Failproofing - Consumers turn to instructive products to make the most of purchases

Failproofing - Consumers turn to instructive products to make the most of purchases

Why Cats Knead

Did you know that cats knead the same spot or their favorite person in order to mark it as their own. Cats sweat through the pads on their paws and the sweat acts as a way of making the spot smell uniquely theirs to other cats.

So does that mean when my cat Pepper sits on my computer keyboard, she is letting loose some other unique smells on the keys? I don't think I really want to know....

If you want more really cool cat facts click here!

Chia Seeds = Superfood

I have tried a lot of foods that are supposed to be good for you! I like quinoa but boy did it make my stomach hurt! It turns out some of us are not able to digest quinoa easily (of course that has to be me!). I get headaches from dark chocolate and red wine. I try to go gluten free so oats are usually out. Can't eat nuts or shellfish! Boy do I have digestive issues!

But one superfood that I think is fantastic is chia seeds! It tastes great all plumped up (although my kids think that it's slimy so I don't let them know when I slip it in their food), it doesn't irritate your stomach and you can add it to cooked foods and no one will know it's in there. I make a cereal out of warm water and coconut milk for the mornings and it keeps me full and happy until my late lunch. Not only are chia seeds full of omega-3s that can help your hear, but they are also high in calcium and give you almost 20% of your daily allowance according to a recent article in The Oprah Magazine. They also contain high levels of phosphorus and manganese which help with bone development! This is a winner food that doesn't have too many negatives! Yeah chias!!!

Snowy Spring in London

Here's another $1M calculator...

Freeing up my time...

My newest project is figuring out what it would truly take to retire from my very stressful work in order to free up my time to work on things I really care about! I never thought of the dilemma in this way...normally I always thought just keep slaving away at something mediocre and eventually the money pot of freedom will arrive (sorry ancestors, I know this is nothing close to an accurate metaphor of your experiences). Now I'm thinking much more concretely about this dilemma...how do you collect, just like a food store in your pantry, or a collection of clothes in your closet, enough dollars (in some currency) to finally be free of comitted work obligations not of your choosing?

My first crude calculator (in my head) was a painful realization: if I had started at 20 years old and regularly put away a monthly amount, how much would that have to be to have amassed $1M by 45. It turns out it would have to be a whopping $3333 per month...there were many months since 20 where I didn't even earn 10% of that let alone save that...very sad!

So I began searching for calculators that could estimate how it could be done going forward...

Now that is a little better...at least it is possible...more calculators to come...

Growing Vegetables Teach New Habits: WSJ Op Ed!

I got wind today of this great op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal from one of my favorite new Twitter friends Marion Nestle. It was written by George Ball, CEO of the W. Altee Burpee Company, a company I know very well because as a kid I was one of those who grew a vegetable garden, year after year, in my parents' suburban backyard. What he is saying is right on: If kids get a chance to touch soil and seeds first hand and watch what they sow grow slowly and steadily (and sometimes rather drooply and sometimes explosively) into something they can reap, their attitude toward "real" food might indeed change. Vegetables and fruits, along with the seasons, bugs, dirt, tools, weeds, and sun, wind and rain, are amazing teachers! I learned about bountiful abundance, self-sufficiency, trial and error, incompatability, planning, resourcefulness, patience (when will those tomatoes be ready gosh darn it), and pride in a job well-done.

My kids have helped grow some sort of plant every year of their lives, whether we had a big backyard or moved to a high-rise apartment with a balcony. This year it was 2 garden boxes on the balcony with radishes, sunflowers, and marigolds. Because its Canada (and I'm still thinking on California "you can grow all year round" time), our sunflowers were small and dainty, our radishes barely made it and the marigolds said "Aw forget it!" by the time the first frosty dip in temperature hit us in September. But is was still worth it and the dried out stalks of our sunflowers still poke stoically out of the snow accumulation now that it's January...waiting for the spring freeze and another tiny patch of knowledge!