Pursuit of Happiness or Pursuit of Me: Why not both!

The waves of emotions still ebb and flow as people continue to reach out with words of encouragement and empathetic comments.

It’s been a several weeks since publishing my article, “Seeking a Life Free of Addiction Started with a Choice“, and the messages keep coming. None is more overwhelming than the private messages recounting of ‘blackout’ nights, broken families, and worse, the death of loved ones through abuse of alcohol and drugs.

Pursuit of Happiness or Pursuit of ‘Me’

My want to stop drinking alcohol all started as a choice – as simple as it was to make, it was anything but easy. The support networks I sought out didn’t jive with who I was nor with who I was trying to be, which left me wondering, “What do I do?” And based on those that have reached out, there’s a lot of people in the same place I was years ago when I made my choice to stop drinking.

My personal video message shared on Facebook on April 20:

As a result, I’ve been in weekly discussions with Saint Jude Retreats, an organization dedicated to helping people gain control over their own lives, and effect lasting changes in their attitudes, motivations, choices and behaviors. They’ve been inspired to look further into how they can best serve people who may be struggling with their own substance use issues.

The belief we share is that of the many people struggling see “addiction” as some sort of incurable disease. That along with high failure rates and counter-intuitive methods of traditional treatments, many may simply not even attempt to find the best methods for help. And to be fair, it may be difficult for people to truly know the best way to go about trying to help a family member or friend who’s struggling because they may not have any experience with feeling hopeless and trapped.

When it comes to addiction, there’s 2 types of people

In my experience in working with Saint Jude’s, based on the feedback I’ve received, there are two types of people: those that BELIEVE THEY CAN overcome addiction and those who BELIEVE THEY CAN’T.

Based on the overwhelming feedback, comments and outreach from my communities and the media, I feel it necessary to get some deeper insights from you, my tribe. To best help, I need to better understand what people think about addiction, and what better way to do that than with a survey.

The survey consists of 10 questions, mostly multiple choice and takes only a couple of minutes to complete.

Armed with your responses I will be working with Saint Jude Retreats to create more resources including articles and videos, to better help those who face struggles similar to that which I experienced for much of my life. Thank you for your help.

Special note, as a thank you for taking the time to complete the survey, I want to personally offer you a special gift. Check out the survey to see.

Take the #AddictionFreeLife Survey by clicking the button below.

Take the Survey

In Closing

I’m like everyone else and experience low moments in life and at those times I find myself questioning my choices. The Dai of years ago would have reached for a bottle to numb the emotions of uncertainty, since the Dai of today (besides speaking in 3rd person) remembers the important choices and decisions made in his life.

The journey I’ve found myself on has had it’s up days and down days. When I find myself having one of those days, I reach out to those that matter most to me in my life – my wife, my children, my tribe – their unconditional love, support and friendship reminds me of my decision to choose ‘me’ first.

Having a positive outlet to bring you back to a place of gratefulness and appreciation for life, and all the awesomeness it holds for us, is key.

Thank you for choosing you, too.

If you missed it, below is the Talk Recovery radio interview I did with Last Door Society following my earlier post. Have a listen and leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to respond to the 10 quick questions in my survey.

Take the Survey

Do you have a story to share with me? Please feel free to email me privately or share your comments below.

There is no education like adversity. – Disraeli

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If you, or anyone you know, resonate with any of the information shared in this post, do not hesitate to reach out for more information. Call my friends at Saint Jude’s at 877-958-3310 or reach out to them directly via www.SoberForever.net — don’t bother waiting, don’t seek out the advice of others, simply make the decision to choose you and your health first, you deserve happiness.

FREE RESOURCES for Substance Users and Family Members

FREE E-BOOK FOR THE FAMILY

This e-book provides family members of substance users with a completely unique and common sense approach to helping their loved one while simultaneously gaining back the focus and freedom for their own lives.

FREE E-BOOK FOR THE SUBSTANCE USER

It is Saint Jude Retreat’s mission since 1989 to provide a research based program to help you move beyond your current self-limiting habits and achieve a sustained balance in your life driven by your own freely chosen goals and dreams.

