Hey Canada, It's Voting Day!

Dear Canada,

Today is very important! Please make sure you get to your polling station at some point between 9:30am-9:30pm. Make sure you vote! Also, please vote for hope and not fear. Please vote for something we can wake up tomorrow and feel happy about. And no, you cannot vote for the Toronto Blue Jays!

Your polling station should be listed on your Voter Information Card, but if you didn't get one, check out Elections Canada to find out where to vote.

Thank you!

Jen B. 

Coldwater Steampunk Festival - August 8, 2015

Coming up on August 8th is the 5th annual Coldwater Steampunk Festival. We went a few years ago and had a fantastic day of walking around Coldwater and seeing all there was to be seen. You can read more about our adventure from a few years ago here, here, and here.

It was all wonderful, but we really enjoyed the costumes, the Knights of Barrie Swordplay Association, and the steam powered corn roaster.

Costumes

Knights

Corn roaster

Yummy corn!

There is so much more to see and do, and I am particularly excited that the costume contest this year is themed 'Wild Wild West'. I am obsessed with westerns at the moment, so I can't wait to see all the amazing costumes.

So if you are in the area check it out on August 8th from 9am-4pm. If you are from out of town, think about planning a trip to Coldwater. This festival is really a lot of fun.

To find out, more check out the following links:

Coldwater Steampunk Festival website

Coldwater Steampunk Festival on Facebook

Coldwater Steampunk Festival on Twitter

Flea Market is Open

Mom and Dad are coming up today and we are heading over to the Elmvale Sales Barn (aka Elmvale Flea and Farmers Market). They are open Thursdays and Sundays throughout the summer and this will be our first time heading over there this season. The weather is good so hopefully there are lots of vendors out. Dad is on the lookout for cheap DVDs, and I'm always looking for book deals. They have some excellent meat deals too. Hope it is a nice day of deal hunting.

Previous Meat Deals!

Getting Outside Early...

I'm getting my outside time in early today, as I'm heading to Barrie for a late Mother's Day get together of lunch and the new Avengers movie. I'm happy to say I haven't gotten any spoilers of the new Avengers movie and Mom and I are both super excited to see it. Can't wait!

Simcoe County Battery Collection

The County of Simcoe is collecting used disposable batteries next week as part of the regular curb side collection. They mailed out battery collection bags a few weeks ago, and all we have to do is fill them with dead batteries and put them out at the side of the road. I love when they make it easy for people to do the right thing.

Battery Collection Bag

The waste management program in Simcoe County is already really good at diverting materials out of the landfill, as there are lots of items that can be dropped off at the local dump for free. Last year we did a big clean out of our garage and dropped off a few carloads of old paint cans, half full cans of various chemicals, car batteries, and scrap metal, all for free. It makes me feel good that I can help the environment and still get rid of the things I need to dispose of.

So I have happily filled my battery bag and I'm glad this new program is here to keep these items out of the landfill.

Batteries ready for pick up

Book and Meat Deals

I went over to the Elmvale Sales Barn (aka the Elmvale Flea and Farmers Market) yesterday to see what it had to offer this year.

The Sales Barn has changed over the years, the heyday being in the '90s when my family and I would go almost every Thursday in the summer to have a look around. The market was full of vendors and there was always different and interesting stuff to look at (and eat). We always got cheese curds from the cheese guy, a sno cone from the red food truck (that might have had hot items too?), and Mennonite sausage. I also got some band t-shirts (Paul McCartney) and TV shirts (X-Files) that I wore constantly in my early teen years. We always had a lot of fun looking around the Sales Barn.

The experience is different now, with new (and less) vendors, and the times I've been over the past few years have left me longing for the past. Yesterday was my first time out this season, and I have to say I had a pretty good time. There were lots of vendors and visitors - it was nice to see so many people out. The thing that caught my eye the most was all the used books. At least six of the vendors had used books, and all mostly just a buck or two. I love looking through a big pile of books with the hope of spotting something great. Yesterday I happened on two gems at two different vendors.

I got J.K. Rowling's Casual Vacancy for $5 (perfect condition) and Jack Kerouac's On The Road for $1 (also in great condition). I love finding a book deal, so getting two was great. I'm already planning on taking John with me next time to see what else we can find.

I also got some smoked meat (salami and pepperettes) before I left.

Salamis were $5 each (840g) and pepperettes were 2/$1 (but they actually threw 3 in the bag, so that was cool).

