and your family.
I don't think it is ever easy even if you know the eventuality. Take your time and be good to yourself.

It looks like we will be getting another Alberta clipper today here in SK. I am trying to decide between reading for school or driving into town to go to the gym. IDK. I guess I'll check the roads first. This weekend we have a bonspiel so that should be great fun. Although I'll have to try to refrain from too much alcohol. That should be my goal.
Anyways I hope everyone is doing well, and Donna big hugs to you.
Tam

Donna - sorry for your loss!

greeneggsandtam - Alberta clipper? Blaming it on us again eh? ;-)

Hahahaha I know. I haven't ever heard that term before this winter! They said on the CBC that in Manitoba they call them Saskatchewan Screamers. Which implies more than weather if you ask me. Let's do the right thing here and blame B.C. Lol!

CBC just calls it Alberta clipper because they (Ontario) don't like us. Probably envious... At least that's my take on it. ;-)

BC? I like it! Something like BC blower?

We prairie people have to stick together!

Hey everyone it's me. Sorry I haven't been around, had some stuff going on. Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do.

Good Morning Ladies!
I survived the bonspiel and we even made it into the finals!! Such a turn of luck for such uncoordinated drunkards. Obviously my plan of staying away from the booze went all awry when we FINALLY saw a glimpse of the sun. We ended up sitting in the parking lot in front of the rink on lawn chairs all afternoon drinking beer with sunglasses on. Not good for weight loss or curling. But I would venture to say that most Canadians sort of short-circuit on the first spring-like day of the year and therein lies my excuse. Anyways that madness is all over and I am working on the water again today while reading and working on school related things. Reality encroaches.
Hoping all is well and hello to Aunty Jam and Josey- I like the BC Blower!!
Have a great day,
Tam

Wow! My weight is way back up so I'm making the turn around.

Sunday I had a great walk with the kids. I'm going to the gym tomorrow morning. I'm not smoking so that's a plus. I really have to concentrate on the food part now.

Our weather is warming up finally, wahoo!! It's only -15°C today and rising. So the weather is getting better for walking and I can start walking to work again. I can't wait!

Good Morning Canadian Chicks!
FRIDAY!! Woot!! Well we got battered with another big snowfall Wednesday night here in SK! Yikes. I got stuck in the city for the night because our road was impassable. Who cares... It's not -30 and I can finally see a light at the end of this stupid wintery tunnel! Anyways...I went to the gym on Wed and I'm headed there again today before my noon meeting. Hoping all is well with everyone,
Cheers,
Tam

Hey guys... chant with me "It's almost over it's almost over it's almost over....." Maybe that will help us get through the rest of the snow days.

Tam - Glad you enjoyed the bonspiel, there's a lot of curling where my family is originally from also (rural Sask.).

Donna - Good for you for not smoking. I've always been so glad I quit, I feel so much better.

I've got this freaking cold and I'm coughing and stuffed up like crazy :( I've been in such a funk I haven't been exercizing at all but I'm still eating pretty good so that's helping me.

Can we dare? Starting a .... PRE-spring thread? ;-)

Bah! We were -32°C last night, it's supposed to get up to the teens. It was already -15°C at my Mom's but she's up the hill and gets the sun way earlier than we do in the valley.

A few days ago my weight was at 319 and it scared me I'm back to 317 this morning and have to get back on schedule more, I can't believe I almost put back on the 40lbs I lost two years ago. Time to turn things around.

I've been lazy and I didn't make it to the gym on Thursday morning but I was home with my sick son that day and I did move a lot of stuff in the house and cleaned, so I did get some exercise.

Good Morning!!
Well it was a wreck of a weekend food-wise. Half a KitKat, two bowls of ice cream. Beers. The beers are killing me here!! The only improvement there is that I didn't have a whole bunch of them, like I normally would. Anyways... I'm back on track today--so move on I guess.
Spring is here!!! Or so they say. It was sleeting on the way home from the city, but that's better than a full on snow. So baby steps towards spring.
AuntyJam - Feel better soon!!
Donna - I hope your son is better and you get more sun with each passing day!
Josey - I guess a new thread is in order!!