This post is sponsored by Saint Jude Retreats. The opinions and views are wholly my own…

And to be absolutely clear, this is my disclaimer: “Just so you know, I have been compensated to share my ideas on this topic. Sometimes it is in the form of products, or services or even money… But here’s the thing; I won’t  share anything with you that I don’t fully support. It doesn’t matter what it is, or how much they are willing to give me, if I don’t believe in it, It won’t be on my site. Seriously. You’ll just have to trust me on this.” ~ Coach Moose

from Dai Manuel: The Moose is Loose http://ift.tt/1XciU6t

Why Emotions Are Integral to Learning

A SMOOTHIE FOR EMOTIONAL STRENGTH

Alright, folks: life can be really freaking rough sometimes. This post is gonna be dark for a sec but I promise the ending is hopeful.

Life hurts in so many different ways, for so many different people. We've gotta deal with the systemic oppression of various marginalized communities (i.e. MOST PEEPS) and the mistreatment of our animal pals, but on top of that we get more fun stuff like mental illness and heartbreak. Well, lucky me because I'm going through it all at once. I'm realizing I have been struggling with depression, anxiety and OCD for (probably) years. It has gotten very bad in the past 6 months, so much so that I ended up in the ER a few weeks ago and have started taken some low doses of medication. It helps a bit. But the gods have truly blessed my blonde, shaved head: because Jack has left me as well. My 22-year old mind tells me he was The One, the love of my life, my other half and all that stuff. It's *absolutely* and entirely crushing and I cannot imagine feeling more alone or hopeless. I'll be lying on the floor crying with a broken heart and think: at least it can't get worse. Except then I get an anxiety attack, depression hits, and I end up staying in bed for two days, feeling that the tiniest thing like walking to the bathroom is a chore.

So my days are constant battles between my newly realized (and yet/soon to be diagnosed) mental issues, this horrific break up I never saw coming, and the cocktail of both of them. #Party. Shit has been tough this weekend, I literally just stayed in bed listening to sad music, not eating. I didn't have the courage or energy to do anything else. But this evening I GOT UP. I GOT OUT OF BED. I made this smoothie and I am POSTING IT. This bout of depression is ending, I can feel my mood changing and my motivation coming back. I am going to focus on activities that make me happy or at least distracted. I'm gonna get back to the gym, see my friends, laugh, dance, work, travel and keep on truckin'. I am also taking steps to get the professional help I need. This smoothie is the colour of sunlight for a reason: I wanted something inspirational and full of light. I CAN and WILL get through this. I am strong and will be stronger. I am whole and will find more wholeness in myself. I love myself and that is enough. XO P.S. this album rocks.

//

A SMOOTHIE FOR EMOTIONAL STRENGTH

1 cup frozen mango

2 cups chilled coconut water

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 cup pineapple

1 yellow bell pepper

1 banana

Blend it all up. LIVE YOUR LIFE. <3 

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Simplest Strawberry Tart

Simplest strawberry tart

It’s a holiday weekend for us, which means sweet time with friends and family. The hundredth running of the Indy 500 here in our city, a family wedding weekend, and now Memorial Day have brought a festive air to the weekend. They’re a good distraction for us, as our hearts and stomachs are in knots related to our adoption situation. Uncertainty is in the air, and man, does it make the days into what seems like eternity. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated as we continue to wander along this winding path.

In the meantime, here is a seriously kickin’ strawberry tart brought to you courtesy of our friend Yossy Arefi. Yossy is a rockstar baker, photographer and overall lovely human who’s just released a book devoted to fruit desserts called Sweeter Off the Vine. The photographs are insane, and as we found when we made this tart, the recipes are as well. This simplest strawberry tart is indeed simplest; a crusty rye and butter layer combined with delightfully sweet seasonal berries and sweetened mascarpone. It’s perfect for any festive occasion. Sending love to you all, and cheers to summer dessert season!

