HAPPY WEDNESDAY... HAPPY THOUGHTS... JUST BECAUSE

Hey Everybody,

I'm just kinda overflowing with positivity today and thought I would share the love.

Happy Wednesday!!!

xo

Sophie

Raw Cookie Recipe: Easy Healthy Cookies

I'll be blogging about eco-menus in many future posts but today I wanted to share a little personal recipe with you all.

Some people have heard the term "raw foodist", if you haven't then I'll quickly sum it up for you. A raw foodist is a person whose diet is made up of 75% to 100% raw food. That is, uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, etc. It's believed that the cooking process kills a food's enzymes and nutrients which makes it harder for our bodies to digest and not quite as nutritious for us as raw foods are.

I am not a raw foodist but I do try to eat as much raw foods as I can simply because it's good for me. This is tough when it comes to baking because I LOVE to bake! And I LOVE cookies and breads especially. What really gets me when I'm baking is the amount of (for a lack of a better word) crap that goes into the foods. I mean white flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda make up the brunt of most recipes.

After investigating raw food diets for some time (I ate 100% raw for one full week earlier this month) I found that there are actually TONS of raw recipes for cookies, breads, cakes, and all kinds up goodies. Many of these recipes called for a dehydrator (which I don't own) and most of them called for all kinds of wacky ingredients that only hard-core raw foodists would keep on hand. So after much more research I decided that I understood the basic concept of these recipes and decided to just go for it with some stuff that I had on hand. This is the recipe I came up with and the cookies are delicious and, not to mention, 100% raw and good for you!

Ingredients:

1 cup raw unsalted organic almonds

1 cup raw organic raisins

1 cup pitted organic honey dates

(Seriously, that's it!)

1. Put the almonds and raisins in a food processor and chop until fine (about 30 seconds).

2. Add the dates and blend another 30 seconds or until mixture become thick and doughy.

3. Roll dough into small balls about 1.5 inches in diameter. Flatten balls with your hands to make a cookie shape.

4. Place the cookies on a tray on place the tray in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Keep the cookies stored in the freezer.

Makes about 24 cookies.

These cookies are so rich that you'll only be able to eat one at a time. My husband can't stand dates so he won't eat them but my daughter loves them. I'd love to hear how yours turn out.

Bon Appetite!

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

John F. Kennedy Quote

Happy Friday, everyone!

Today I wanted to share a snippet from a talk given by John F. Kennedy at the University of Kansas on March 18, 1968. Even 42 years later these words ring as true today as they did then; perhaps even more so:

"But even if we act to erase material poverty, there is another greater task, it is to confront the poverty of satisfaction - purpose and dignity - that afflicts us all. Too much and for too long, we seemed to have surrendered personal excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our Gross National Product, now, is over $800 billion dollars a year, but that Gross National Product - if we judge the United States of America by that - that Gross National Product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children. Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans."

Have a wonderful weekend :)

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

Resolutions For 2010: Healthier Lifestyle

Happy New Year's Day!!!

Given that it's January 1st I thought I'd post another resolution. And isn't this always one of our resolutions? It's probably because there's always more we can do to be just a little more healthy. Most of us drink too much coffee, ingest too much salt and sugar, and don't get enough exercise.

In 2009 I became a vegetarian which has made a surprising difference in the way I feel. I initially became a vegetarian because I'm out to save the world (or at least that's what I'm told) but it turns out that I've felt a hundred times better since making the switch. I have more energy, I feel satisfied but not full after a meal, and I've lost weight. Christmas killed me a bit after receiving a whole cupboard worth of chocolates and treats... once that's gone I'll get back on track! Ha ha!

I used to be in really great shape but after two kids this body just isn't what it used to be. For Christmas I got a Wii Fit system so now I'm adding a daily routine of running, hula hooping, Yoga, and other random activities to my schedule. It also means that I'm getting up earlier so that no one can see how ridiculous I look flailing around on the balance board. I'm not sure if this will make a huge difference in my fitness but I've had friends who swear by it and I've definitely been a little sore since I started using it.

