Stopping static electricity in the winter

We have a problem in this apartment once the snow begins falling: static electricity. We pet the cat and we pass a static shock or when we sit down on the couch. It drives me crazy! So, we looked up ways to get rid of it. That's when we learned that it is caused from a lack of humidity in the apartment, most likely because we closed the windows and it's cold outside.

So, this is what we do come December until about March or April.

We heat up a pot of water on medium heat and add 2 cinnamon sticks and whatever else I have in the house. Great additions are anise pods, nutmeg, orange peels (or any citrus peels), apple peels and dried herbs. The house smells fantastic and this eliminates the static shock.

Notes:

• Do not forget about the pot of boiling water!!! I did that with my copper Dutch oven only to find it completely ruined. Fill it with water every hour or so. Sometimes I put a kitchen timer on for an hour to remind me to come and refill the pot.

• The water will turn darker with the addition of spices like cinnamon, anise and nutmeg. That's why the water in my pot is dark brown in the picture. Nothing is wrong with it, it's just been boiling down brown spices.
• This does eliminate most of the static in our apartment. We have an 800 sq. foot apartment and this works for almost every room. For a larger space or greater effect, you may need an actual humidifier.

10 tablespoons of sugar

I used to be a pop (soda for you Americans) addict. Ever since I was a child I begged my mom to get a bottle of pop with the groceries which I almost single-handedly finished in two days -- when I was 10. Not surprisingly, by the time that I was 13 years old I was a size 14. I thought that it was due to puberty but now that I think about it, I didn't stop drinking pop.

I used to drink pop when I felt sad. I drank it instead of water and I drank it so much that I used to get cravings. I have to admit that I am still fighting it because sometimes water just doesn't do. I need the bubbles and the flavor.

What changed? Four words: 10 tablespoons of sugar (or, 30 teaspoons of sugar). I heard that there were 10 tablespoons of sugar in one can of pop. At first, being a dire pop addict, this didn't bother me until I decided to actually measure that out. No one sits and spoons 10 tablespoons of sugar into their mouth in one sitting but we do drink pop.

But what does 10 tablespoons of sugar look like?

THAT is 10 tablespoons of sugar in a 125 mL jam jar. That is almost 1/4 cup of pure, white sugar in one 355 mL can of pop. I took this picture on May 28, 2011 and I swore that I would never drink pop again. I have to admit that I haven't kept that promise to the best of my abilities but just looking at this picture again gives me motivation to stop for good. Are you going to join me?

Here is my plan for stopping drinking soft drinks forever:

Motivation:

• Soft drinks rot your teeth and give you more cavities. They also make your teeth softer and dissolve the tooth enamel. You may eventually lose your teeth, need crowns or have pockets.
• See the Nutrition Diva's podcasts on how sugar affects your body, high fructose corn syrup, and how to reduce your added sugar intake.
• If you stop drinking pop and you switch to water, you will most likely loose weight without realizing it. Pop or soda has calories, water does not.
• Soft drinks are empty calories. They add no value to your daily intake. They might not even keep you hydrated.
• If you switch to water, you will never wake up with dry mouth again. You won't have a burning feeling in the back of your throat either.
• Pop, especially colas, are acidic and they eat away at your stomach lining. Seriously, I had stomachs for years and it was only after I stopped drinking pop that I realized that it could be the cause. 
• The sugar intake in pop raises your blood sugar within 40 minutes. If this is all that you drink, you are heading towards diabetes. Seriously, do a blood glucose test if you are concerned about this.

Action Plan:

• Stop drinking pop for one day and drink water. The first day is the hardest.
• Drink cold water as it is more refreshing. Don't drink lukewarm water as you will most likely spit it back out.
• Pick water every time that you are in a restaurant situation with a choice of drinks.
• If you are absolutely obsessed with pop, try to only drink it one day per week. This could be every Friday or every Monday. Try this for one month. 
• Add flavoring to water if you need something extra like Crystal Light, or liquid water flavorings. Not too much though, just enough to give it some taste. 
• Once you are more used to drinking water, try drinking it with a slice of lemon or lime in it. 
• If you need bubbles, try drinking carbonated mineral water with a splash of 100% fruit juice.  
• Once you are getting enough water, make sure that you are also getting your milk intake too. 2-3 glasses of milk, 5 of water and you should be good for the day. 
• Try recording your water intake on a chart or with an iPod app like Lose It!. It keeps you focused.

