Stapler Free Stapler

It is the end of school and as tradition goes, my daughter and I drive into Niagara on the Lake to a store called From Japan Inc to buy her teacher a staple free stapler. Usually it is one made in Japan and it looks like a cat or dog. This year our staple free stapler is made by Eco Staple Free Stapler and looks like a button. It can staple 4 pages together without using any metal. This year I bought myself one too. Ever since I read about staples and how much metal it takes to make them plus the large amount that end up being thrown out (and do not biodegrade), I have a sense of guilt every time I use my stapler. I love how intricately my pages are held together now and I wonder, how does it do that? Small things amuse me.

The City Chase Race

This weekend was the Mitsubishi City Chase race in Toronto. It is kind of like the Amazing Race. You are tested physically and mentally while finding and completing challenges along the way. The City Chase has races in cities all over the world each year ending with the winners for each country competing at an International race.

I had been planning to go into the race since January when my friend asked me to be her partner. I admit, I had great plans to train and use this as the excuse I needed to get into shape. I felt I let myself down by managing to only walk and play occasional tennis. I was letting this fact get me down about the race and I was not looking forward to it. I decided to go into it to have fun. I get so tired of trying to be/please other people that I have finally given up on that. In the race I was me. I found out that it was not only a relief to be me but it was also way more fun!

Knowing now that yes, I did need to be in better shape, I am hoping the burning in my legs will go away soon and I can start some kind of routine to get into shape without the pressure of a race.

The Race: I had so much fun. I loved hanging around Toronto the day before the race with my friend/race partner and having dinner with my cousin (Thanks to her for all her help from home for the race telling us where things were - our "phone a friend"). 

I loved the excitement I felt the morning of the race. The rain made me feel anxious at times at the beginning but we were glad to have it for a refreshing cool down during the day. I had fun sizing up the other teams and watching the crowds grow. I loved how I felt in my jersey and number with my knee socks and garbage bag rain coat (my dad would be so proud). 

The opening speech was inspiring and after welling up and hugging the racer beside me (the whole crowd hugging at this point not just me!) we got started. I felt such energy and excitement. We started the race having to do a scavenger hunt with another team in order to get our clue sheet. I loved meeting "James" and asking him to moon for us, digging through the garbage for a 2 day old paper, and running with all our required items back to the start.

Some of the challenges we did were: pulling a rickshaw while looking for letters to de-scramble, dancing the merengue, rock climbing, (fake) kyaking, boxing, and pole dancing.

I had street meat for lunch with a coke. Some athlete! I wonder how that looked as I ran in a race. I love my Coke way too much! I swear it was kept me going.

I must say that we came across some of the nicest people during the race. The people of Toronto were so helpful and excited for us. From the TTC street car drivers, the other racers, the race volunteers, and people on the street. Thank you for that. You really helped 2 girls who have limited knowledge of the city.

Today, I feel glad I did the race and happy I accomplished something that was not only hard and challenging for me, but also scary at times. You never know what you will have to face. I loved knowing I was not going to let myself (or my partner) down by quitting or by being afraid. I felt stronger for it.

Note to self: Next time - do not to eat a hot dog and coke and try to do sit ups, T push ups, skip rope and do burpees. New meaning to burpees for me.

I guess I know now that I can do anything I put my mind to. Good to know.

The Value at the Village

Thrift Shop Review #2

Going to the thrift store can sometimes be an experiment in creativity or a hunt for something you never knew you needed. Sometimes it can be the end of a long search for something specific. Last night I went to Value Village here in St. Catharines and found something I had been searching for years for. 

Of course, I do not always find something when I go and sometimes I find Value Village to be expensive. We went for fun with nothing we needed. (This is usually the best way to go.) I have been looking for a certain cookbook for years. The search has always been fun and as of late I had all but given up. I don't even usually look at the books all that well since I have so many myself but this time I spent the time looking to add to my Martha Stewart book collection and happened upon the cookbook. It is the Canadian Living Cookbook. It is out of print and last I checked is going for $60 at Chapters used. There it was. The dust jacket a little damaged but underneath, mint. It was $1.99. I bought 2 other Canadian Living Cookbooks that night as well. My step mother swears by this one cookbook and regrets never getting me my own copy. You know who the first person I called was then don't you? We were so excited together. Not only finding it for $1.99 but finding it after all these years of searching and thinking I would never find it. I love that feeling. The downside is now I have to use it...

All in all I think garage "sailing" and thrift shop shopping can offer something stores cannot. The hunt, the deal, and the uniqueness of the item is what makes it so fun. It will take days for my high to wear off. No bargain at Winners ever makes me feel this lucky.

Green Clean

I have been busy getting the cleaning side of my business off the ground. I am very excited and can hardly wait to clean for people. I know, I was born with something wrong with me, right? I find it very satisfying to clean and knowing I am not using harmful products to get it that way adds to the feeling of a job well done. 

I am also excited because tonight I was invited to attend a friends Enjo party. Enjo is a innovative line of cleaning products. I have been using Enjo to clean my own house for over a year now and will never look back. The cloths clean so much better than what I was using previously (Vim, Comet, Windex, Method, even vinegar and baking soda!) and they take only water to use. I have been using my Enjo products to clean for my new  clients and tonight I plan on making a big investment for my company. 

How exciting. To think that I can now clean other people's homes and know I leave it chemical free and safe for anyone to live in. (I clean for a seniors organization right now and I have to use their products. I feel sick, my hands crack and burn, and my asthma is always triggered. I know what it does.) You really have to try Enjo to really believe it works. I was so skeptical in the beginning but when it took things off I had tried years to remove I was sold. My Enjo rep, Erin King, is very knowledgeable and always lets me try out a product to see if it is for me.

I will let you in on another little secret. I can not sleep the night before a new cleaning job. Not because I am nervous or because I don't want to go. It is the thrill of cleaning somewhere for the first time. I lay awake and think of where I will start, moving onto where I think will give me the most trouble. I see myself cleaning and I see it clean and I can hardly contain myself. OK. There IS something wrong with me.