What are you doing to improve your health and fitness in 2010? Perhaps you're looking to tone up or shed some pounds before your wedding. Feel free to share your tips!

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

Resolutions For 2010: Less Stuff

I'm not one to make resolutions come New Years. I can't even remember the last time I put a resolution on paper.

This year, I have a few things that I'm really committed to working on for 2010. One of those things is reducing my consumption and my reliance on "stuff". I've already made some big changes to this end but there's always room to do better. For example, I love my Tim Horton's coffees and when I'm on the road all day for meetings and such I'll often buy two or three and I rarely remember to bring my travel mug along. I think I'll start leaving a cup in my car.

My motivation for this resolution came from "The Story of Stuff". It's an enlightening 20-minute film and I hope you'll check it out.



If this film interests you, you may also be interested in the book "Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping" by Judith Levine.

What sorts of resolutions are you making for 2010?

Sophie
Coverall Event Coordination

Fun Questions

I hope everyone's enjoying this beautiful Labour Day weekend! I've been doing a bit of camping this weekend myself. This morning I'm sitting here with my cup of coffee (courtesy of my mother's Keurig... I love that little machine!) and everyone else is still fast asleep. I thought that I might like to answer some of those questions that Cindy answered last week. I know that there's at least one person out there reading my blog (I'm talking to you Catherine! ha ha) - so why not.



Tim Hortons or Starbucks?
Tim Hortons for me, thanks! I like a good cup of coffee from Starbucks or Bridgehead as a little treat every now and then. But when I'm on the go (and drinking three or four coffees a day) it's Timmies all the way.


What are you known for?
Being the leader, I think. I was the oldest in a family of six kids and I've spent a good portion of my life in leadership roles. I don't know that anyone actually looks at me as a leader, per se, but I'm often the person that my friends and family will go to for advice or guidance (which is fine some of the time... although I'm not sure that I'm always the best person to be offering advice - yikes). And when it comes to planning our big family get-togethers or outings I think people just naturally look to me to make sure it all kinda comes together.

Yup leadership; leadership... and sarcasm (ha! that might actually be a better one). The sarcasm thing I can't help... after a short stint in the military and then working for a British lawyer it's become sort of natural.


What is your favourite word?
Euphemism. I love this word not because of its definition but because it's the word that made me fall in love with words. I learned it in one of my high school English classes and I remember being so amused by the definition because it suddenly gave a name to something that seems to occur so naturally in conversation; both with sarcastic people, like me, and with people who are just genuinely nice. Either way, the word itself amused me and it created a sudden love of learning and an urge to learn more new words every day. Funny how such little things can have such a big impact on our lives, huh?


If the whole world were listening, what would you say?
Nothing. I think I'd have stage fright... the very thought of it makes me anxious. I'd want to say the same thing along the lines of Cindy's answer... but I'm sure I'd never be able to get the words out.


If one song were to describe your life, what song would it be?
"The Climb" Miley Cyrus. I live for one new challenge after another and I love making my way up toward my current goal. But no matter what trail I'm currently working on I've always got my eye on another mountain that I might like to conquer in the future. It keeps life interesting.


If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?
WINNERS!!!


What song best describes you when you first wake up in the morning?
"I'm Walkin' on Sunshine"... whoa! And it's startin' to feel good, hey! (you're singing it too, aren't you?). As soon as the sun peaks through the window I'm up (if I wasn't up already), and that's enough to get me up and going... although, coffee helps too.


What do you love most about weddings?
The speeches! I know, that's the part that so many people dread about weddings. Not me. Whether I'm working for a couple who's only hired me for the wedding day or I'm attending the wedding of a close friend I find that I always learn something special about the couple. I especially love watching a nervous speaker take the podium and, despite their nerves, proceed to make a beautiful toast.