The 2011 Experiment

I am running an experiment this year to see if I can stop annoying habits and start good ones. At the beginning of the year, I wrote the list below of everything that I wanted to do in 2011. My motto for this year is: stop saying "I should do" and actually DO. Now that it is almost November 2011, it's time for me to check in.

Complete:

• Wear more skirts: done. As a matter of fact, I made at least 6 skirts this summer and I have worn them all at least once.
• Loose weight: I started a walk/run program in June that helped me lose a whole dress size and gain some muscle tone.
• Watch 1 new movie every month: I think that I have seen at least 6 new movies this year along with many James Bond movies that I had never seen before. 
• Attack the unfinished craft projects: doing, not completely done. However, I have created this blog which has given me a lot of motivation to finish my stash and to do new things.
• Wedding: we got married in October and we made almost everything ourselves. It is already paid too.
• Honeymoon: we went to Paris for our honeymoon and had a great time! It was a big trip and I learned a lot. This trip is already paid as well.
• Address energy consumption in our apartment: I have actually written a blog post about this and we unplug everything possible whenever it's not in use (save the fridge, stove and PVR).
• Produits Lemieux: we made the switch to eco-friendly products in August 2011. These are awesome, they come in bulk and they really work. I feel better using products made of natural ingredients as my cat licks everything.
• Drink less Coke, drink more water: I stopped drinking Coke in May 2011 and I have never felt better!
• Knit a baby blanket: I completed a baby blanket in April and I have started two more. I also learned some new stitches and techniques. I only started knitting in October 2010! 
• Reuse containers: I have tried to reuse every container, box or packaging that comes into my house before it goes into the recycling. Just check out my posts on pump containers, small containers and yogurt containers.

In Progress:

• Make lunches and meals at home: we created a menu for 16 weeks that we follow. I am in the process of updating it now to follow Clean Eating.
• Spend less time worrying about grey hair: meh, it's going to happen. I'm getting older. However, I will pluck out what I can see for my wedding pictures.
• Teach my cat Felix not to bite people: we work on this but it's very hard once he's set in his ways
• 8 hours of sleep per night: this one is harder than it looks.
• Eat more vegetables: we have worked this into our menus, mentioned above.
• Spend more time with my husband: I want to spend as much time with my husband as I can before we start a family. This means doing something together at least once per week. 
• Use up all of the food in my fridge: I have become the fridge watchdog.
• Reuse old clothes or take them to the Salvation Army: as you have seen on this blog, I have been thinking of new ways to use clothes before they go to the Salvation Army. More ideas will be coming.
• Make my Xmas presents: I have been planning this since last Xmas (seriously) and I already have some items made. More will be coming. Besides, I think that it means more to create a gift for someone.
• Visit museums around Ottawa: we visited many Ottawa sites and museums this summer which was great. The Museum of Civilization is really cool.
• Spend more time doing things: I have designated Sundays as craft days where I don't have the TV on or the computer.
• Make my morning routine faster: I have been working on this and I have found solutions like taking my coffee with me in a travel mug and packing things up the night before.
• Keep resources and knowledge found: my computer is a brain, essentially. I write everything down including how I have organized my papers. That way, whenever I wonder where something is, I can look here. I will be writing about this in the future.
• Use Skype to talk with family and friends: I have had many conversations already this year and I plan on using it more.
• Stop spending money on stupid stuff: surprisingly, our upcoming wedding and honeymoon put this goal firmly in its place. I'm very happy about that! Connect more with my family.
• Stop emotional eating: I have been working hard to solve emotional times with talking or writing things down instead of eating. It is an uphill battle.
• Try a new restaurant in Ottawa every month: I haven't tried a new one every month but I have tried at least four new restaurants this year. I will do better next year. 