Are there any neat flea markets near you? They are definitely a sign of summer around here.

It's Election Day in Ontario

We are having a provincial election today in Ontario and I'm hoping people get out and vote. In the last election only 49% of Ontarians voted. It doesn't seem like democracy to me when only half the people have a say. If you are in Ontario, get out and vote! There are changes that need to be made to the electoral system (see: Fair Vote Canada), but until they are made this is the system we have to work with. Vote anyway! Even if you think your vote doesn't count. Also, if you are able to take someone with you when you vote, do it! I'm taking John's Grandma with me to the poll.

When the election is over, I have to say I will not miss all the campaign signs in public spaces. I understand and accept the political expression, and always love to see a house with a lawn sign (there are only two houses with a sign on my entire road). However I can't help but call the signs along the roadway an eyesore. This stretch of the bike trail (right) has 17 campaign signs. In a row. For only four different parties. It gets to be a little much.

If you are in Ontario - VOTE! Polls are open from 9am-9pm. If you need information about your polling station, check out the Elections Ontario website. The website may require you to provide an exact address for the information you need. It could be that the address they have for you is different than your actual address. Fun, right? If you run into trouble, just give them a call at 1-888-668-8683.

30 x 30 Nature Challenge - 2014

I signed up to participate in the David Suzuki Foundation 30 x 30 Nature Challenge for the month of May. The challenge? Spend 30 minutes in nature for 30 minutes a day. You can do that without signing up, but signing up involves doing a pre and post survey of the challenge to help researchers understand the effect that spending time in nature has on people. I think it will make me feel amazing, seeing as I spent the past 5 months stuck inside and hating nature soooooo much. I'm still so happy it is actually spring, even if it is a little cold out and certain piles of snow are still hanging on.

Want to participate in the challenge? Find out more here.

See you outside!

Family Day and Roll Up The Rim

It's Family Day here in Ontario and also the first day of Tim Hortons Roll up the Rim to Win! I spent today sleeping in, reading, writing, going for a walk in the (cold) sunshine, and stopping at Timmies for some Roll up the Rim fun. Not quite sure why this ad campaign works so well on me, but I got a medium decaf and a box of 20 timbits while I was there. And a chance to win!

There are two parts of the rim to roll up this year. Here is how I did:

I won a frickin' doughnut!!!

And a "Please Play Again" on my bonus roll.

Coldwater Steampunk Festival - Other Happenings

We attended the Coldwater Steampunk Festival earlier this summer and I've previously posted about the amazing costumes and the dazzling art. For the final round up of the event, here are some odds and ends of the fun we had that day.

One of the highlights of the festival was a knight fight in the street. We missed their first fight that was scheduled and in the park, but later in the day they took to the street for another battle. It was like a game of road hockey where they had to move off to the side when a car came. Hilarious! The knights were fun to watch and put on a good show for the crowd.

Knight street fighter

Real swords!

Knight fight!

Attack!

Knight fist bump - love it!

Happy knight

There was also a Birds of Prey show in the afternoon. There was lots of information to take in, but the bird handler didn't have a microphone so it was hard to hear all the amazing stuff barn owls do.

Another highlight was a steam powered corn roaster. They were selling the roasted corn for only fifty cents! Super deal and super delicious.

Our last stop of the day was the Coldwater Legion for some french fries and a few rounds of the meat draw (buy a ticket, maybe win a roast). It was a lot of fun and everyone at the Coldwater Legion was super nice and welcoming.

I'm already looking forward to next year! I wonder if I will put a costume together?

Coldwater Steampunk Festival - Art

We had a wonderful time at the Coldwater Steampunk Festival earlier this summer, and beyond all the amazing costumes, they also had a showcase of some pretty dazzling art. Steampunk is such a neat style, and I had a great time looking through all these creations.

3rd Annual Coldwater Steampunk 2013 art

Hat with goggles

Love this chess set

Clock with exposed gears

Necklace

Multi-gear necklace

Necklace with keys

Tin man

Dragon

One Step at a Time

I finished my 28 day reboot on the weekend and then immediately started a new one. Habits take time to stick with me, and setting another four weeks of walking goals will keep me moving. Plus as the seasons change, I will have to be extra motivated to get outside when the temperature dips below zero. My main goal is to develop good walking habits now and maintain them over the winter.

