A CURE for Cracked, Brittle, Peeling Nails!

If you are anything like me, the winter months take a toll on my nails! I have always had thin, weak nails, but recently I have been washing my hands like crazy to keep away the flu, and all the holiday activities like baking, cleaning, crafting with paints and glue guns, not to mention gift wrapping, shovelling the snow etc, have destroyed my hands but especially my nails!

My nails looked and felt like this! Ewww!
Image from freeimages.com

I thought all these years that using a good moisturizer that worked great for my skin, was all I needed to keep my nails moisturized as well. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. My nails slowly started to crack and break! But the worst was the peeling. I was forced to keep my nails super short because of the peeling! Everyday I would notice more and more peeling and bending and this would cause more cracking and breaking. I was even at the point where I was afraid to wear nail polish for fear that it would dry them out even further. It was horrible! I was catching my cracked nails on my clothes, my mittens, while I was working or cooking! I could hardly do the laundry without breaking a nail! It got to the point where I had to carry around nail clippers and a file to fix the all the jagged edges I would get every day!

I turned to the internet for help! I think I tried everything from rubbing olive oil or coconut oil on them, to soaking them in milk or gelatine. I tried vitamin E oil, every brand and every bottle of nail strengthener I could find, to no avail. I spent hours reading about anything and everything that I could do to cure my brittle nails, but nothing worked.

Finally, one day my Mom and I were shopping for stocking stuffers and came across something called "Hard as Hoof Nail Strengthening Cream". It was only about $8.00 CAD at our local Wal-Mart so I thought I would give it a try. I had already spent a fortune on other products, surely another $8 wasn't going to hurt me! We cashed out and away we went.

Later that night, after a hot shower, my husband and I were cuddled up on the couch watching a movie and I decided to give it a try. The first thing that I noticed was the amazing smell! I think it is cherry scented but I am not even exaggerating that it is drool worthy! It smelled so good that I though about licking the jar! I lathered up my nails, cuticles and all the way around the tips of my fingers and let it dry. I was eager to feel it working so a few hours later I applied it again... And again! So, three applications later, we went to bed and the next day I started to notice it working. My nails obviously still had been thin due to the weeks of peeling before, but they almost looked more nourished. They didn't peel or break that day so I did another three applications throughout the day. I thought it was a fluke so I continued to apply 1-3 applications a day and within a week I could see and feel such a huge difference! Today, about 2 months after I purchased that little jar, I am peel free! My nails feel stronger then ever before and very rarely break! And they NEVER peel! I even went back to Wal-Mart and bought one for everyone on my Christmas list, and so far, they are all happy with their results as well! It was honestly one of the best products I have bought and at such a low cost as well!

Stock Image from freeimages.com

Now, I want to end this post off by saying that I have no affiliation with Wal-Mart or "Hard as Hoof Nail Strengtheners" and am not receiving any payment for anything here. I am just a really happy customer who spent years trying to find something to help my nails! I know that I am not the only person out there struggling and so I wrote this to hopefully help someone with the same issues!

Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful 2015!

Ter-

Business Cards

Our business cards came in a little while ago, so I wanted to put up a post to see what you think!

It's hard to believe but it took FOREVER to come up with a design that I was happy with and proud to hand out. I finally got my husband, who has a background in graphic design, to help me out. He had some great ideas to elaborate on what I had started with.

Can't get enough keys! 

Well? What do you think?

Does Last Key Creations Do Custom Orders?

I have been open less than two weeks and I have already had four requests for custom orders.

"Do you do custom orders?"

So my answer to that question has always been YES! Custom orders are definitely an option! There is nothing I want more than to work with some great people and create something together that we can both be proud of!

Just look at this great cosmetic bag I made for a client. She loved our cosmetic bags but wanted one that was big enough for her larger makeup brushes, and one that was a little darker so it would be easier to spot clean. We whipped this one up for her with all the perimeters she provided. (Stay tuned! We have had such a great response from this little bag that we are going to be launching something very similar in the future!)

Elegant and sophisticated cosmetic case

So send us off a little request and lets see what we can create! If ever in doubt, send me off a email! It never hurts to ask!

lastkeycreations@gmail.com

Don't forget to take a look at our Etsy store HERE

Ready to Deliver

So my first order is packaged and ready to deliver! I'm sorry, but this is ridiculously exciting for me!