Unfinished:

• Make homemade preserves: we found that this was harder to do in the city as everything was more expensive and we have no car to go to the country to pick our own berries.We'll try again next summer.
• Volunteer: I haven't done this yet but I still plan to before the end of the year.
• Finish little house tasks: I have been organizing but the wedding chores took over. I plan on addressing tasks like organizing the filing cabinet after the honeymoon in October.
• Composting in Ottawa: this is supposed to be discussed with each apartment complex. I have heard nothing yet but it was supposed to be done in July 2011. I have to talk to my apartment office about this.
• Get a pair of skates: I plan on doing this in October/November. 
• Don't buy any yarn in 2011: well, this one didn't work. I had planned on not buying any yarn because I thought that I had enough to last me a whole year but it was all gone by March. So, that didn't work.
• Perfectionner ma français: I still have more work to do on this but I have French training coming soon at work. 

The Bride's Kit

Here's one for you brides: what should you carry around with you in your purse on your wedding day? You know, the one that you will have someone carry around on your wedding day with all of the emergency items? Here is what I had (and some of the items that I wish that I had on that day):

In the main pocket:

1. A stain remover pen. Just be careful, some have added dyes or could dye the wedding dress.
2. Tylenol or Advil, whatever you use for headaches or pain management.
3. A copy of the ceremony program.
4. A list of phone numbers: the church, photographer, transportation, florist and/or decorator, reception location, hotel, etc. Everyone involved in the wedding.
5. Also, a map with directions to and from each wedding venue. If you don't use it, your driver might.
6. A cell phone.
7. A bottle of water with a tight-fitting cap. No leaks today!
8. A snack like trail mix.
9. Cash for any payments that have to be done on this day or for emergency items, like food or water that needs to be bought on site.
10. A camera with a charged battery and empty SD card to take pictures during the day. You might not take these pictures, but others can use it.
11. Any medication that you or your groom takes regularly. Although, this doesn't mean bring your vitamins with you.
12. A small lint roller (if not for you, for the groom).
13. A travel-sized package of kleenexes or homemade handkerchiefs.
14. Cough drops.

In a small pencil case, in the purse:

1. Long-lasting lipstick. Preferably, the one that you will be wearing on this day.
2. Waterproof mascara.
3. Concealor.
4. Eyeliner, if you are wearing any.
5. Chapstick or lip gloss.
6. Safety pins.
7. Bobby pins.
8. A small can of strong hairspray.
9. A comb.
10. Spare earrings that match your dress.
11. Polysporin.
12. A bug bite treating stick.
13. A nail clipper.
14. A tweezer.

Optional items:

1. A travel-sized container of hand lotion.
2. A travel-sized spritzer of scented body spray.
3. A travel-sized spritzer of glasses cleaner and a cloth - if you wear glasses, this might be a necessity.
4. Depending on the season of your wedding, you may need allergy pills. If you are highly allergic to certain things, then bring an epi-pen.
5. If you are very particular about your nails, bring your nail polish with you to fix any chips. I didn't care but some girls do. Just make sure that it doesn't spill or get on your dress when you reapply.

10 Things I wish I had done on my wedding day

Well, we all look back and say, "I wish that I had done that!" or "I wish that I had thought of that!". Perhaps these tidbits will help anyone who is about to get married so that they might not forget these things and learn from my mistakes.

