I’ve been feeling a higher-than-normal level of anxiety about our daily bread.
1) The Healthy Food Challenge. I have never read so many labels in my whole entire life. Corn syrup solids, high-fructose corn syrup and all kinds of hydrogenated oils are disturbing my peace of mind.
2) Related: I have spent so much time at the grocery store it isn’t even funny. Do you know what’s been taking me so long? Picking out new products, reading the labels (see above) and pondering whether or not my family will eat the product I hold in my hands.
3) I biked to the Superstore yesterday (yay!) and forgot my produce bags (boo!)
4) I spent a week going through a mile-high pile of old Canadian Living magazines this past week. I’ve been ever-so-carefully skimming and and exacto-knifing good healthy recipes and filing them away into clear 8 x 10 sleeves in an effort to improve my culinary repertoire. I’m finally done.
5) I have spent more time and energy thinking/prepping/cooking dinners than ever before. It is exhausting.
It hasn’t been in vain, because yesterday, something happened that make it worthwhile:
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… from my favourite time of the year.
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So here’s what I found for the Fishbowl Second-hand Show ‘n Tell.
Wasn’t this fun? And once again, I’ve proved something to myself. When I’m shopping for second-hand goods I almost always find things that I’m not really even looking for. ;)
Interestingly enough most of the things I picked up fall under the household category.
All of these are from the Value Village on Merivale Road.
I saw this, and immediately realized I desperately needed something to hold my tchotchkes and (finally) get them off the kitchen windowsill. But it needed some work before I’d hang it on the wall:
And here is the after. (After a coat of red paint, and some squares cut out of an old map of Canada):
The rack cost $1.99.
I KNOW MY SQUIRREL SHAKER COLLECTION MAY POSSIBLY OPEN ME UP TO SOME RIDICULE IN THE BLOGGING COMMUNITY but I can live with that. :)
I also found this cute little green dish ($3.99):
… and decided it would make a nice springly centerpiece after I planted some clover seeds in it. See, they’re coming up already!
I also bought a new basket ($3.99). It’s perfect for our dining room, which tends to be a magnet for papers and pencils and homework. We use our dining room table a lot – it’s the only proper work surface in the house. Now when someone (read: THE CHILDREN) are about to set the table they can temporarily sweep homework papers into the basket. (It’s pictured below a lovely retro chair I bought from a local convent. Nun bums were in that chair! Ha ha.)
And I bought the girls a new apron. Because I have a soft spot for aprons. And the pattern on this one happens to be the same as a little tablecloth we have too. And it was only 99 cents. Cute huh? (I know, I should have ironed it before the photo.)
That’s it!
No, well, not quite. I have one more item, but that won’t be ready to show for awhile. (It’s something I’ve bought for a future project!)
