Feb
27
A velvet couch, a shedding puppy and cuddling just don’t mix.
My little furball Bernese Mountain dog, Massi, has been shedding beyond belief these past few weeks and it’s been driving me crazy. For the most part my home is perfectly matched to her coat – black, white and golden hardwood – but with the amount of shedding that’s happening I have started to see it everywhere.
During a trip to the National Home Show last night I came across various vendors of pet and lint brushes and decided to give some a try. Sticky lint rollers generate more waste than I’d like so I was looking for something that would quickly pick up fur and be reusable. The FURemover Lint Brush, $9.99, from a company called Vacmaster, is a little rubber palm-sized brush that uses static charge to grab fur. It worked miracles on my couch, cowhide rug and regular rug. It can also be used on the dog, but I’m keeping this one just for furniture and sticky surfaces. Fur is easy to pull of and to really clean it, just run it under water or with some soap and it’s good to go again.
FURemover Lint Brush
When it comes to pet hair and brooms, static is counterproductive. Mine has been creating a charge on
the floor and making it even harder to make those pesky furballs disappear. Rumours of Swiffer and other wet mop products causing health issues in pets have made me weary so I tried Method’s Omop, $29.99 at Shoppers Drug Mart and Canadian Tire. The hardwood cleaning kit came with a natural surface cleaner, a washable and reusable microfibre mop pad and corn-based sweeper cloths that can be tossed in the green bin. The scent was even so subtle I had to smell the bottle to check for one. My floors are now eco-friendly and fur-free – at least until Massi finishes napping.
Method Omop
FOR THE LOVE OF CHOCOLATE
As I returned to my desk recently from a 3:30 pm Crispy Crunch run, I remembered a product line I’ve been meaning to blog: Palmer’s.
The brand is well known for its 160-year-old cocoa-butter formula, which is the foundation for a broad range of skincare lotions and creams, all decadently rich and ideal for soothing winter skin, but also for giving you glistening limbs in the warmer months when the sun, not the cold and wind, has dried you out. Palmer’s is also quick to laud cocoa butter’s healing attributes: Apparently it’s been used for centuries to soften skin, prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks and combat blemishes – and it does feel quite delicious on. (If your hands are parched from pushing paper or your computer keyboard, this balm will surely alleviate your pain.)
The famous and infamous supermodel, Naomi Campbell, who undoubtedly has some of the most gorgeous skin going, swears by the stuff. “My mother had me smoothing in Palmer’s Cocoa Butter from a very early age,” reads the company’s press material. “Twice a day, I moisturize from top to toe. It’s the simple secret of sexy skin – you want to be touchable all over.”
Although the heavily chocolate-smelling creams have a high-profile fan base, they’re not elitist in any way when it comes to pricing. Far from it: Palmer’s 250-mL lotion retails for $6, while a 100-g perfectly purse-sized cream is $4.
So if you have a weakness for chocolate, you might want to check this out.
At Wal-Mart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws, Canadian Superstore, London Drugs, Overwaitea and Pharmaprix.
—Deborah Fulsang
Feb
27
When I was approached about doing this blog my first reaction was excitement. It was a huge compliment. I found it ironic that me, of all people, had been asked the do this. I’m not the greatest at expressing my feelings and here I was about to open myself up to the world!
Once I started to realize what I had gotten myself into I began getting cold feet. I felt like I was in over my head but, because I had made a commitment, I knew I had a responsibility to follow through. I was very nervous when I submitted the first blog. I didn’t know what to expect, what type of reception I would receive, or what I could “give” to the readers. I’ll never forget receiving that first comment. I read a little, cried a little, read a little, cried a little! It was then that I realized this was going to be a great experience.
The feedback I’ve received has been incredible; the phone calls, e-mails and comments on the blog itself. Many have conveyed to me that they didn’t understand the extent of my illness, while some weren’t even aware there was anything wrong. There have been others that I’ve never met – don’t even know their names – and they’ve passed on kind words of encouragement and understanding through friends and family. What’s even more incredible is being told by many strangers that I have touched them. I never thought that by telling my story, others would feel better about their own.
I’ve learned this past month that there are so many of us out there, especially younger women, who are fighting Heart Disease. While I once felt very alone with my struggles, I now feel renewed hope – hope for myself and others like me. Two women almost lost their lives to heart disease and here they are, 12 and 13 years later, able to share their stories on this blog. July 21st will be my five year “Anniversary” – and what a celebration it will be!
If nothing else, I am confident that this blog has given a positive light on an often dark situation. This can be a very frightening rollercoaster ride – so many ups and downs, but with great doctors, technology and faith, many good things can happen. I’m living proof!
Feb
26
I’ve always been a big Calvin Klein fan – in theory more than in practice. While the brand’s bras are beautiful and scream sexy, I’ve always found them a bit snug or ill-fitting in the styles I wanted to wear. So I was thrilled when I heard that a new Seductive Comfort line (launched in the fall with the racy Eva Mendez as spokeswoman) now has bigger bra sizes for us more-buxom ladies.
For spring, there are a few fun ones: a lovely lacy number, a strapless style and a sexy contoured cut with lift. The new sizes also come with smaller backs and deeper cup sizes.
Because let’s face it: You’ve got to work with what you’ve got – whether big or small - so it’s nice when there’s a little something beautiful for everyone.
Try out the styles in sizes: A32-36, B32-36, C30-38, D30-38 and DD30-DD38.
DDD32 – DDD38 is also coming into stores this summer in a plunge style.
Calvin Klein bras range from $48–$52, and you can find his lovely lingerie at any of his free-standing stores as well as at The Bay and select Sears.
The Seductive Comfort bras with lace are in stores now with more styles coming out mid-March.
-Kate Daley
I have to admit, once it registered that my heart was back to normal, I believed that would mean “normal” – prior to developing Heart Disease. Once again, I was very wrong.
I continue to live with restrictions and limitations. I can’t use simple things like ibuprofen, cough and cold products and many herbal remedies. I still take blood pressure pills and a beta blocker as a preventative measure. The beta blocker was recently reduced. I did well with the first reduction; however, once I reduced the medication a second time I started experiencing “symptoms”. I was nervous but thought I’d give my body a little time to adjust. After five weeks, and no change, the dosage had to be increased once again. I knew I was a “lifer” with these pills but hoped I could reduce the dosage a little more. Not so lucky, I guess…but it’s a small price to pay.
Even when you are back to normal Heart Disease has a way of holding you hostage. You become very aware of how your body functions. When anything seems out of the ordinary, panicking seems to be the first option!! For the most part though, I try to just “live life” and put to the back of my mind where I was five years ago. No matter how much Dr. Jeejeebhoy and Dr. Graham reassure me, deep down, I’ll always live with fear – fear of re-developing Cardiomyopathy or Congestive Heart Failure. My heart has been weak once…I’m afraid it won’t take much to get there again.
In the past two months I’ve been experiencing rising blood pressure, increased heart rate, swelling, shortness of breath and fatigue. I saw Dr. Jeejeebhoy this week, apprising her of this development. I’ll have some routine tests in the coming weeks to confirm what she already believes – everything is okay. My body might still be equalizing from the medication changes or it may be something as simple as my 10 pound weight gain in the last five months…as my body is considered “unstable”.
Regardless of the outcome, one thing is for certain; I must become more diligent. I’ve spent weeks writing about all the right things I did to get better but realize I have “fallen off the wagon” recently. Life has gotten so busy that I’ve forgotten to really take care of myself. That is about to change.