1. I wish that I had brought food to the photo session: I feel really bad about this one. One of my matrons of honour was 38 weeks pregnant and she couldn't eat until the reception because I forgot the food in the fridge. We were all a little hungry, but she needed to eat.
2. I wish that I had painted my toenails: I totally forgot that for the garter toss that my dress would be lifted up a bit, that is, enough to expose my toenails. I wish that I had painted them! I thought that I wouldn't need to. No one noticed, but I did.
3. I wish that I had reapplied my make-up before the reception: I didn't reapply the make-up and come the end of the night, my lipstick was gone. I didn't take a look at my hair either. I wish that I had. Not that any pictures didn't turn out right, but I'm a girl. I just want to look good.
4. I wish that I hadn't worn pantyhose: man, I was so happy to get those off. My dress had a built-in corset so that combined with pantyhose did not make me a happy camper. Word of caution: just break in your shoes more.
5. I wish that I had charged my camera battery: the battery was gone taking a picture of me getting into the limo to go to the church. I wish that I had charged that battery, and even had a second one ready (also fully charged) for someone to take pictures at the ceremony, photo shoot and the reception. That sounds like doubling the photographer pictures, but I had to wait 6 weeks for photos from the photographer so at least I would have something on my camera.
6. I wish that I had drank more water that day: along with the wish to bring food, I wish that I had brought water as well. Everyone was so thirsty that day and we really noticed it the day after the wedding.
7. I wish that I had forced myself to get more sleep: as I mentioned in another post, I didn't sleep for two days leading up to the wedding and two days afterwards. I wish that I had taken sleeping pills or something for those days because it really caught up with me the whole week after the wedding.
8. I wish that I had finished a few things well ahead of time: for example, we had a slideshow. I wish that we had finished that (along with some other crafts) at least a month before the wedding instead of at the last minute. It was a stress that we didn't need.
9. I wish that I had spent more time with people at the reception: don't get me wrong, we had an absolutely fabulous reception, but I wish that I had mingled more with guests before the slideshow. Some people had to leave early before we got a chance to sit and talk with them and I feel like I didn't really see them or spend time with them. I'm glad that they were there though!
10. I wish that I had a glass of water at the ceremony: we're only in the church for 30 minutes, right? Well, I had a coughing fit and no water! My mom passed me a cough drop but I had a hard time keeping the cough down and paying attention to the priest so I really wish that I had brought a bottle of water with us. If I didn't use it in the church, I could have referred to point 6 of this list.

Using less Electricity around the House

I don’t know about you, but our hydro bill seems to get more expensive every year. This might have something to do with the fact that Hydro Ontario raised their prices but we also seem to use a lot of electricity in this apartment. I am now wondering of ways to cut back on the electricity that we use so that our bill is lower – especially with winter coming.

1. This winter, I will try to keep the heat around 22 degrees C. During the day, we will turn it down to 19 and the first person that arrives home from work turns it back to 22.
2. In the winter, I will try to wear socks and a sweater around the house so that I have no reason to get cold or turn up the heat. That also goes for my nice, fluffy blanket that I seem to carry around with me. Drinking warm liquids (hot chocolate, decaf coffee or tea, etc.) also seems to help.
3. Unplug the computer at night. It’s not in use so why let it draw power from the outlet?
4. Also, unplug the TV at night. Ditto to above. I bet it draws more power than the computer does.
5. Unplug all of the small appliances that are not in use all of the time (microwave, toaster, coffee machine, etc.). I also have a tv in the bedroom that I will unplug and only plug it in when I use it.
6. Unplug all of the larger items that do not need power all of the time (in this case, this would be our huge treadmill). Only plug them in when you use them then unplug them for the rest of the time.
7. Use cold water most of the time. Heating up water uses electricity so I will try to use cold whenever possible (for example, when using water to cook pasta or vegetables, for brushing teeth, etc.).
8. Take shorter showers so that the time required to heat up water isn’t so long.
9. Use appliances less. We tend to watch TV or a Blu-ray while playing on computers. If we cut one out of the picture (the TV or the computer) then this will cut down on the power usage.
10. Turn lights off when no one is in the room. Although, we are really good at this one but it’s a reminder.

10 Ideas for reducing water consumption in an apartment

I live in an apartment but I can still reduce my water consumption. Here are 10 things that I want to do to use less water:

1. Take shorter showers. If there is anything that I can do outside of the shower, then I will. You’d be surprised the things that you can do in front of the sink instead of in the shower.
2. Everyday, refill a pitcher with water from the tap and put it in the fridge. When you want cold water, get it from the pitcher, not from the tap.
3. When cooking, fill the sink with about 1 inch of water and then wash all of the vegetables with that water.
4. Don’t run the tap when brushing your teeth.
5. Reuse the water from cooking vegetables to water plants or make vegetable stock for soups. If you plan to water plants though, it is useful to cool the water down first.
6.  If it is possible for you to have a water barrel or a bucket then do so. It’s a great way to collect water that can be used to water plants, wash the car or wash the floor.
7.  Don’t take baths, take short showers.
8.  If you have appliances that use water, use them less. If you have a dishwasher, make sure that it is full before you run it and look for a water-saving cycle. The same goes for a washing machine.
9.  Fix all leaky taps.
10.  If you wash your dishes in the sink, try to wash them in 1-2 inches of water instead of filling the entire sink. If the water is warm then you won’t have to rinse them either.