I have been putting the breaks on launching this business for months, and I'm sure everyone is sick of hearing me go on and on about it. I think that I'm a little bit of a perfectionist with these things. Wait... I KNOW, I am a perfectionist! I have been told repeatedly by the people I have worked with, that I am a perfectionist! Well it could be a lot worse, I guess! I could be called a lot of other things!

Anyway, I took the leap a few days ago to finally launch, and I am so happy I did. So far the response has been great, and I am excited to get my products out there to my customers. I have been working hard on my packaging and am finally happy with it. What do you guys think?

For local deliveries that we are making ourselves, we chose to use a nice natural box that can be used again by our customers. Simple and cute. We have a vinyl decal of our tag line on the bottom right of the box. I have always been a fan of putting things off centre! It must be the photographer in me! We chose vinyl because that way it wouldn't stain the box, and if the customer wishes, they can remove and reuse the box at a later date. (Or leave it on there and help promote us!)

Here is a closer look!

We also have customized bags that we deliver all our products in that can be reused after delivery. It is washable and totally adorable! We think it adds a cute extra detail to an otherwise plain bag! We hope you enjoy!

And each delivery is packaged with love and care, and a personalized thank you note to show our appreciation for your order!

Thanks to Tania for our first order! We hope you enjoy your new Shopping Tote and Coin Purse!

Unfortunately our Zebra Coin Purse is out of stock at the moment, but if you are interested in our Shopping Tote, it is still available here.

View all of Last Key Creations items at our Etsy store here!

Thanks and happy shopping!

Day One Down...

Phew...

The first twenty four hours of Last Key Creations being open has just passed and it was so much fun! Why didn't we get this up and running sooner? 

We already have 2 sales and one item is already sold out!!!! I never thought this would happen in the first day! All the blogs and advice about running an Etsy shop that I have read over the last year prepared me to not have a sale for the first month! This is a great feeling and I hope it is the first of a long running tradition!  

As we say goodbye to our Zebra Coin purse, we are excited to work on new designs and bring you fresh and exciting new products soon! 

Zebra Coin Purse

The Flecked shopping tote has also been a popular item and we will have one more left in stock! If you like the look you better hurry over to Last Key Creations!

Canvas Shopping Tote with Brown Fleck

Etsy Doors Open!

Today we opened the doors on our Etsy shop! *Deep Breath*

We have worked hard for the last year creating and perfecting designs that we are proud to call our own, and now they are available for all to see... and hopefully buy! I am by no means an expert at this stuff, and opening the doors today was extremely exciting, but so unbelievably scary as well! I have worked so hard on all of this over the last year and want nothing more than for people to like what we have created.

It has been a crazy journey full of so much doubt and fear. However, it has also been full of learning and creativity and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I have learned so much over the last year about myself, and I hope that this is just the beginning. I have so many hopes and dreams for this shop, and today is just the first step.

Please visit my store and have a look around. I can't wait to hear about what you think!

Thank you to everyone who supported me and my dream over the last year! I appreciate all your kind words of encouragement! I hope I did you proud!

For the first time... Welcome to Last Key Creations!

Cheap and Easy Stainless Steel Cleaner

So I just found out about the most amazing stainless steel hack!

Pretty much all my small appliances are made of stainless steel. My toaster, my crock pot, my kettle, my bread maker and my dishwasher. They all said that they were fingerprint proof but I have my doubts about that!

Although I try my best to keep a very clean home, things can get a little messy sometimes, especially in the kitchen! The worst are those unsightly finger smudges and drips that can be found on those everyday appliances. I have tried everything to get nice smudge free stainless steel but nothing really seemed to work, and I didn't want to spend money on chemical cleaners. I tired a few different things but nothing worked very well.

One day I was on Pinterest and one pin led to another to another (you know how it goes) and I saw someone post a comment on a blog about cleaning stainless steel. I apologize but I can't for the life of me find it to link back on here, but it was from a janitor of an office building. He said that he tried everything to get the stainless steel elevator doors clean and the only thing that worked for him was WD-40.

What?

