Make Your Own #HotSock - lol! #SoreBack #SoreThroat #SoreKnee #ColdCure #FeelBetter #Rice #Healing #FancySchmancy #WarmYourBed! #Luxury lol!

Hello, Luxury - Too Fancy For You? haha! You' Gonna Looove it! lol! 

Hot Sockie or Hot Sake? Both, you say? lol! 

Sock It to Me, Baby! 

You are gonna looove your fancy new Hot Sock! Is like pure luxury - haha!

Great Deals for You! (You're Welcome! lol!)

#SoreBack #SoreThroat #ColdCure #FeelBetter #Rice #Healing #Injury #SoreMuscles #SoreNeck (See a theme here? lol! Whatever hurts, add some heat, add some cold... whichever you like!)

And somehow I wrenched my knee drying my hands on a towel?? Whaat? That's so crazy! Age! haha! It throws you a curveball, sometimes! lol! 

Make Your Own 'Hot Sock' - lol!

Oh, I know what you're thinking - how could I have something as fancy as Ailsa's Hot Sock?  How could I have my very own Hot Sock?  Well, isn't this your lucky day? lol!  Me shows you how to make your own Hot Sock, and if you are maaay be wondering what is a Hot Sock?  I tells you - you are a'gonna loove it!  I've got mine around my neck, right now - feels great! haha!

So here's what you need -

Rice (any kind, no need for anything fancy, here... obvs - hahaha!)

                                   
A Men's size sock.  (I have a teenage son, and I buy him bags of socks, so he just went and got me one of his from a new pack o' socks ... and now I've made 3 of them...lol!) (Just occurred to me - I do have some really fancy women's socks, but they're mine, and way too fancy to use for this, since I like the over-the-knee socks - they're really pretty - hahaha!  But use whatever long socks you like -
: )

1 bag of White Rice will make 4 Hot Socks - yahoo!! 

So here's the tricky part - (nooo, is not tricky, me joke wit' you)... just pour a bunch of rice into the sock - maybe a cup or two... who knows - I just pour in the rice up until about halfway to the heel of the sock, then tie the sock around the heel bit.

I poured the rice into a measuring cup - was way easier to pour the rice into the socks! 

And, you might want to roll the sock down, a bit, 

so it's easier to get the rice into the bottom of the sock : )

See the knot in the picture?  Pretty fancy, I know - lol!

Then, pop your Hot Sock into the microwave for about 50 seconds - you can go anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds - don't worry, it's safe to put your Hot Sock into the microwave, no problemo.

Take out your Hot Sock, and put it anywhere that might hurt - or you want to sooth yourself, it feels lovely, you'll love it - you can put it around your neck, put it behind your back, put it on your arm...

You could put it in your bed, like a hot water bottle, only no worries about any leaks - lol!  Is just lovely, and so easy to make - let me know how many you've made, by the end of the first week with your new Hot Sock - hahaha!

So here's how I remembered about the Hot Sock - I think I made these, years ago, can't remember, now, but here's what happened on the weekend that made me go into the kitchen and make the Hot Sock for myself... I was writing to my sister on Saturday morning, earlier than I would normally be up on a Saturday morning, and I heard this little yelp-like sound out in our hallway.

I listened for a few seconds - time went very slowly - and realized it was a person - at first I thought it was a kitty, someone's little cat having escaped their apartment, but then it became apparent that it was a woman. so I went out to the hall, had on my dressing gown, since I had just gotten up, and was definitely not planning to go and save anyone... anyway, there was an older woman in the hallway, she had fallen, and was unable to lift herself up.  At all.  In that, she could not roll herself over to lift herself up, nothing.

This is a very serious turn of events, because I didn't make the connection that she was entirely unable to lift herself up, since she had just come back from getting her mail, right?  So, if someone is able to go and get the mail, you would assume they can right themselves, wouldn't you think?

So I called for my son to come out and help, and between the two of us, we tried to brace her enough to lift her up, and that was entirely unsuccessful, but she put all her weight on me, and it pulled my arm, which is already my 'sore arm', from a previous injury from a Special Ed student, years ago - took forever for that to heal - 20 years... which is crazy.... anyway, I thought we would brace her, and she would at least help us to get her up, but that's not what happened.

