I joined the Club!!!!!!

This weekend Jason and I joined the big club! We became members of Costco! I have been so excited to finally get my membership so I can join the masses... literally! It is just so insanely busy there!
We were there at 9:45 in the morning and it was so so busy, I can't imagine what happens in the middle of the afternoon on a weekend!?!
Busy or not I am super excited about being a member! They have absolutely everything!
Can't wait for my next trip to Costco!
~Nadia

Why do women outlive men! I think it's because of our girlfriends!

Hey everyone, I wanted to dedicate this post to my girlfriends who are always there when I need them.

According to statistics Canada women live longer than men - 78 vs 83! I think a major reason could be that men are more stressed than women are. The major difference between men and women in dealing with their stress is that we have a better support system than they do.

Women talk... about everything to their friends. They share most of their daily issues with the people around, their friends and their mothers. From family to marriage to work to shopping , you name it we talk about it.

Talking about things reduces stress which is a major cause of many health related problems. By talking and being great at it, women reduce their stress and therefore live longer! (At least that's my humble opinion) I am sure there are more reasons why women live longer like eating habits and the attention they give to the messages their body give them but I am a big believer that stress relief can greatly reduce health problems.

So men, if you've learned anything from me today is should be ...Talk talk talk, Share your feelings... you're friends will think it strange at first but this might get them to open up and we will all live happily ever after for much longer..

Happy Talking!

Massage Your Marriage...

Thank God for long weekends! I don't know about you but I love love love long weekends. I actually think that we should always have 3 day weekends. We spend our lives working too much so weekends like this need to be used to enjoy our spouses, families and to relax!!

Yesterday I went for a fabulous massage to start my day. I went to Sylvia Pizzi Spa in Pointe-Claire. A nice little spa getaway right in Pointe-Claire! I had a great massage by Caroline and was pleasantly greeted by owner Sylvia as with every one of my visits. It is such a positive experience that really gives you a boost to go back to your day, week and busy life. Sometimes you don't need to go on a vacation to relax and rejuvenate!

I think it is really important to massage your marriage with special spa days, couch days, movie marathons and anything where you can really relax.

The long weekend isn't over yet... don't forget to relax!!!

~Nadia

The Married Truth on The Kelly Alexander Show

Hello Married Truthers!
Just wanted to let you all know that my wonderful and talented friend Kelly Alexander interviewed me this week on her internet radio program The Kelly Alexander Show.

Listen to her latest show "featuring Kelly's chat with physiotherapist Andrew Roberts on the benefits of physio. Kelly also speaks with blogger Nadia Lawand on her blog TheMarriedTruth.com......" and more.

Check out her weekly shows and give her a shout when you do!

~Nadia

For the Guys - Just Cook!!

Hey guys, I was trying to think of a recipe to put on here and instead I wanted to tell my story on how I got into cooking, hopefully inspiring some of the men out there to get in the kitchen or on the BBQ and cook!

I had always been the guy on the grill, whenever we had a BBQ, it was my turn to cook but I was cooking the same old stuff...Finally it came to a point that I had to start preparing some of the dinners. Man, that's when the fear kicked in! I started looking at cookbooks and searching for recipes online and I really wasn't getting inspired at all. I needed to change my focus, I decided to turn on FoodNetwork Canada.

To my surprise I found a couple of shows that I started to watch each day. Because I was used to the BBQ I started to watch shows targeted to BBQ cooking. So slowly I expanded my BBQ knowledge and techniques. In the summer it's easy to grill anything everyday. Ok, so i was safe for a couple of months....but then winter rolled around...what to do now? I had never really used the stove or the oven for anything else that heating up leftovers. I decided to try some traditional Greek, Italian and Lebanese dishes, thinking that they would be closer to my heart and that I would have more of an interest in making them. Well it worked. I became very comfortable with indoor cooking. Again always with some help from the FoodNetwork. The shows on there are fantastic and really help you feel comfortable cooking. Guys need to cook too! The kitchen is our friend and not just for getting another beer.