Simplest Strawberry Tart

 

Print

by: a Couple Cooks

Serves: 1 15 by 6-inch tart

What You Need

• ½ recipe Rye Pie Crust (see below)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten for egg wash
• 1 pound small sweet strawberries
• 1 cup mascarpone
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons high-quality strawberry jam

What To Do

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400F.
2. On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out the pie crust into a disk into an oval about 15 by 6 inches and just under ¼-inch thick. Use a paring knife or pastry cutter to trim any rough edges and move the parchment sheet and crust to a baking sheet. Dock the crust with a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much in the oven. Brush the surface of the crust from edge to edge with the egg wash. Bake the dough until it is deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Check on the crust halfway through baking and if any bubbles have appeared, use a spatula to press them flat. Cool the crust completely in the pan.
3. While the crust is cooling, combine the mascarpone and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Hull the strawberries and slice them into ¼-inch slices.
4. Move the cooled pie crust to a serving platter or board and spread the mascarpone over the top in an even layer, dot with the jam, then arrange the sliced strawberries in a single, slightly overlapping layer in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle the tart with the remaining tablespoon of sugar (omit this final sprinkling if your strawberries are particularly sweet), slice, and serve immediately.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from Sweeter Off the Vine by Yossy Arefi

3.5.3208

Rye Pastry Crust

 

Print

by: a Couple Cooks

What You Need

• 1⅓ cups rye flour
• 1⅓ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 8 tablespoons ice water

What To Do

1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl, cut the butter into ½-inch cubes, and add the apple cider vinegar to the ice water.
2. Working quickly, add the butter to the flour and toss to coat. Then use your fingers or the palms of your hands to press each cube of butter into a flat sheet. Keep tossing the butter in the flour as you go to ensure that each butter piece is coated with flour. The idea is to create flat, thin shards of butter that range from about the size of a dime to about the size of a quarter.
3. If at any time the butter seems warm of soft, briefly refrigerate the bowl.
4. Sprinkle about 6 tablespoons of the icy cold vinegar-water mixture over the flour mixture. Use a gentle hand or wooden spoon to stir the water into the flour until just combined. If the dough seems dry, add more cold water a couple of teaspoons at a time. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and easily squeeze it together with out it falling apart.
5. Press the dough together, then split it in half. Form each half into a disk, and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours before using, but preferably overnight. Keeps for up to three months in the freezer wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from Sweeter Off the Vine by Yossy Arefi

3.5.3208

 

A Couple Cooks - Recipes for Healthy & Whole Living

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How to Rig The Game of Life So You Can Win Everyday

It wasn’t like I jumped off a cliff…

…into that bowl of ice cream.

I drifted my way towards my heavier self.

A bigger belt notch here. A huffing and puffing trip up the stairs there. Wearing bigger and baggier clothes to feel more comfortable with myself. It was hard not to notice those things every day.

I would read all the latest magazines, blogs, and even got pulled into infomercials about the newest workouts and quick fixes. Tony and P90X got me fired up! I would invest the money and thought that would hold me accountable. Within weeks those dvds, workouts, and plans would be under the couch and I would be watching Netflix again.

Every time I found the motivation to take a giant step, execution and fear slapped me right back down the stairs of average.

The game seemed like it was impossible to come out on top!

3 Steps to Rigging the Game of Life (Go for the WIN!)

I came across an idea the other day that really resonated with me and I would have loved to have at the beginning of my health transformation: Rig the game so you can win.

Most of the time we have this grandiose vision of what we want our healthy self to look like. 50lbs lighter, six-pack abs, looking like one of the fitspo people you follow on Instagram. Those are Mt. Everest visions and goals. They are so daunting. How many times have you bought all the gear and prepped to climb the tallest peak in the world, but couldn’t make it out of your front door?

Let’s start with the hill that you walk over in your neighborhood first.

Let’s rig the game so you can win. What might this look like?

Step 1. Slash Your Goal in Half (Or LOWER!)

“My eyes were bigger than my stomach…” We have all said that about a meal or seven in our lifetimes. The same can be said about our Mt. Everest goals. We create goals so big because that is what we have been conditioned to do our whole life. We have been taught since grade school to:

THINK BIG! YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO!