Almost everyone has WD-40 in their home and I don't think I am alone in thinking that it would be the last thing I ever would have thought to put on stainless steel but I was willing to give it a shot! It seemed so easy that there was no way it would work. Spray it on, and wipe it off... That's it? It wouldn't last forever and you would have to reapply every few weeks but I was ok with that! I ran out to the garage and gave it a shot. The results are in:

I was sold! So I went around my whole kitchen cleaning everything that even had just a hint of stainless steel! It may smell like fish oil in there but at least it's sparkling! (The smell does subside rather quickly so don't let that deter you).

Happy cleaning!

Ter-

Is Your Skin SUPER Sensitive? Here Is The Best Sunburn Treatment Ever!

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I have one of the best treatments for a sunburn! And it is especially helpful for people with super sensitive skin.

My husband is the type of person who fears the sun! He panics when the sun is out and there is little shade around. This is particularly frustrating for me when we go on vacation every year and he asks, "Am I red here?" every five minutes! He is so worried about getting burned that he cannot relax AT ALL when we are outside in the summer.

Well, we went on vacation a little while ago to sunny Myrtle Beach and it happened... He got a sunburn. Now, everyone hates getting a sunburn. You feel stupid and like you should have paid more attention, or got out of the water a little sooner then you actually did. But most people have a day or two of tenderness and some discomfort and are more carful the next time you go out in the sun. When my husband gets too much sun, it's pretty much the end of the world as he sees it.

He describes it as though he is getting stabbed with pins all over the sunburn every few minutes. This happens to the point where people were looking at him funny on the beach, and my parents and I found ourselves walking a little faster so he didn't look like he was actually with us. It looked like there were invisible bugs flying around him because he was swatting and jolting at what looked like nothing! Me, being the supportive wife that I am, assumed that he was acting a little childish and making a big deal out of nothing. That is until two days passed and he looked at me while I was sitting on the beach reading and trying to ignore the crazy person flailing around beside me. He had tears in his eyes and said that he couldn't do this anymore. No amount of cream, air conditioning, cool showers and DIY remedies worked. He said he felt like he was being tortured and he couldn't take it anymore. Oops... Maybe he wasn't being a baby. Maybe he wasn't exaggerating and he really was in extreme agony! I felt horrible.

When your skin feels like this, look no further than your local health food store!

We went back up to the hotel and got on our iPad. He searched and searched until he found a thread of people complaining of the same symptoms. He thought he hit the jackpot until the majority of the comments said that there wasn't really anything anyone could do except take the pain and know that in a few days it will dissipate. Uh oh. There was no way he could take it anymore so he kept reading and reading and found someone had gotten relief for something very inexpensive, easy to get a hold of, and natural! We rushed to the closest CVS pharmacy, made the purchase of $6 or so, and crossed our fingers. By the time we got back in the parking lot and made our way back to the beach, he looked like a normal person again! He had a smile on his face and the imaginary bugs had all flown away!

What we had purchased was a little bottle of Peppermint Essential Oil. Once we had lathered it all over his burn, he said it felt like he had amazing ice packs on and it took all the pain right away! Almost immediately! Not only is peppermint EO great for burns but it helps with itchy bug bites and I even put in on my face when I am sick to help unclog my sinuses! It feels great and the cooling feeling that it brings on it the most soothing thing of all!

The best $6 I ever spent! 

So if you know someone who has sensitive skin or is complaining of the same symptoms my husband was, go get them some and make their day! They will be eternally grateful!

Bread Maker Lemon Poppyseed Loaf

Spring has sprung in our home!

Despite the fact that the weather network has forecasted a winter storm alert today, and we are expecting about 15cm of snow mixed with freezing rain, I am still in good spirits and feeling that spring will in fact spring up on us sooner than later!

That being said, nothing says Spring like a refreshing loaf of Lemon Bread. There is just something about warm lemon bread with some melted butter that screams spring to me! It is a refreshing light snack or dessert that is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters! Here is how its done!

Ingredients:

Makes a 2 lbs loaf
*Take it from me and use fresh lemons. I made one batch with lemon juice from a bottle and let me tell you, it's night and day!* 

3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature 
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 whole lemon)
2 tsp lemon zest (I just zest a whole lemon - the more the merrier)
1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
3 eggs at room temperature 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

This recipe was designed for a bread maker. 

Place all ingredients, in the order listed above, in your bread pan fitted with a kneading paddle. 

Select Cake cycle or quick bread cycle (see update below). Select the desired size and crust (I choose light for my crust) keeping in mind that the ingredients listed make a 2 lb loaf. Seriously, why would you want anything less? 