I hope you guys out there turn on the foodnetwork and try out a couple of simple dishes. Cooking now has become an important part of my life and what is exciting is when we do have poeple coming over for a meal, they are excited to see what we have planned. I hope this has helped a few and if you have any comments on how you got into cooking please let us know!

Kevin P.

Business trips!!

I don't know about you but I've got to go on a few of these a year! I know some people have a few of these trips a month but how do you keep it together at home always being away?

I find it difficult enough working everyday and balancing it all at home. Now add travel to the mix and all goes crazy.

Some of the people I know always tell me "wow you are so lucky to travel for work". To tell you the truth, I know I'm lucky. I meet great people. Go out to new places with new people! Sometimes I dance until my feet hurt at the organized parties!

It's not at all bad.. All I wanna know is how do you keep it all together at home. I don't even have kids yet. I can only imagine.

I watched the winning Montreal Canadiens game while I was in Vancouver and I met great people from Colorful Harvest so all in all this was a great trip! Now let's pray for a win tonight and enjoy it with our friends and family!

Aline

The PMS Cure!

Every month I suffer from mood swings, bloating, major major food cravings and my insides going a bit nutty. Many of you women understand what I'm talking about.... PMS! Premenstrual syndrome is something that so many of us suffer from every single month and sometimes it seems like it takes over most of our month!

Today on one of my favorite shows, The Doctors, they showed a fabulous recipe for a PMS smoothie. Yes a researched smoothie that will help with this monthly problem we all have. I haven't tried this yet, although I do have similar homemade smoothies.

The PMS Smoothie Ingredients:
• 1 cup low-fat yogurt
• 8 oz. orange juice
• 1 cup fresh strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon molasses (or to taste)

Add ingredients to blender and blend approximately 45 seconds. Add ice if necessary.

Can't wait to try this. Let me know if you have tried it and what you think.

~Nadia

Greek Rice

Dinner time!! The most popular side dish to any meat is rice. Now I have a quick easy recipe for Greek rice. Many people, including my family, use the prepackaged rice but sometimes I get the urge to use the old fashion "real" rice.

How to Prepare Greek Rice for 4:
1 cup white long grain rice
Juice of 1 lemon
Instant Chicken Stock, we use the Knorr instant mix
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Boil 2 cups of water in a pot, add two teaspoons of the instant chicken stock. Once the water has come to a boil add the rice. Once the rice is ready add some salt, pepper and the juice on the lemon. Let simmer for about 2 min and then serve. An option would be to ad some dried Oregano to the rice to ad a bit more flavor. Happy Cookin!

Mother's Day!

To all you mom's out there! Happy Mother's day! Raising kids these days isn't the easiest of tasks.

Now that... my kids are grown, I understand how much work and love it takes to raise and to keep a family together. The example of your strength, devotion, and patience is now rippling through the generations. Thank you! ~Forest Houtenschil

What did you do for your mom, or for the person who has taken on that role in your life!

Share with us what your family did for you, or how you spend your mother's day!

Flowers, brunch, dinner and movies, family time at home?

Are there any grandmas and great-grandmothers you would like to mentioned on this special day!

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. ~Author Unknown

Make Your Wedding Day Special...

Brides to be... Listen up!

Since wedding season is right around the corner and if you are getting married you're probably putting all the final details in motion...like hair and makeup. My cousin Carol has a wonderful online store called The Wish Pearl where you can find your wedding day jewelry, gifts for your wedding parties and great pieces for your hair to finish your wedding look. I had a wonderful pearl hair clip that was subtle and perfect for my day.

Check out her online store and Happy Wedding Planning!!

I Can't Stop Crying....

Do you ever feel like you just can't stop crying? Like no matter what you do you just want to sob... This past weekend I was so emotional! I was a big ball of tears and no matter what I did I just wanted to cry more! I cried in front of my hubby and then in front of my extended family and friends because I couldn't hold it in. Did I really have a reason to cry? Stressed? Tired? Busy? Emotional? PMS? Could have been anything that started it... but it went from being stressed cause I wanted to finish everything, to upset because it was my late grandmothers birthday to upset because my To Do list (yes I will blog about that soon) is bigger than I want it to be.