My coffee's done now and people are starting to roll out of their beds so I'm going to finish up. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a fantastic week!



Cheers,


Sophie
Coverall Event Coordination

Happy Birthday Cindy!

Tuesday was Cindy's birthday and I thought that this would be a great opportunity to really introduce her to everyone. The first thing you should know, in case you hadn't figured it out already, is that Cindy and I are sisters.

Cindy joined the Coverall Event Coordination team nearly a year ago. Bringing her on board was a bit of a no-brainer for me. Since we were kids Cindy has had a phenomenal way of making friends and really making people feel special. People's first impressions of Cindy have always been that she is warm, friendly, and really fun (While I, on the other hand, was always mistaken for a snob growing up. But that was just because I was REALLY shy! Anyway, we're not talking about me today).


Cindy is also a "super-mom"; she actually made all of her daughter's baby food from scratch! I tried to do that once... and only once.

Since joining the team Cindy has proven herself to be a huge asset and has been such an enormous help to me personally. Over the past year our business has more than tripled and on top of that I had to slow down for a bit after having a baby in June. Cindy's had to take on some extra work along the way and she's been a real pro through it all.

Here are some things you should know about Cindy:


Tim Hortons or Starbucks?
Starbucks because of the complexity of the beverages.


What are you known for?
Loudness! I'm the one you'll always hear over everybody else. (I come from a BIG family; you had to be loud if you wanted to be heard).


What is your favourite word?
Excellent (lately anyway). It's the word of the week - no particular reason, it's the first word that popped out of my mouth; it sounds good and flows well, so let's use it. Next week, who knows...


If the whole world were listening, what would you say?
*I cried at this question??* I'd say: "Let's work together to make this a better place for our future - we seem to be meaner than we used to be, we seem to be less caring of ourselves, our neighbours, and our planet. We need to work together to make this a better place for our children to live."


If one song were to describe your life, what song would it be?
"So Small" Carrie Underwood- the song says it all.

"Don't worry about things that you have no control over, because you have no
control over them. Don't worry about things that you have control over, because
you have control over them."

~ Mickey Rivers ~

If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?
IKEA. Need I say more?


What song best describes you when you first wake up in the morning?
"I don't wanna work, I just wanna stay in my bed all day..."


What do you love most about weddings?
The father to daughter speech and dance. It gives a chance for everyone to see what a wonderful relationship a father and daughter have. Oh, heck, I just like to cry.

Learning "Creative"

I, like most people, developed the belief at some point that "being creative" is a gift that some people have and others don't. I associated creativity with being artistic - being able to paint, draw, or create beautiful things. There are tons of creative people in the wedding industry; just as there are in interior design and in fashion.

I've recently changed the way I look at creativity thanks to the book Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko. The book was written based on the premise that creativity is a skill, and that, like any other skill, it can be learned, developed, and perfected. This book is full of practical techniques that can be used to exercise your own creativity.

I highly recommend this book for anyone working in a creative industry and I recommend it even more highly to anyone who doesn't work in a creative industry. When it comes right down to it, creativity is an ability to generate ideas. The more ideas one can generate in a short amount of time the more creative one could be said to be. What line of work is free from problems that need solving? None. And problems are solved by creative thinkers - the people with the ideas.

Check out some of the Thinkertoys' Tips to Become an Idea Person and start your creative workout!

Cheers,

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

Seth Godin's blog is one of my favourites to read. Seth is witty, to the point, and he has a marvelous gift for explaining things that, in the end, appear to be simple common sense. I often find myelf nodding at my computer as I read thinking, "Well, yeah... obviously!".

I love the blog primarily for the wonderful business and marketting advice that it shares; however, many of Seth's "rants" (many of his posts take this form) turn out to be wonderful life lessons too. His recent post titled "Winning on the uphills" is one of my favourites to date. Definetly worth a read.

Cheers,

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination