May 25, 2010

Apple Blossoms and Orchids


Photo of the Week



on our way to preschool

The Bith Fairy

As a doula I like to introduce my clients to 'the birth fairy.' The birth fairy is the only one who knows what a birth will look like, only she knows what a woman/family has to experience in labour in order to be that baby's parent. My wonderful amazing friend made my birth fairy her new outfit.

May 19, 2010

Advocating for Birth Rights

In November of 2006 the Midwifery Act was passed here in Nova Scotia, and finally last year it was put into effect. Both of my boys were delivered by midwives, and I would have it NO other way! Anyone who knows me knows that I am passionate about birth. Passionate enough to travel over two hours each way (uphill, with only my pajamas on, in the snow haha) for each prenatal care appointment and the two hours while in labour just to see my midwives. I strongly believe that the way we birth impacts how we see ourselves as parents, and how we see ourselves as parents impacts how we raise our children, and how we raise our children impacts who they become, and who they become impacts the fate of this world. Are we raising confident, compassionate souls, or will the years and years of war, greed and killing rage on? There is so much suffering, violence and politics in this world, bringing forth a baby should be one of the times and places in our lives that are free from those things. I very very strongly believe the midwifery care provides that safe, respected, sacred environment where women can birth with confidence. We have lost our way, here in North America. We have become a region of fear, of interventions and invasive procedures, of unnecessary surgery, and in the process we have lost the trust in our bodies, lost the trust in the process and lost the right to marvel in the miracle that is birth. The first step to getting back to that place of confidence, and faith is to support and advocate for those wonderful midwives who dedicate their lives to providing us with peaceful births. We, as women and families, need to insist to our governments on having the right to chose midwifery care! If you are having a baby, or someone you know is having a baby, or someone you know might someday have a baby, please write to your local government and advocate for midwives!

Practicing for School


May 12, 2010

This is me living for today


My mom sent me these beautiful Karma flags a year and a half ago. My house is small and there was no where to hang them inside, but I didn't want to put them outside because I thought they would fade, so they had been sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

May 10, 2010

Jamie Oliver you rock my pots!

quick salmon tikka with cucumber yoghurt

• 2 naan breads
• 1 fresh red chilli
• ½ a cucumber
• 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a few sprigs of fresh coriander
• 2 x 200g salmon fillets, skin on,scaled and bones removed
• 1 heaped tablespoon Patak’s tandoori curry paste
• olive oil


(17 minutes)
main courses | serves 2
I love this dish. If you’re a fan of chicken tikka masala, give this one a go. You might think it odd to use robust spice pastes on fish, but it’s very common in southern India. When buying your fish, ask the fishmonger to scale it for you. You'll be amazed at how quickly these cook.

• Preheat your oven to 110°C/225°F/gas ¼
• Pop your naan breads into the oven to warm through
• Halve, deseed and finely chop your chilli
• Peel and halve your cucumber lengthways, then use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds
• Roughly chop the cucumber and put most of it into a bowl
• Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice from one half into the bowl
• Add the yoghurt, a pinch of salt and pepper and half the chopped chilli
• Pick the coriander leaves and put to one side

• Slice each salmon fillet across lengthways into three 1.5cm wide slices
• Spoon the heaped tablespoon of tandoori paste into a small dish, then use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to smear the tandoori paste all over each piece (don’t dip your pastry brush into the jar!)
• Heat a large frying pan over a high heat
• Once hot, add a lug of olive oil, put the salmon into the pan and cook for about 1½ minutes on each side, until cooked through

• Place a warmed naan bread on each plate
• Top each one with a good dollop of cucumber yoghurt and 3 pieces of salmon
• Scatter over a little of the reserved cucumber, chilli and coriander leaves and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice

Quote of the Day

"Can I not marry Jordan? I want to marry Sara, so there is a boy and girl, even if she is my cousin!"

May 8, 2010

Quote of the Day

"Mom, please don't give Dad chores anymore, I already have enough chores for him to do."

May 6, 2010

Quote of the Day

My Dad is smarter than that, he knows what the whole entire universe looks like. My Dad is the ruler of this town!"

Placenta Planting




Laptop Love


I have been on blogging strike, in technology mourning. You see I found a laptop, the perfect laptop. I pushed its buttons, and it worked like a dream. Things were going so well, until I messed it all up. I made a huge mistake! You see I was drinking, coffee, and the caffeine must have gotten the better of me because I knocked the entire cup onto my laptop. I broke my laptops motherboard. We tried to make it work for awhile after, but it just wasn't the same, so we went our separate ways. If I could just rewind..... I have this new laptop now, and it seems to be working pretty well. It's a bit slower, and a not quite as thin, but I am learning to appreciate it for what it is, and I even think maybe I can be happy again.