Here are the results of my 28 day reboot, step-wise:

Week one: 37,321 steps

Week two: 55,839 steps

Week three: 39,330 steps

Week four: 39,692 steps

I haven't gotten up to 70,000 steps/week, but I am consistently getting more than 5500 steps per day and have walked far more in the past month than I did most of the summer. I have had some low energy days where I couldn't get more than 2000 steps, but because I have a goal in place, I keep getting back out there.

Things I have done to stay motivated/get more steps in my day:

• Listen to an audiobook while walking
• Plan different routes for variety
• Make a simple trip to the store/library walk focused by walking around town before or after
• When reading, walk for around 5 minutes at the end of each chapter
• If I don't think I have the energy to get to 10,000 steps in a day, try to get at least 5000
• Walk when I first get up

A demotivater I ran into on the weekend: I'm pretty sure my pedometer is broken. I dropped it onto some concrete and it bounced unhappily and hasn't been counting properly since. I have been thinking of getting a new one (one that costs more than $6), and am seriously looking into the Fitbit. Until I take the plunge and make a big purchase, I am going to be judging my activity by the time or distance I walk. This morning I walked for 55 minutes when I first got up, which made me pretty proud of myself. I can do about 1000 steps in ten minutes, so my walk was about 5500 steps. I find it hard to measure the time I walk outside of a planned walk, but I've decided I'm not going to stress too much about the daily count. My walking goals for the next four weeks are to get outside for at least an hour a day, and if it's in the morning, even better!

IPM Cookbook 2014 - Simcoe County Edition

My sister-in-law Jeanette has spent the past year working on the International Plowing Match (IPM) 2014 cookbook. She and the rest of the IPM cookbook committee collected and compiled over 700 recipes from Simcoe County residents and created a beautiful cookbook that, as the tag line states, is 'from the heart of Simcoe County kitchens'.

The IPM Cookbook is the official fundraising cookbook for the plowing match happening in Ivy, Ontario in September 2014. The cookbooks are sold for a year before the match to raise funds to support the event. Books are sold for $12 and can be purchased through local retailers and vendors at upcoming fairs and events (see below). I'm very proud of my sister-in-law for her efforts to create this cookbook. Great job Jeanette!

Perth County is hosting this year's plowing match, which marks the 100th anniversary of the event and begins this Tuesday (running Sept 17-21). For more information check here or watch this trailer for the event:



For further information on the 2014 match happening in Simcoe County check here.

The following is a list of vendors throughout Simcoe County who are selling the 2014 IPM Cookbook. New vendors will be added, so please check their Facebook page for updates.

New vendors as of September, 2013:

Carpe Diem - 1012 Yonge St, Barrie
Barrie Hill Farms - 2935 Barrie Hill Rd, Barrie www.barriehillfarms.com
Barrie Home Hardware
Penetanguishene Home Hardware - 2 Poyntz St #61, Penetanguishene
Midland Home Hardware - 159 4th St, Midland
Wasaga Beach Home Hardware  - 1955 Mosley St, Wasaga Beach
Elmvale Home Building Centre - 121 County Rd. 27, Elmvale
H.F. Smith Home Hardware Building Centre - 61 Queen Street, Highway 89, Cookstown

Coldwater Steampunk Festival - Costumes

In August we attended the third annual Coldwater Steampunk Festival. We had never been before (or even heard about it) but I have an appreciation of the Steampunk look, and the fact that it was being held in Coldwater, Ontario really caught our attention. Coldwater? Really? Coldwater is a small town near us that has a population of about 1700, and we weren't sure how many people there would even know what Steampunk was. Our main motivation to attend was curiosity, and we ended up having a fantastic time. The atmosphere of the small town, with some historical looking buildings and old timey trucks lining the main street, really added to the Steampunkiness of the event.  It was really well done.

Like any street festival there were vendors of art, crafts, and food. There were buskers of music and other talents, even an acorbatic pole dancer put on a show. There were way more people dressed up then I expected, and a costume contest was held to recognize the amazing work participants did putting them together. Someone was even carrying an elaborate bubble gun that was very Steampunky.

The following is a round up of some of the costumes at the festival. I took a lot of photos that day so I will post more over the next few weeks.

Children's Costume Contest

Women's Costume Contest

Men's Costume Contest

Judges for the costume contest

She told us she made her dress. What an amazing job! Looks awesome!

Love this group! The bubble gun was awesome.