I had initially asked if I could call for help, and she had refused that, and this is important to know - if you call for help from 911 services, and they send an ambulance, the person who calls can be held liable for the costs - not fair, but that's our new reality, unfortunately enough.

Really, I should have called for help, I shouldn't have put myself at risk for someone else, who clearly did not have my welfare in any regard, probably because of her immediate situation, but when I told her our names, she didn't tell me her name, and it took quite a while for her to eventually tell me her name, sooo, that probably means she is not normally friendly enough to make any real human connections, because at no point did she say, oh, I need to call my daughter, or my son, or my frined... she did tell us she'd lived in her apartment for 26 years...

Anyway, Thank Goodness, another neighbour came along, and I asked him if he would help us get her up, and back to her apartment, and I had asked this older woman if she had a walker, which clearly she needed - you know those walkers with the locking mechanism, and a little chair attached?  That's what she clearly needs, and she did say that she needed one, but didn't have one, she said she needed a doctor's note to get one.  I contacted the 911 services, after the incident, let them know what had happened, and asked them to please follow-up with her, to make sure she has whatever services she might need, and a walker, so this doesn't happen, again. And someone needs to make sure she has good shoes with good traction, that she can easily put on, and not wear those crazy little crocheted slippers - those crocheted slippers are so dangerous - they've probably caused countless falls with seniors - they love those stooopid crocheted slippers - we need to put a stop to that ... No more Crocheted Slippers! lol!

So, we eventually got her back in her apartment, but it definitely brought to mind the book I just read, not that long ago, by Atul Gawande, Being Mortal, about how a fall for a senior can be the beginning of the end, for so many people, sadly enough.  So here's my take-away for my own life, and hopefully yours, as well - now I am even more determined to always keep my body fit and healthy, not so heavy that no one could lift me - that's a scary thought, but a lot of people can find themselves in that position, a few pounds here and there, it just keeps adding up (this older lady was very heavy, and it was impossible for me not to think of Rosie O'Donnell's story, of when Rosie O'Donnell helped the very heavy woman who had fallen and asked Rosie O'Donnell for help, so Rosie did what almost anyone else would do, and went over to help - it's the Good Human reaction, right?  And then Rosie had a heart attack, from the pressure on her own body... so I was super-worried that might happen to me, too, since I had tremendous pain in my chest, arm, shoulders, neck... you get the idea - was scary, and that's how I remembered about the 'Hot Sock', and it really is helping...)

And I had lost my motivation to go to the gym, these days, mostly because I don't like the new gym, with all the good equipment from the last gym, not there - grrrrr... so annoying, and I didn't even want to go back to the new gym... they just moved from the old location to their new, and very fancy, location - and is a crap gym, but will go back, probably tomorrow, see if there's anything of use in there - am disgusted with the gym not taking women's needs into account - that's disgusting, infuriates me. The gym is not a man's domain, the gym is for everyone, and to ignore or belittle the needs of women, at the gym or anywhere, is appalling to me.  I've gotta get over my hatred for the new gym, just go see if there's anything at all that I can do, to make sure I am always a healthy weight, and can always, always lift myself up.

Wow, that really hit home with me - practice getting up every day, especially as you get older, make sure you are a healthy weight, or as close to it as you can, it's not a matter of being perfect, it's a matter of being able to manage your own body, all on your own.  Apparently, that's the deciding factor in when they can decide you have to have full time care - interesting, right?  I didn't know that, before.

Otay, soo, make yourself a lovely little Hot Sock, pop it in the microwave for 50 seconds, enjoy!

To Healthy Living!  Ailsa : )

Quick and Lovely Update:  So I happened to see my older neighbour when we were both down getting our mail, the other day, and she is up and about, she has a fabulous new walker, all very fancy AND functional, the perfect combo - and she looked so happy, so I am thrilled with all of that - how wonderful is that?  So, we did do the right thing, and I hope I was able to help with the emails I sent out - so, if you can help, do help, in whatever little way you can - who knows what a nice difference you might make, right?  And I said to her, "Yahoo, you got a new walker!!!"  I don't know if she's used to that level of exuberance, but that's who I am, soo, I decided to just be me, and it all worked out - so, you just be you, too, and just think how much happier we all will be : )




I Am Perfectly Healthy.