While I agree with these statements in theory, they can also be very intimidating. If you fail to reach that goal you see for yourself, there can me loads of stress coming your way. The inadequate feelings will only push you farther and farther down the mountain and believe your success impossible. As with most situations in life, it is our expectations, our assumptions, rather than our real circumstances that lead to our biggest stresses.

Let’s say your goal is to run a marathon, but you have never run a mile in your life. You see that other people do it and it seems like it can be done. You walk and jog for a couple of days and run for a week or two. You decide to give it a try. 26.2 miles after never having run a mile. You wouldn’t make it 10 miles and your body would be crushed. The only time you would ever run again would be to catch you from tripping. We set those kind of goals for our health.

Lowered goals, lower expectations, are less intimidating and more achievable. It feels good to reach your goals and win. Progress makes people happy.

The mind is what the mind is fed. ― David J. Schwartz, Magic of Thinking Big

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Step 2. Intense Focus on ONE Area of Your Health

If you are trying to start a strength training program, a new diet, sleeping better, meditation, cardio, and finding time to take part in your real life; you are going to fail and you will crumble terribly fast.

Along with the “THINK BIG” conditioning we have grown accustomed to, we have also been taught that we can do it all. It has been said many times that if you have more than one priority, you don’t have any. It wasn’t until the industrial revolution that the real word priority became plural. There was no such thing as priorities over a hundred years ago! We need to take that approach with our transformation.

Pick one area of your health.

ONE.

When I decided to make health my number one priority, my diet had to be my priority. It is the foundation of everything you do in life. If I had a good day of eating and I drank a lot of water, anything else I did to improve my health was extra credit. Make sure you dominate your one health priority for the particular season of health you are in. If you have that down, go to sleep, strength training, meditation, mobility, cardio or anything else that you may want to improve.

Choose what will make the biggest impact for you at this time and zero in on that one thing until it becomes a habit. Some say it takes 28 days, some say it takes 66 days, you know when it will become routine for you. Allow yourself the time and space it will take to make this one area a habit.

The only time you fail is when you fall down and stay down. – Stephen Richards

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Step 3. Creating and Celebrating Your WIN Every Day

At the peak of IBM’s worldwide business domination, the technology and consulting corporation’s salespeople were known as being as incredibly effective. They smashed sales and killed quotas. How did they do this? Management kept their quotas extremely low. Why did they keep their quotas low? Because they didn’t want their people to be afraid to pick up the phone. They wanted to build sales momentum. People would very often overshoot their goals by a long shot.

Just as IBM did, so do sports teams. There might be an overarching theme or goal of winning a national championship, but if you think of that every day, you will not get there. You will be stunted by the huge scale of that goal. The only way to do that is to focus on this day and create wins for yourself in practice or that day’s game.

How can we transfer this principle to our health? Maybe you are intensely focusing on reshaping your diet, a win for that day would be that your lunch was real food that you ready. You don’t need to have every single meal prepped and planned, just that you made one meal full of whole foods. If you are on a fitness mission, your win could be that you made it to the gym. Not that you performed a PR max dead lift, just that you made it to the gym.

Creating and following through on small wins helps turn moments into momentum.

With your new found momentum, you will be able to achieve larger health goals in less time with less energy and effort.

Winning isn’t everything–but wanting to win is. – Vince Lombardi Jr.

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Final Thoughts

Rigging the game so you can win is one the most important mental frameworks you can carry out when you are taking back your health. In a world that wants to sell you every new toy and health product that can “Get you fit quick!”, this mentality will allow you to stay focused and mindful.

Allowing yourself to continuously succeed through your small wins and reaching a lower goal makes you love the feeling and crave it more and more. You kick away performance anxiety and the overwhelming thoughts that you might not be good enough. You are more than good enough and you prove that to yourself every damn day!

That winning feeling is addicting and when you can trigger that with your health goals, success is not a matter of “if”, it’s a matter of “when”.

If healthy living were easy, what would it look like for you?