After batter has mixed for about 4 minutes, stir sides and bottom of pan with a rubber scraper to ensure complete mixing. 

Can you see the zest? It really adds to the bread! 

When mixing is complete, remove paddle and let bake. 

When alarm sounds, your loaf is ready! Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Or dig right in like I did! 

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

If you want to try this recipe and don't have a bread maker, I would mix all the ingredients in a mixer until well combined. Pour mixture into greased baking dish an bake at 400F for 30 mins or until a cake tester comes out clean. Keep in mind that if you are going to make this in a larger pan like a 9x9, it will not take as long to bake. 

Happy Spring!

UPDATE:
Some people have had an issue with the cake being undercooked when they used a quick bread cycle.  If you do not have a "cake cycle" on your machine look in your manual for a cycle that has about a 20 minute knead time and approximately 70 minute cook time. It is unnecessary for the cycle to have a "rise" time as there is no yeast in the cake. I hope this helps and if you have any other issues, please let me know! 

Thanks, 
Teri-

Pinterest Links - Summer Edition

Summer is a great time of year! I am seeing people outside gardening, washing their cars, playing with their children and pets, and getting as much vitamin D as possible!

Spring and summer mean getting outside and taking care of the yard and the garden, trying to be a little healthier (the winter hibernation is over), and it's the time of year where people start doing all the little renovations that they have been putting off during our bitterly cold winter.

So, I have found a few things that I am interested in so I thought it might be something other people were thinking about too. Hopefully they are relevant to some of you, and hopefully you can learn a little something along the way. If it this is something that people like and respond to, I may make it a monthly or weekly thing! Sorry it's just a little exciting to me. I just felt like I should put my overwhelming obsession to Pinterest to good use! I hope you enjoy!

• I am totally obsessed with this Kale, Banana, Chia, Hemp Superfood Smoothy from Skinnytaste.com. I make it every morning before work and it is not only delish, but I feel so much better that I am getting more vegetables, fruit, fibre and protein! It is also helpful that it is gluten free, dairy free and vegan for people who are into that stuff, and it is a great smoothy to start off your day off right! P.S. the first time I made this smoothy I ended up cleaning my whole kitchen from top to bottom because I had so much energy! My husband thought I had finally lost it! I read about it and apparently this is pretty common the first time you take hemp seeds! I was amazed! I felt great!

• Ok. These are some of the best muffins I have ever had! These Chocolate Banana Muffins from Texanerian Baking may not look healthy but they really are a lot better then any other muffin I've come across as of late! They are gluten free, grain free and dairy free and are a perfect mid morning snack. (I am actually eating one right now and I cannot say enough how amazing they are). They were easy to make and the majority of the ingredients are readily available at most grocery stores or Bulk Barns. (I couldn't find dairy free chocolate chips though, so mine have dairy in them). Try these. You will not be disappointed!

Lets get onto something that is not edible! 

• Since the use of pesticides has been banned, we have had to get a little creative in making some weed killers. Our lawn has been overrun with nasty weeds for the last two years and this Spring we are getting started early, and continuing often with the method we found at Creativehomemaking.com. This Homemade Weed Killer is environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and it works! It takes some extra time to get all the ingredients together and mixed, and it kills the weeds slowly, but it works, and it is a good alternative to other expensive weed killers on the market. We just have to make sure we keep up with it this year! Wish us luck!

• I decided this year I am going to dig up a lot of the ugly bushes that were plated in front of our house and create a beautiful, colourful and fun garden. Easy for me to say! I have never had a green thumb and I kill all the plants I've ever had. So if I am to pursue this endeavour, I am going to have to do some serious research. That is when I came across this great little article from Better Homes & Gardens website. It has the 20 best perennials for your garden. It is great because it have the names of each flower, a great picture, and a little paragraph detailing how to care for each plant and the best conditions for optimal growth etc. It gave me a lot of really great ideas! I still have some more research to do, but this was a great starting point and kind of sparked some inspiration for me!