I'm Hapy, I'm Healthy, I'm Independently Wealthy! (All Good! lol!)

Louise Hay, Love all her Affirmations!

#Salsa Chicken - #Chicken! #ChickenRecipes : ) So Easy and Nutritious - Everyone will love it #GroceryDelivery #Chocolate! #EasyRecipes #ChickenRecipes

Salsa Chicken - Make you wanna dance! haha! So Easy and Nutritious - Everyone will love it : )

Well, this couldn't be any easier, and is so practical, you'll love it, and the kids will love it, too.  We make extra, and then I just pull apart the extra chicken meat, I take one chicken breast at a time, fully cooked, after I've taken it out the oven, so it'll just flake apart with two forks, and I put each pulled chicken breast into a baggie, pop it in the freezer, since it makes the perfect amount of chicken for our favorite Pass da Pasta meal - and THAT meal makes at least 6 meals, too... it's all about making these little 'meal starters', little baggies of meat already cooked - has to be from fresh meat, any meat that is frozen has to be eaten right away, or just saved in the fridge, not frozen, again... safety first, right? lol!  Anyway, this is a very tasty and practical meal, and you and your whole family will love it : )

So here's how insanely easy this Salsa Chicken meal is.... you takes your chicken breasts, rinse them under cold water, pop them right in the pan.  Cover with your favorite Salsa (Mild, Medium or Hot and Spicy), cover with Tin Foil, bake in the oven at 350 Degrees for at least an hour, but I love it baked in the oven for an hour and a half, 90 minutes, or a couple of hours.  You can just pop it in the oven, go read, or watch some good shows, and Wham, it'll be all ready for you - yum! Easy and delicious!  And nutritious, too! And the vegetables are right in the Salsa - done! lol!

This is the chicken package I usually buy - $10 for 5 chicken breasts, and they make huge meals - there's soo much meat in each chicken breast.  I typically do the 'pulled meat' for 2 of the chicken breasts, so I just pop those in the freezer, right away, then they're ready for another meal, another day... so easy : )

Well, if you've been reading any of my recipes, you'll know I'm very fond of cheese - Ah, Cheeses, so-to-speak... makes me laugh, every time - hahaha!  Say it like you're at Church - haha!   So I grate some cheese on my Chicken Salsa.  Cheese is a very healthy food, despite what some of the new food 'gurus' are saying, these days - these people drive me crazy - so infuriating, going around, saying information like it's the truth, when it's just to sell more books... I'm all for selling lots of books, but don't mislead the public to make money - no, why, that seems a little unethical, don't it? lol!  Like any diet that says you'll 'lose 9 pounds a week, 18 pounds in 2 weeks' - ah, nope.  Not gonna happen.  And you don't even want that to happen to your body... one, who on earth is gonna shave their coconut into slices, like bread? Whaaat??  Oh, yeah, no problemo.  I'm right on it. I'm just gonna quickly go get a coconut, break it open on the sidewalk (get rid of the snow, first - lol!), see if I can get the entire piece of the coconut meat out in one bit, pretty easy, if you've ever fought with a coconut to get the meat out - coconuts are known for their extreme ease in removing them from the shell, slice that down into paper-thin slices, and make mah'self a little - emphasis on the 'little' - sammich... soo easy!  And any calories you might have from your little 'coconut sandwich' will all be taken up in the vast amount of swearing you'll have done, making your meal for the day - hahahahaha! Dat stuff make'a me laugh! lol!

Impractical and idiotic 'diets' drive me up the wall - you need to provide real food, that real people eat, and WANT to eat, to make any real changes... yummy and healthy can easily co-exist, right?  Right!