I like to believe that I am not the only woman out there who has a crazy emotional side. My husband Jason gets worried sometimes because I can get so emotional, and sometimes about nothing.

I am just going to put it out there... and I really hope that if you do read this you will help me out. Am I the only woman out there who just gets crazy emotional can't stop crying sometimes? Also all you men out there how do you handle your wives, sisters, mothers and girlfriends when/if they can't stop crying for no reason?

Please help me out on this one....

Italian Mac & Cheese

Here is a little twist on an all time favorite. Italian Mac & Cheese includes cheese, pasta and meat sauce!

How to make Italian Mac & Cheese for 4:
1 pack of Cavatappi pasta
3 cups Tomato Meat Sauce
Grated Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
Boil the pasta and cook the meat sauce. Once the two are cooked mix them together and pre heat the oven to 350. Place half of the mixture in a corningware dish and spread the Mozzarella over. Pour the rest of the pasta and sauce on top and add another layer of cheese. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Once the cheese has melted the dish is ready! Happy Cookin!

A Good Marriage Needs Good Pizza

Last night I discovered something new and great about marriage.... Homemade Pizza! I decided late yesterday afternoon that I was going to attempt to make my own dough and then my own pizza! I used my mothers recipe that she got from my late grandmother.

My hubby Jason helped me out and was just as excited...especially when the dough actually rose! I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous but learning new things with your significant other is a very very beautiful thing! My first homemade pizza making experience was a successful one and I really do suggest you try to make your own! Would love to see the pics!

Sports! All of them !!! Almost!!!

Do you get tired of having to share your spouse with his favorite sport? I don't, I LOVE SPORTS! Almost all of them! Some kill me of boredom but I love most.

I wanna know, if as many of you out there love watching sports like I do. I never get upset if my husband is watching his sports (I use to, until I got into it, and until I realized : this is great, it keeps him busy for a while haha!)

I was so excited watching the last hockey game between Montreal and Washington that I can't wait for the next one.

What a fun couple's activity, especially when you invite other friends to watch the games with you.

I found this great site that teaches you men How To Get Your Wife to Like Football" I think you can use that same tactic for all the other sports!

Call me crazy but a little competition I think is good for a a marriage. If you're rooting for the same guy you've got something to celebrate together when they win! If you're not, the tension during the game can make for some great ... conversation after the game!

Go Habs Go!

Early Bird or Night Owl?

My husband and I need sleep in very different ways. Over the past little while my sleeping patterns have changed drastically. I feel that I need more sleep and that I am sleepy earlier. When I am getting tired at 11:00pm and ready for bed by 11:30pm, my husband is sitting down to watch a show or do some work on the computer. Meanwhile, I want to get up at 6am but he is still asleep at that point.

At night Jason is always wanting to watch a movie or show, or do something but I'm too tired.... In the morning I am hyper, happy, loud and waking up Jason in an annoying way because of it. Yikes!

What do you and your significant other do? Do you try to match up your sleeping times or do you just deal with being on opposite clocks? I have tried to force myself to stay up for Jason but I end up so exhausted.

Help me, I'm an exhausted Early Bird with a Night Owl for a husband!!

Oregano! A cooking must!

Oregano is the one herb that I always have. This herb works so well in so many different situations. Oregano's origin is from the Mediterranean and is used in many Greek, Italian and Spanish dishes. Oregano is a must in many Greek dishes, be it meat, fish or vegetables, oregano is perfect for a simple fast marinade.

The herb can be used either fresh or dried but beware the fresh herb, the taste is very strong! I have had my Greek Oregano plant for about 3 years. It's a perennial herb which means it can survive our winters. Throughout history oregano has for the treatment of colds, influenza, fevers, fungal infections, indigestion, stomach upsets, enteric parasites, and painful menstruation.