• I painted my Craft/Sewing Room a few weeks ago and put together some great storage units to help me get organized. I am more than excited about it! My husband kept laughing at me because he found me in the middle of the room looking around with a smile on my face. It made me so happy to have an organized and inspirational new space. I can't wait to get in there and craft and sew! I still had trouble finding a way to organize my wrapping paper and ribbons so of course I turn to my BFF. Pinterest saves the day, everyday for me! CentsationalGirl.com had a great tutorial for Wrapping Paper/Ribbon Organizer for small spaces. It requires little time and just a few inexpensive supplies. Once finished you can put it up right behind your door to save space and keep it out of the way. I was so excited to find this. It is already on my To-Do list for the summer! 

• Thinking about all the things we have to do this Summer can get me stressed out! I hate it when there are too many things on my to-do list, and it's even more frustrating when I realize that I don't really have the time to get everything done. I'm sure you know what I mean. So I turn to my old friend Pinterest to help me out. I found this fantastic guild for breathing exercises at Chicrx.com. These 5 Exercises to Quickly Calm Down & Get Happier are really going to come in handy over the next few months. Once I realize that I am human, and I cannot possible get everything done I want to, I will be able to take time and enjoy myself a little more. Thats the idea anyway. 

So I hope these things can help you out a little with this summer being in full swing! I am always looking for great new recipes, awesome ways to make my house more interesting and functional, to get more curb appeal outside, and to strengthen my inner chi! Send aver all your ideas and please follow me on Pinterest. I have thousands of pins so you are bound to find something helpful! It's such an amazing community and it's about time I start giving back! Now get outta here and go Pin!!!

Follow me on Pinterest here!

DIY Fathers Day Gift Idea

Dad's are notoriously hard to buy for! I know that my Dad is the type of guy that has everything he needs. Why is that you ask? Well, it is because he went out and bought it himself! So, I have given up trying to buy him things and resort to making him something. You can't go wrong with a handmade gift. It shows that you care, and that you spent time working on something just for them.

I made these personalized beer glasses for all the important guys in my life at Christmas, and thought it would be a great idea for this upcoming Father's Day as well!

Materials:

Beer Glass (Anything will do. I got mine for $1 at the local grocery store)

Paint Brush

Vinyl cut of the persons name (Available to purchase at any custom sign shop)

Armour Etch Cream (Available at any craft store)

Instructions:

Take your beer glass and remove any stickers etc, and give it a good wash so there are no fingerprints or glue. 

Get your vinyl piece ready and line up where you would like it to go. Go ahead and stick it on the glass. Press out all the bubbles and make sure everything is as flat as possible. 

It should come with a pre mask layer so you can go ahead and remove that as well. 

Apply the Etch Cream to the place you want to etch. Follow the directions on the bottle. It usually says to apply a thick and even coat of the Etch Cream and wait for about a minute. I left mine on for longer as to give a more defined look. Make sure you keep an eye on the cream. I had to throw one of my glasses out because the cream leaked to a spot I didn't want etched. Sometime it can be a little runny! 

When your time is up, run the glass under water to remove all the etching cream. Dry the glass and remove the vinyl. There you have it! A beautiful, easy, personalized gift! I packaged mine up in a cute gift bag with a beer from a local brewery! They were a hit! 

So if you are looking for a last minute, easy, DIY gift for Dad this Fathers Day, look no further!

Happy crafting, and Happy Fathers day to all the Dad's and Dad-to-be's out there! 

Elderberry Syrup

It seems like everywhere I go people are coughing, sneezing blowing their nose and are generally under the weather. With the kids going back to school after march break, and the weather fluctuating so drastically, it has been almost impossible to get through the last few weeks without catching some kind of cold or virus.

I woke up just over two weeks ago with a scratchy throat which quickly progressed into a horrid cough and the stuffiest nose I have ever had! I had to call in sick to work three days in a row because I literally could not get out the bed and walk downstairs to get a drink without feeling totally and utterly drained! No amount of sleep, rest or medication could touch this bug! It has been the worst cold/flu I've had in years and it really seems to be spreading like wildfire! As hard as I tried to isolate and quarantine myself I did manage to spread it to my husband who had convinced himself that he was in fact dying of the plague! Instead of loading him up with over the counter drugs that lead to grogginess and other lovely side effects, I took to the inter webs to find something natural, safe and effective in treating his plague cold. I found this great tutorial for Elderberry syrup which is supposed to be fantastic for treating any cold or flu!

Elderberry is said to be an antiviral as well as having antioxidant and antibacterial qualities. Some even say that it helps with inflammation, alleviating allergies and cancer prevention. Any way you look at it elderberries are looking pretty good to me right now while I listen to my husband coughing away!
Here is how to make it:

Elderberry Syrup
1/2 cup dried Elderberries or 1 cup fresh or frozen
1 cup wild or raw honey
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 medium strainer
1 mason jar or other lidded jar

In a small pot add all the ingredients except the honey. 

Cover and heat on high until boiling.

Turn down the heat to get a nice simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. This should take about 20-30 minutes. 

Strain the liquid into a bowl or your jar and make sure to squeeze out as much of the liquid from the berries as possible. 

Add the honey and stir until combined. 

Let cool and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. 

Not only will this help ease the effects of the flu in my husband, but it will also help me prevent against getting any more colds this year! 

If you are sick take 1 Tbsp every hour. If you are trying to prevent a cold, you can have 1-2 Tbsp per day. 

This is a great tasting syrup that is packed with awesome elements to prevent colds or help you feel better if you're unlucky enough to catch something. The cinnamon, cloves and ginger are used to help warm when you've got the chills, honey helps a sore throat and cough, and the elderberry is just an all around awesome little miracle plant that will do the rest of the work for you!

Here's to diving right into spring healthy!

And the Oscar goes to...

Well the results are in and I must say that our family Oscar party was a great success! It started out with great food and drinks, and ended with a close race to the podium between the four of us. Alas, there must be a winner and I am happy to announce that the Oscar, for the second year in a row, goes to....

MOM & ME!!!!

Congrats to all who played, and we are all winners! Yeah... Ok.... who are we kidding? WE WON! Wooo Hooo! The girls did it again! I hope we can keep this streak going for the next few years!

It was a great show and Ellen did a fabulous job hosting. I loved her casual approach this year and her amazing ability to keep us all laughing and entertained throughout the show. Her interaction with the celebrities was great, and what about that tweet? So cute!

If you were not able to catch the show, or had to go to bed early(tsk, tsk), here is a complete list of the winners! 

Best Picture: "12 Years a Slave."

Actor: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club."

Actress: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine."

Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club."

Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave."

Directing: Alfonso Cuaron, "Gravity."

Foreign Language Film: "The Great Beauty," Italy.

Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley, "12 Years a Slave."

Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze, "Her."

Animated Feature Film: "Frozen."

Production Design: "The Great Gatsby."

Cinematography: "Gravity."

Sound Mixing: "Gravity."

Sound Editing: "Gravity."

Original Score: "Gravity," Steven Price.

Original Song: "Let It Go" from "Frozen."

Costume: "The Great Gatsby."

Makeup and Hairstyling: "Dallas Buyers Club."

Animated Short Film: "Mr. Hublot."

Documentary Feature: "20 Feet from Stardom."

Documentary (short subject): "The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life."

Film Editing: "Gravity."

Live Action Short Film: "Helium."

Visual Effects: "Gravity."

I don't know about you but I can't wait to see what the next year of films has in store for us! Get the popcorn and turn down the light! Bring it on Hollywood! 

The Winter Blues

Feeling insanely tired, unmotivated, hungry all the time, irritable, depressed, anti-social, headachy, sore, and just all around foul? You are not alone!

For a long time I thought seasonal depression was just for people who wanted to have one more thing to complain about during the winter months, but it turns out it is a real (and super annoying) thing! Scientists were also quite sceptical about seasonal depression, but it is now considered a common disorder. 

Here is how Wikipedia defines it:  "Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, winter blues, or seasonal depression, [is] considered a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter..." SAD... how ironic. 

It is thought to occur because of the shortened days in the winter and our lack of exposure to the sun, as the disorder is more prevalent in areas to the North. Combine this with mercury going into retrograde for the majority of February, limited access to fresh local produce, as well as an overall lack of physical activity and the feeling that you, and everyone around you, are losing their minds, and it's no wonder we are having difficulty this time of year! In the GTA specifically I have noticed the feeling of hopelessness among a lot of my coworkers, friends and family as we are continuously getting hit with storm after storm, freezing temperatures, ice storms and an abundance of drab grey days. I am not one to complain about the winter, but this year it seemed to be affecting people more so than it has in the past. At least in my circle. 

Well, we are in luck! I have searched around high and low for some ideas to make this time of year a little easier on us. As winter doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon, we have to do everything we can to keep ourselves and our families SAD free! Here are some tips I found:

• Decorate the home with fresh and bright coloured flowers! Place a beautiful bouquet on your kitchen table and every time you sit down for a meal, it will be a pleasant reminder of what is just around the corner!

• Put a pot of water on the stove to simmer with some chopped up apples and cinnamon sticks! The amazing aroma will help ease stress, take away a nasty pestering headache, and will increase your alertness! It will also make your home smell amazing! 

• Make sure to stay hydrated both inside and out. Blasting the heat in our homes sure feels great, but it does a number on our skin! Drink more water than usual and make sure to hydrate your skin after hot showers and before you go to sleep. You will wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Try adding a few drops of peppermint essential oil into an unscented body lotion. The peppermint will ease you into a deep sleep but will also give you vivid dreams! Peppermint is such a refreshing scent and is said to boost creativity as well as increase circulation, stimulate nerve endings, relaxe sore muscles, and relieves pain and inflammation. It is also said to have natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties which can tone the skin and revitalize dull complexions. It's a win all around!

• Take vitamin D daily to help compensate for decreased exposure to the sun. It will also boost your immunity to catching those nasty winter colds!

• Load up your iPod with some upbeat music to listen to on your way to work. Music is said to have all kinds of positive effects on our mood! If you are in your car alone, feel free to join in as singing has been proven to release endorphins into our bloodstream! According to Julia Layton in her article Does Singing Make You Happy, "Singing gets more oxygen into the blood for better circulation, which tends to promote a good mood. Singing [requires] deep breathing which is another anxiety reducer. Deep breathing is a key to meditation and other relaxation techniques, and you can't sing well without it."

• Pay it forward. I have been hearing all kinds of beautiful stories about people paying for other peoples food in restaurants, leaving large tips for their waiters, delivering free food and drinks to the homeless etc. Doing something thoughtful for someone else and expecting nothing in return is so easy to do! We just have to be able to take some time out of our schedules and make it happen. It doesn't have to be a lot of money, but the fact that we took time out of our day to do something for someone else is going to make that person feel special. And the hope is that that person will do something nice for someone else and so on. It is a really easy and lovely way to make someones day! It will make you feel good as well, and what better way is there to beat the winter blues than that?!

• Light therapy is another option although it is something that I personally would not pursue unless the issues you are having are to the point where they are interfering with your day to day abilities. The process involves exposing yourself to a light box or a fluorescent lamp to mimic daylight and help reset your internal clock. It has been said to help people who suffer from SAD but there are some risks and side effects such as headaches, nausea and jitteriness. I would pursue all other avenues first before trying this one unless recommended by a doctor. 

goLite® P2 Portable Light Therapy available at Costco.ca

• And last by not least, try to get some more exercise. Eww I know! This is the one that I struggle with the most. People are so busy these days and the last thing you want to do when you come home after a long day at work is work out! However, adding even 20 minutes a day of physical activity can be amazing for your health! Try to follow this simple and relaxing yoga video.

Hopefully this gave you some options to ward off those SAD winter blues! Just remember that there are a lot of great things about winter. Celebrating the holidays with family is always something that I look forward to. Valentine's Day is a great time to do something nice for the special person in your life and the Oscars are on at the beginning of March, which means spring is just around the corner. As long as we can get through the next few weeks with our head above water, it will be smooth sailing right into summer! We can do it!

Gibby

We got a new kitten a few weeks ago.

His name is Gibson. Aka Gibby, Gibs, Giblet and Mr. Gibs. (His foster family was very attached to him and named him, so we decided to keep his name for them)



He loves having his picture taken. Such a poser. ;)

He is extremely vocal! 

He loves to play... But is a little bit of a trouble maker! (He is always picking on his older Brother)

   

He has super sharp little nails!

But his little paws are too cute for it to bother us. 

He gets even cuter when he is sleepy. 

Even though he is always causing trouble, eating his brothers food, surprise attacking everything and everyone that moves, sitting on the vents blocking all the warm air from heating up the house, tripping up Mom and Dad as they walk down the stairs with their hands full, biting noses and meowing at the top of his lungs, he is part of the family and we love him! Our house would not be a home if it wasn't for our two little fur babies!!!