$25 FTD Flower, Plants, & Gifts eGift Code + $25 Restaurant.com eGift card. Save $30 with Specials by Restaurant.com  Flowers AND Dinner Out??  Yahoo!  The perfect combo!

Hahaha - well, if you can spot the differences in these two pics of my fave Salsa Chicken, good for you!  I must've thought they were really different angles - or one was my plate, and one was my son's? haha!  But to plate this lovely and delicious meal, we just make our rice (truth be told - one time, years ago, I had accidentally picked up the 'boil in a bag' rice - well, wasn't me, but it was in my kitchen, and we were all out of our 'normal' rice, and it was THE best rice, was soo easy, so now we love the minute rice - is healthy enough - not to worry.  But make whatever is your favourite rice, me iz jus' a'saying, it's okay to eat white rice, it is not the worst thing, ever, that's just another line to make people feel guilty about what they're eating (can you see this really bothers me? lol!), and I just make it in the microwave, 12 minutes, done (!), equal parts rice and water, no extra salt, you can add salt on the actual meal, if you feel like you need it, but the Salsa is so lovely, you probably won't need any extra salt - that's the easy way to cut back on salt - just wait 'til the meals are on the table, each person can make their own decisions, and no one has any more salt than they actually want, and your children won't even 'get a taste' for salt, since, really, that's probably why so many adults have such a need for salty food - we grew up with it, so maybe it's like a comfort food sort of thing, right?  Who knows?  Maaay-be! lol!

Oh, and you could easily serve your Salsa Chicken over pasta, too : )

See how easy?  There's the magical bowl of Minute Rice, there's the finished Salsa Chicken - one piece of chicken per person is probably just right - I like a half a piece of chicken, or I just save half of my whole meal for lunch the following day - yum!  But eat what you like, you really can't go wrong with this lovely little dish, and whatever you do save for another meal, will be even better, since the flavor is fantastic the next day : ) Yum!

Oooh, here's the Salsa Chicken all covered up, ready to go into the oven - 350 for about an hour and a half, a little less or a little more, no biggie... I like it really well baked (insert joke, here - buh'dum-bum... hahah!), since I love when the meat just pulls apart - is very tender and delicious.

Just pour the Salsa right on the Chicken.  You can use a can of Diced Tomatoes, instead, or in addition to the Salsa... it will all be good, one way or another : )

5 Chicken Breasts fit neatly into an 8" X 8" pan.... and if you have a bigger family, or want to make a lot more chicken for a dinner party, or to save a lot of little bags of the pulled chicken for your meal starter bags, just use a 9" X 13" pan, it'll all work out very easily : )

And there you go!  So easy, right?  I'll go get the link for you to see how to make the Pass da Pasta meal, too - we just use one of the little baggies of the pulled chicken from this meal, use it as a starter for the next meal - is a great way to make great meals for your family, economically : )

Happy Eating! Ailsa : )
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Grocery Delivery!!

This is so cool - let's say you've now been binge watching your fave shows, and you STILL have 4 more seasons left of your brand new-to-you show, soo you don't want to get up off the couch, but, also, you know you should probably get you' some groceries?

Problem - Solution! lol! 

Check and see if your area is covered by either VONS or Safeway... they cover some of the same areas, and some different areas - does that make sense? lol!

I loove this Delivery Service for Groceries and whatever you might need, right to your door, just in general, but what a great idea in bad weather, no more stooopid traffic, or if you're not feeling up to going out to the store, or you just don't feeeel like going out to the store...or if you're like me, and get so caught up in whatever you're working on, and don't want to stop just 'for food' - haha! And no need for Taxis, if you need to take a cab to the grocery store...that's a huge savings, right there, right?

Wow, Grocery Delivery Service - that's fantastico!! Yippee!!  Hello, Future - you look great! : )

I think this is such an amazing new service for your groceries - and anything you ever need from the grocery store - if you've ever had a time when you had a tiny baby, or you're super-busy (same thing - hahaha! All the New Moms will be laughing, now - lol!)..but if you're busy at work, or busy at home, or traffic, or you're busy binge-watching your favorite shows - hahahahaha! This might be the new wave of the future, right? Ordering your groceries online?