A quick simple marinate for meat would be oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper...mix together in a small bowl and marinate...I suggest you pick some up, it's cheap and adds a lot of flavor!

I SNOOZE!

This morning I wanted to share a funny story! So I always always have an alarm on cause there is always something to be done early! If its not work, its Saturday morning appointments or church on Sundays. My hubby HATES the sounds (the many sounds) of my alarms... First of all I have 2 of them to make sure I wake up and second I have this REAL bad habit of snoozing for at least 30 to 45 minutes. I've tried to wake up right away but I just can't help it! Does any one have the secret to being able to get up right at the sound of your alarm or even better, does any one have the secret to waking up on time with out the alarm??

Here is a hot product dates back to 2006 (the alarm technology that helps you wake up)

Check out how this alarm is sure to get you out of bed!

The Sfera Alarm Clock - scales new heights to wake you up

I thought this was awesome!

Have a great Saturday!!!

To Do List Part 2: You need a Due Date

Alright, the papers I have sitting everywhere are now all put on the separate To Do lists that I wrote about in my last blog.

Now the next big step is making sure we have due dates or time-lines to get the tasks done. Why do we need a To Do list with dates/times for each task? For many reasons, including the fact that if there is no deadline or set time we will do the task....it will never get done.

I don't know about you but after looking through all my loose papers I have realized how many things just live on my To Do lists. They have been things that I need to and would like to do for so long. So why are they still on my list? Because they do NOT have due dates.

Since we have separated our lists into: Today, This Week, This Month, Next 3 Months, etc etc, we are giving ourselves a due date to follow. So take your Today list for example. If you have 5 things on your list, jot down when you need to get those tasks done. This can be an exact time or a deadline to help you stick to getting it done.

Alright, I'm off to sleep which is the next thing on my To Do list tonight.

Next we learn how to make our To Do lists doable.

Weekly Dinner Planner

Planning your dinner for the week is one action that will save both time, stress and help eliminate that "What's for dinner" question! There are many things to consider when planning your meals for the week.

Things to consider when planning your meals:

• Nights where someone is working late
• Going out to the parents, friends or restaurant for dinner
• Wild Card Night (one night during the week you order out)
• Nights when you have time to cook and those you don't

What we do is each Sunday night we plan our meals for the week. We check what we have in the fridge and freezer and work with that. This way if there is a special meal you want to make you can see right away if you need to head to the grocery store. Most important is having your meal plan accessible. There are many tools you can use to record your meal plan, I find that Google Calendar is the best because you can access it from home or work.

Good luck and Happy Cookin!

Shoes Shoes Shoes!!!

Hey followers! I gotta apologize for having fallen off the planet for the last 2 weeks. I do miss sharing and caring with you all so I'm BACK!

I wanna talk to you guys about my most recent dilemma. So I had 4 shoes with me at the cash register and decided I can only leave with 2 (the ones ON SALE) so that my loving husband doesn't flip out (not that he would - better be safe than sorry) when he sees that I got 4 pairs of shoes in one outing.

I'm not one of these girls who have to buy a pair of shoes every time she goes to the mall, but I do know that for some of my newly wed friends this specific issue causes some tension at la house!

For some people, shoes make or break an outfit so the pairs start to pile up! I gotta be careful, the only pairs of shoes I can buy that fit me properly are the shoes at Nine West and those can get expensive. Nine West is the only place where they have many of my perfect little Cinderella size 5 1 /2. The shoes last me a good while and even with my heavy walking the heals dont give up on me too quickly! Gotta say I'm a big fan of Nine West!

I couldn't keep walking around in my winter /spring boots! I had to get a few new pairs. Right? What's your shoe collection like? Or better yet, for you men out there, tell me how you feel about your ladies collection.

Do you all agree with Forest Gump? Can you tell a lot about a person just by their shoes?

How many is too many?

A few weeks ago I mentioned Super women and how to organize our time as married working couple and possible kids in the future. So I'll get back to that as soon as I can figure it out what the married truth is about how to pull it all off!