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. – Oscar Wilde

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Author Bio: Adam Arbour

Adam Arbour is a Division 1 softball coach living in the Deep South, USA. He has his B.S. in Physical Education, an M.A. in Human Performance and is fascinated about the psychology that goes into health and fitness. You can find his home base at http://ift.tt/1PcfWvK and say HI socially at http://twitter.com/adamarbour , http://ift.tt/1sH1KAv , and http://ift.tt/1Pcfs92

from Dai Manuel: The Moose is Loose http://ift.tt/1TRn6Ew

4 Day Hands-On Locksmith Class | Mr. Locksmith

4 Day Hands-On Locksmith Class | Mr. Locksmith

For further informaiton go to Mr. Locksmith

Real hands-on locksmithing class  designed to teach engineering or maintenance employees for small or large facilities (School, Hospital, Corrections, Policing, etc.) and is a good start for beginners to help you become a locksmith or start your own locksmith business.

In this training you will:

• Cut over a hundred keys on key duplication machines as well as computerized key code machines
• Rekey locks
• Shim
• Trouble shoot
• Pick locks
• Take apart (and put back together) locks (deadbolts and key in knobs).
• Lock-outs, broken keys and picking locks.
• Design a mini Master key system and master key their locks.
• and much much more…

The Mr. Locksmith Locksmithing Course includes all supplies, lock picks, tools and material needed to take the course with.

SIGN UP NOW! 

Lock Picks & Tension Wrenches

Lock Picks

Tension-Wrenches

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

September 19-22. 2016 (9am – 4pm Monday to Thursday 200 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, United States)

October 03-20, 2016 (9am – 4pm Monday to Thursday 200 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, United States)

November 7-10, 2016 (9am – 4pm Monday to Thursday 200 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, United States)

December 05-08, 2016 (9am – 4pm Monday to Thursday 200 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, United States)

BRITISH COLUMBIA

June 06-09, 2016 (9am – 4pm Monday to Thursday 10499 University Ave. Surrey BC)

September 06-09, 2016 (9am – 4pm Tuesday to Friday  10499 University Ave. Surrey BC)

Victoria, BC TBA September 2016 (email me if you are interested in attending a class in Victoria BC)

ALBERTA

September 12-15, 2016 (9am – 4pm Sandman Hotel Edmonton 17635 Stony Plain Rd., Edmonton, AB T5S 1E3)

SASKATCHEWAN

September 26-29, 2016 (9am – 4pm Sandman Hotel & Suites Regina 1800 Victoria Ave, Regina, SK S4N 7K3)

MANITOBIA

October 10-13, 2016 9am – 4pm (Sandman Hotel & Suites Winnipeg Airport 1750 Sargent Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0C7)

ONTARIO

October 17-20, 2016 (Holiday Inn Mississauga)

October 24-27, 2016 (Holiday Inn / Hotel IndigoOTTAWA DOWNTOWN CITY CENTRE 123 Metcalfe Street , Ottawa , ON K1P5L9

QUEBEC

October 31-November 3, 2016 (Holiday Inn / InterContinental MONTREAL 360 Saint Antoine Ouest , Montreal , QC H2Y3X4)

NEW BRUNSWICK

TBA Email me if you are interested in attending (Holiday Inn / Crowne Plaza MONCTON DOWNTOWN 1005 Main Street , Moncton , NB E1C 1G9

NOVA SCOTIA

TBA Email me if you are interested in attending (Holiday Inn HALIFAX HARBOURVIEW 101 Wyse Road , Dartmouth , NS B3A 1L9)

NEWFOUNDLAND

TBA, Email me if you are interested in attending (Holiday Inn Express & Suites ST JOHN’S AIRPORT 5 Navigator Avenue , St. John’s , NL A1A 0R5)

OTHER CANADIAN and USA CITIES TBA

Note: All students must pass a security clearance from your local Police Force. Also, if you want to purchase lock picks and join the “Penetration Expert: Locksmiths Always Get In” Lock Picking Club you must pass a Police security clearance. Note: The following do not need an extra security clearance but must show ID (Police, Licened Locksmiths, School and Hospital Employees)

BRITISH COLUMBIA: Apply online for your “Locksmith Employee Under Supervision” License

For All Other Provinces and Terriortories go to your local Commissionaires for Criminal record checks

Commissionaires

SIGN UP NOW!