And I would imagine you would save a lot of money, since you would just buy what you actually need... might really work for dieting, too, since, well, if we're in the store, and be 'we', I mean 'me'...anyway, let's say I've got my grocery list, then I'm at the store, and I think, you know what, I'll just nick down the Candy Aisle, see if Chocolate is on sale (see how much I like Sale Chocolate - hahaha! Is it tastier, or just less expensive?? We'll never know! It's all gone, now - hahaha!)

Not that you couldn't just 'browse' for that, anyway... right? Me thinkin', now, o' course, where is the Sale Chocolate, online?? hahaha! But let's say you're you, and not me, and you have a LOT more self control than maybe ME do... so you order all the things you really wanted, and not just a whole cart full o' Wunderbars, on sale... hahahaha! Wouldn't THAT be fun - just a cartful of Sale Chocolate?? haha! Okay, clearly, me needs a treat! lol! : ) #SaleChocolate! Ha!

Shop Gifts Under $10 from See's Candies!Create your own Custom Chocolate Mix at See's Candies!  Okay, this is MY kind o' Luxury Reward - me always 'reward' mah'self wit' da delicious chocolates! hahaha!  I loove Sees Candies - soo deeelish! The Walnut Squares (#43 - is it bad for me to know the number?? hahahahaha!) (I've got your number..oooh, is it #43??  I hope so! lol!) Ooh, and I see that Sees has a sale, right now, Take $4 off of $20? Yahoo! Sale Chocolate - yes, please! haha! Yum! Don't mind if ah' do...lol! : )

So, that's great Food for your Body, and now this is Great Food for your Soul! lol! I loove Louise Hay - so lovely, so happy, so loving... all nice, all the time : ) Hello, #PositiveAffirmations! : )

Have you broken your New Years Resolutions, yet? Me, too! lol! #NewYears #NewYearsResolutions

                  

 Dis me, eatin' a cake - hahaha! Whatevs! Me dooz what I likes, and I likes da cake! hahaha!

Have you broken your New Years Resolutions, yet? Me, too! lol!  Whatever... I'm not a big fan of New Years Resolutions... just occurred to me, this New Years Day, I happened to mention to my son, who is 15, now, "Oh, hey, did you write out your New Years Resolutions?"  Then, instantly, in a revolution, it dawned on me that we had to write out our New Years Resolutions, painfully, at the dining room table, for what seemed like hours, because my parents probably needed us to just be super quiet for a while on New Years Day - maybe that's where all the New Years Revolutions started, from parents who just needed a quiet house to recover from the New Years Eve festivities, the night before - hahaha!  Who knew?  And to think how much we used to agonize over what to write down, since we had to write down TEN New Years Resolutions, and show them to my Dad.  Pretty funny, now that I think of it, as an adult.  

So, of course, I said to mah' boy, don't worry about it, you're all good, no need to change... is an interesting concept, this incredible need we have to make ourselves change, when, clearly, we're already doing what we really want to do, or there wouldn't be all this need for change, right?  Hmmm... (Did you catch that little 'Chandler Bing' be, in there.. that's a Canadian thing, me thinks - lol!) 

So, that said, me no haz gone to the gym for ages, now - one, I didn't go for the entire 'Christmas Break' - I easily used the school holiday as also my gym holiday - haha!  Whatevs.  Annoying, since I've already paid for their stooopid extra fee in December, the $60 extra payment they didn't bother to mention when I started the hour and a half long signing up process (clearly designed so the new gym member will feel like they don't want to have just wasted an entire hour and a half with idiotic paperwork, so they just go ahead and agree to the the 'surprise' extra $60... annoying - I hate anyone who is not upfront with the costs of anything.... but that's a whole other story... )

Now it's Day 2 of potential 'good days' to go to the stooopid gym - and, technically, I did go to the gym, one day, during the holidays (I had coined our name, 'Holiday Hermits', because it's soo much fun to stay home and read, play games, watch our fave TV shows, schnooooze... you know, fun stuff, relaxing stuff), whenever we were lucky enough for a rainy day - yahoo for Rainy Days! We call them Reading Days - our fave days! lol!