 

Walk it Off

I am once again inspired by Ivy over at The Happy Whisk who has been on a 28 reboot to feel better. Earlier this summer she also set herself a blogging challenge, which also encouraged me to do the same. So thank you Whisk for being such a good example (and an awesome Blogger buddy). The thing I'm realizing is that small, concrete goals are the way to go if I want to make something new stick. My brain likes to tell me (and I like to believe) that I can have a vague idea of what I want and just wing it. Only it doesn't work. I've learned that saying: "I'm going to blog more" doesn't actually lead to me blogging more, but saying (and planning): "I'm going to blog every day this month" is specific and short enough for me to accomplish.

So I am gearing up to start a reboot to feel better too. I've been on some lovely walks and bike rides this summer but not as many as I thought I would. My walks or bike rides are usually spontaneous and that spontaneity doesn't happen as often as I think. My thought that "I'm going to walk more this summer" hasn't really panned out because I never actually planned to do it.

So I dug this guy out of hiding and I am making a plan to walk.

When I lived in the city I walked everywhere - no distance was too far.  I wish I had my pedometer back then, because I am sure that I often did over 15,000 steps/day.  I've calculated that a 45 minute walk for me is about 5000 steps, and in Toronto I would actually walk for hours. I was super active but never even thought about it as exercise. I just loved to walk around and see stuff.

In the country I am far less active. Since I turned thirty, I've started to notice changes in my waistline based on that inactivity. They have "the talk" with kids about body changes at puberty, and I think they should have a second talk with the post-thirty crowd about how our bodies change too. My talk would have been a simple statement of fact: "You can no longer eat garbage, avoid activity, and magically stay at your current weight." Past me had it so great and she didn't even know it!

So I'm going to schedule activity (same time each day) and some activity goals (# of steps) so I actually have a goal I can accomplish. The magic number of walking seems to be 10,000 steps per day and according to the Sportline guidebook that came with my pedometer, getting to 10,000 steps should be done gradually based on your current steps per day. They suggested recording your step count for three days and then averaging it to find your "start point". Over the past three days I did just that.

Day 1: 4643 steps          Day 2: 4417 steps          Day 3: 7137 steps

Average/start point: 5400 steps

As someone whose start point is between 5001-7500, steps should be increased by 400/day in order to reach 10,000 gradually. The pedometer has a goal feature, so each day I am setting the goal to be 400 more steps than the day before. Here is my plan:

Day 01:           5800 steps

Day 02:           6200 steps
Day 03:           6600 steps
Day 04:          7000 steps

Day 05:           7400 steps

Day 06:           7800 steps

Day 07:            8200 steps

Day 08:            8600 steps

Day 09:            9000 steps
Day 10:            9400 steps
Day 11:            9800 steps
Day 12:          10200 steps

So in 12 days I should be up to 10,000 steps/day. Hopefully the gradual increase makes it easier for me to maintain. I don't have a treadmill so I'll often be relying on good weather, but I know from my outdoor challenge that even on the rainiest days there are pockets of time when the rain is light enough to get a walk in.

Here we go! :)

Simcoe Pride 2013

It's Pride Week here in Simcoe County, with festivities running from August 2-9th. Simcoe Pride has organized a number of events, including Pride Flag raisings in ten communities. This will be the first time many of the municipalities have flown the Pride Flag (Penetang raised their Pride Flag for the first time last Friday).

Yesterday morning there were eight flag raisings in Simcoe County, and I went with Betony and Clara to the one in Midland, ON. It's a small town so we ran into some friends and had a really fun time watching Midland show its Pride.

The crowd gathering for the flag raising

André from Ciboulette et Cie made rainbow cookies for the event and handed them out to the gathered crowd. It was such a lovely thing to do and the cookies were great.

Clara picking out the best rainbow cookie

Members of Simcoe Pride and Mayor Gord McKay said some words before the flag was raised.

Mayor Gord McKay, MP Bruce Stanton, J. Andrew Baker, Jai Crouch

Here is the video I took while the flag was raised:

There is a Pride Flag flying in Midland, ON! Woot!

After the flag was raised, I got a nice shot of Betony and Clara looking adorable.

We all gathered on the steps of Town Hall to get into some photos.

Mayor McKay in center front, André hands out more cookies on the right

Being behind the camera I don't have any photos of me, but I make an appearance at the end of this video of the event. I'm in the front left wearing a green top.

The flag raising was a great experience and made me proud to see so many happy and smiling people showing their support. Way to go Midland, ON!