The post 4 Day Hands-On Locksmith Class | Mr. Locksmith appeared first on Mr Locksmith Abbotsford.

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CHOCOLATE CHUNK CRANBERRY COOKIES

Music recommendation of the daaaay: Jamie xx's new-ish album "In Colour". Check out this song to get into it. Music is saaaaving me and getting my through this heartbreak. Seriously, don't know what I'd do without it. On that note, a tragedy has struck (besides Jack baaasically dumping me and me having anxiety attacks every morning): MY 160GB IPOD HAS DIED. It was well well weeeell loved so it doesn't come as a shock. But I need to find another one soon, and since they don't make them anymore, it's to Craiglist I venture with tentative hope. Plus I don't like buying new stuff anyways. It's good that Apple is on board with LGBTQ+ justice but their labour practices are not ok. Capitalism.... *uncomfortable moan*. 

Moving on to lighter, more delicious topics: COOKIES. This recipe was inspired by two things. 1) A cookie I got (with Jack... sad face... crying...) at Turk's Coffee a few months ago. It was specially labelled "vegan" so I basically HAD to try it, ya know? It was YUMMY AF. Full of cranberries and macadamia nuts. I gobbled it up and probably only left Jack have one bite. I am not perfect by any means and as a side note I will readily admit he has his reasons for not wanting to be with me. I don't wanna make him seem like the bad guy and I the victim. Shit's complicated. Ultimately: I still want him and he doesn't want me. ANYHOO. 2) The ingredients that Prana sells! Namely, dried cranberries and chocolate chunks. I wanted to make a cookie that reminded me of the one from Turk's, plus chocolate, with Prana's ingredients. You probably don't know this because I never really say it but Prana is super generous and they send me care packages every few months with ingredients I need for my recipes. They don't ask anything in return. They're just nice like that. So I wanted to make a kind of Thank You recipe for Prana. And heck I'm not gonna lie: I also wanted cookies today. So I hope you enjoy! Much love to ALL OF YOU DAMN FINE HUMANS. And thank you so much for the messages and words of kindness, strength and encouragement. You AND music are getting me through this. XO

CHOCOLATE CHUNK CRANBERRY COOKIES

1 cup cashews
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon maca powder
1/8 teaspoon cinamon powder
1/8 teaspoon ginger powder
1/8 teaspoon vanilla powder
Heaping 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Heaping 1/3 cup chocolate chunks
Pinch Himalayan salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
Scant 1/4 cup melted cacao butter

Grind the cashews and 1 cup of the oats into powder or at least a rough flour. Whisk in the other dry ingredients evenly, then stir in the maple syrup and cacao butter with a wooden spoon until you have a very moist and yummy dough. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of rolled oats as needed, until the dough becomes more solid and shape-able. Scoop into cookies and let set in the fridge, or eat right away!

NOTES: you can use any nut, seed or grain instead of cashews or oats; you can use coconut oil instead of cacao butter; you can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla powder; you can leave out the maca if you don't have any...

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from This Rawsome Vegan Life http://ift.tt/1NUTCqa

JUICY ELIXIR with PINEAPPLE, MINT, RASPBERRY + BEET

First off: listen to this song. UNGH YES. Moving on: this recipe has a secret superfood ingredient: apple cider vinegar. I know the smell of it makes some folks wanna puke (i.e. my whole family) but its health benefits are so REAL so I wanna show ya'll a way to add it into your diet in a super yummy way. Lez go.