So, the reason me no went to the gym, yesterday, Day One, is that when I went for a quick visit into the 'new gym' - they just moved to a very nice location, a huuge new space, and guess what these morons did?  They squished ALL the machines that actually work to change your body, and they squished everything useful into one tiny corner, and the rest of the space is open, and only for people who are using a trainer, and I am not happy with the trainers at the gym, because they keep showing everyone the exact same useless exercises, is very annoying for me to watch (I'm a Personal Trainer, too, in that I have that qualification, and only for myself, and anyone who happens to ever ask me a question, or ask for help, then I'm more than thrilled to help them out, but I don't offer help unless it's asked for, since I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings (except for that aassssss at the gym, the one I hate, but that's another story, too... lol!  Me gots lots o' da stories! lol!)

But I digress (first time... lol!)... so I am super annoyed with this 'decision' at the new gym, to not only squish all the useful machines into one tiny space, and leave the rest open only for those people using the personal trainers, but I had asked waaay in advance of this new gym opening, will there be good equipment for women, meaning, there needs to be good equipment for inner thighs, waist, back and arms... and legs - is that everything?? haha!  No, but for real, all gyms have to have a good balance of machines, to target every body part, every major area people like to sculpt, right?  And the manager was such a dismissive jerk to me, when I asked anything at all about the new gym, and what would be in it, when would it be open, the basics... booo, I cannot stand people who are not straight-up, answer your legitimate questions clearly and truthfully.  

Now I don't even want to go to the gym, and that makes me so mad, since I love the gym, and I am super pisssed that these people have made me hate the gym - I'll still go, maybe tomorrow, since I've already paid for the stooopid gym - but if ONE person asks me if I have met my weight loss goals, yet, this year, or how much weight do I want to lose, or what are my gym goals.... me no wants to be mean to these people, but I do need them to not speak to me, or anyone else, like that - it's offensive to most women - don't ask us how much weight we want to lose - stop making assumptions about why we're at the gym.  We're there for our own selves.  Let the gym members lead the discussion, if there is one, and don't make the gym only for men.  That's gross and stoooopid.  

So, you can see I'm in a great place with my 'New Years Resolutions', right?? hahaha!  and I just heard, sometime in the last couple of days, maybe on Jimmy Kimmel (love the new beard, by the way - lol!), that most people give up their New Years Resolutions by January 8th - hahahaha!  I got that beat, by 3 days! lol!  

Well, I hope you do whatever it is you would really love to do, in 2015, and forever more, so-to-speak, and that if finding a good gym is in your near future, you might like to read this wee article I wrote a while back, before this new, current, 'new gym' situation...

http://buildyourownhousebodylife.blogspot.ca/2013/01/how-to-choose-good-gym-and-some-other.html

Oh, and you know what I think will make the most positive change in your life?  I started reading all the books by Louise L. Hay, back in mid-October, and, no joke, I feel like my whole life has changed, and I feel like Louise's ideas are far more useful in any kind of a weight loss plan, even more than going to the gym, and cutting back on everything you happen to love... you will find yourself loving yourself, completely, ever bit of yourself, not just the 'perfect bits', since all of you is perfect, right?  Right!  You are already perfect, is just a matter of seeing that for yourself, and really knowing that...and you will naturally gravitate to taking good care of your body, because you love it so much, not to hurt yourself, or not nurture yourself nicely... be your own best friend, be your own Personal Trainer (not the mean kind, the nice kind - lol!) - now, that's what's gonna make a big change in how you feel, and how you look, since you'll love how you look, and isn't that the key to happiness?

Oh, and I started with Louise L. Hay's You Can Heal Your Life, loved it, then I just started reading everything I could get mah' hands on, from Louise Hay - she's brilliant, so endlessly kind - wow, what a human being!  Love Louise Hay!

Here's a wee page I've written about Louise Hay, my favourite new-to-me, change your life person on the planet - http://buildyourownhousebodylife.blogspot.ca/2014/11/you-can-heal-your-life-by-louise-l-hay.html