This drink was inspired by two different things: my friend (who is also named Emily and is amazing) and a beverage I bought for the ferry ride home from Victoria on the weekend. I will explain both. Aaaaages ago I met up with Emily on the bus up to our campus and she had concocted this amazing drink made up of blueberries, lemon juice, ACV, honey (I know honey's not vegan, calm down) and icy water. It was SO GOOD. Like fancy lemonade. And at the time - and still now - I was/am trying to figure out ways to incorporate apple cider vinegar into my diet because it's so damn good for me. It makes me skin gloooow and improves my digestion. Note: don't drink too much of it though, a tablespoon a day is just fine. And when you're done drinking it, rinse your mouth with water. I normally just try to plug my nose and chug a shot of it straight up in the morning, then I gag. It's not fun. So since I tried Emily's delicious apple cider-infused version (seriously it was years ago), I've been thinking: I should make my own drink like that. I just haven't, cuz I'm lazy and stuff. The second thing that inspired this drink was a Bragg's grape juicy ACV beverage I bought in Victoria (I've never seen it in Vancouver!?): it was sweet and grapey and tangy and I loved it. It reminded me of Emily's concoction and finally I was like: okay, I just need to make this myself. So here we go. This drink recipe is SO TASTY and refreshing and good for ya. It's perfect for summer and gives you energy and mouth watering vibes. I am savouring every sip.

And yet again I have to thank ALL OF YOU for the love and support you are generously providing while I move through this heartbreak - living without Jack's love is terrifying and nearly unbearable at times, but it gets easier every day - and journey of dealing with my mental illness(es). I am going to make a Thank You post soon. XO

JUICY ELIXIR with PINEAPPLE, MINT, RASPBERRY + BEET
Serves one or two

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup beet juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 cups chilled coconut water
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup packed mint leaves

Gently smash the raspberries into the bottom of one or two glasses. Throw in some mint leaves too. Pour in the coconut water, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup. Pour in the beet and pineapple juice until you like the colour of the drink (or just pour it all in, it's gonna taste great no matter the colour). Stick in a straw and and enjoy!

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Hygiene Happiness: 6 Simple Steps to Optimize Your Health & Awesomeness

Daddy-Daughter Getaway: a #FordCanada ‘Go Further’ Roadtrip

14 Books That Connect Students with Valuable Scientists’ Struggles

Teens who read about the personal and intellectual struggles of scientists feel more motivated to learn science.  That was the finding of a recent study out of Teachers College, Columbia University and the University of Washington.

Why? Many high school students view scientific ability as a fixed trait that is not responsive to effort. As the researchers wrote: “When students struggle in science classes, they may misperceive their struggle as an indication that they are not good at science and will never succeed.” When students learn about how even famous scientists struggled, they began to see that learning and growing from setbacks is part of a successful professional journey.

The researchers noted that published stories about scientists often focus on achievements but neglect mention challenges scientists faced. When Lisa Brennan, a middle school librarian at St. Christopher’s School in Virginia, read about this study in a recent MindShift article, her initial reaction was, “Wow, that parallels the research on the connection between fiction and empathy.” She reached out to her extensive Twitter followers to start gathering titles that cover both the achievements and the struggles of exemplary scientists that could be used with older students.

Brennan said that read aloud is a powerful tool in the middle and high school classroom, with studies suggesting that reading to adolescents increases their motivation to read independently. “The key to reading aloud with older students, in my experience, has been to carefully select brief and meaningful excerpts,” said Brennan. “You’ll find that students can actually be captivated by the read aloud experience — providing your text is targeted and your delivery is authentic.”

The list below includes rich picture books that could be read aloud to teens as well as graphic novels, short biographies and collections of biographical sketches that teachers could draw on for excerpts. Brennan, Maggie Knapp (head middle and upper school librarian at Trinity Valley School) and Brooke Williams (a former children’s librarian at New Haven Free Public Library) contributed titles to this list.

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, by Laurie Wallmark and April Chu

Ada Byron Lovelace was the world’s first computer programmer, creating a coding algorithm years before the modern computer was invented. This picture book biography describes how measles left her temporarily blind and paralyzed and how she overcame society’s negative attitudes towards women in the sciences.

 

Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World, by Laurie Lawler and Laura Beingessner

Rachel Carson’s writing and research helped launch the modern environmental movement.  This picture book shares her struggles growing up in poverty during the Great Depression, the sacrifices her family made to send her to college, and the challenges she faced entering a male-dominated field.

 

On a Beam of Light, by Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky 

Through simple text and stunning illustrations, this book explores Albert Einstein’s early struggles with learning and school –  and how they propelled his later accomplishments. The New York Times described this book as “”something of an It Gets Better Project for mathematically precocious children.” 

 

Snowflake Bentley, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Mary Azarian

Wilson Bentley was a nature photographer who showed the world that “no two snowflakes are alike.” This picture book describes his unstoppable grit in pursuit of his dream and includes sidebars with more information about the methods and science behind his work.

 

The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins and Jill McElmurry

Botanist Kate Sessions, the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a science degree, is best known for transforming San Diego from a desert town to a green paradise. The picture book describes obstacles and social taboos that she faced and overcame, utilizing the refrain: “but she did.”

 

Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle and Julie Paschkis

In the seventeenth century Europe — when many thought butterflies were evil creatures that generated spontaneously from mud –entomolygist Maria Merian made her mission to study them.  After years of study, she wrote and illustrated a groundbreaking book about the life-cycle of a butterfly. This picture book describes how she conducted much of her work in secret because of the negative perceptions around this insect.

 

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola 

As her biography at National Geographic notes, “called ‘Her Deepness’ by the New Yorker and the New York Times, ‘Living Legend’ by the Library of Congress, and first ‘Hero for the Planet’ by Time magazine, [Sylvia Earle] is an oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer.” This beautifully illustrated picture book describes how a difficult move to a new state during her childhood awakened a life-long passion.  The author’s note would also make a good read-aloud for teens, describing her scientific work in more depth and how she “defied conventional expectations at every stage of her life.”

 

My Brief History, by Stephen Hawking 

At 144 pages, this brief memoir is broken into several small chapters in which theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking writes about his childhood, his research and –  of course –  his life with ALS, which gradually paralyzed him over the course of decades and required him to develop compensatory methods for engaging in his research. Teachers could use or read aloud excerpts of this compelling autobiography.

 

Feynman (Richard Feynman, physicist), by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick

Written for teens, this graphic novel vividly portrays the life of the vivacious physicist Richard Feynman. It captures his tenacity in the face of trying circumstances — from working on the Manhattan project to uncovering the cause of the Challenger explosion to caring for his ailing wife.

 

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks

This is another graphic novel for teens, tracing the lives of three primatologists who were students of Richard Leakey and who lived among the primates. As the Booklist review notes,  “For all the playful mugging and gratifying discoveries, though, Ottaviani doesn’t shy away from the struggles of living and working in the bush.”

 

Breakthrough! How Three People Saved “Blue Babies” and Changed Medicine Forever, by Jim Murphy

Knapp describes this short nonfiction narrative as a “wonderfully written story of a black man, a white man and a woman, who all struggled in different ways (personally and professionally) to pioneer a surgery that saved the lives of ‘blue babies.’”

 

What Color is My World? The Lost History of African-American Inventors, by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld

This collection features several short life-sketches of African-American inventors –  from Henry Sampson (who created the gamma-electric cell) to Percy Julian (who synthesized cortisone from soy). The stories emphasize the perseverance of these inventors in the face of racism and other life challenges.

 

Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science – and the World, by Rachel Swaby

These short biographical sketches average four pages in length –  an easy read aloud –  and highlight female scientists in the following fields: medicine, biology and the environment, genetics and development, physics, earth and stars, math and technology, and invention.  Several stories note obstacles they faced, including gender bias, illness, and family disapproval.

 

Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein – Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists That Changed Our Understanding of Life and the Universe, by Mario Livio

In this 300+ page book, astrophysicist Mario Livio draws on the lives of five scientists (Charles Darwin, Lord Kelvin, Linus Pauling, Fred Hoyle, and Albert Einstein) to show how great progress often comes in the wake of “colossal mistakes.” This is a great resource book for high school science teachers who want to infuse their classes with stories about how can setbacks set the stage for progress — if we let them.

 

Bonus Resource: The PBS/NOVA web-series, The Secret Life of Scientist “provides a humanizing snapshot of scientists who are shaping our world.” Each episode profiles a contemporary scientists in three or four discrete, one-to-three minute video clips. The site is searchable by topic and includes blog posts and a teacher’s guide.

 

from MindShift http://ift.tt/22pZ72J