When we moved into our small Canadian town two years ago, people told me that our that the water here is really good. I was happy because clean water for my family is very important to me.

We drink a lot of water in our house and we always drink from the filter on our fridge.

Then last month, my mom rented a cottage not too far from here in Elmvale, and the water at the cottage was not great for drinking so we had to bring our own. It so happened that my friend told me about an artesian well in the area that had the best water around. So I packed my jugs and headed up road to Elmvale.

When I got there, I found a lineup of cars waiting to fill up from the free-flowing (and free costing) faucet at the side of the road. As I waited and chatted to people in line, I found out a few things….

-people were driving from REALLY far away (up to 90min) to get this water
-the water came from 380 feet down and was tested every 3 months (the sign read ‘use at your own risk’)
-one man had been drinking the water since 1972, another since the early 90′s
-everyone I talked to was hooked on this pure, live water from deep beneath Elmvale
-the past 2 years had been spent fighting a dump that was to be placed nearby and the outcome was that no dump would be allowed and the spring was continue to serve surrounding communities.

Excited to try this wonderful water, I took my water jugs back to the cottage and gave it to my kids, mom, and husband. We all drank a lot of great water for two weeks. When our cottage week was over, I filled the jugs again and brought them home.

When we ran out and reverted back to our ‘filtered’ water, I could not believe how strong the chlorine smell was…and I hadn’t even noticed it before! I couldn’t drink it. I imagined my mom’s Toronto (filtered) tap water which I had never been able to drink. If my water was now too chlorinated for my tastes…what about hers?!? Yuck.

Luckily, my husband works with a friend who owns an inland fish hatchery that operates in a natural spring as well. We filled our jugs again–and once again we are back to drinking wonderfully pure, chemical free, slightly alkaline water.

Amid my ‘water’ adventures this summer, I also read two inspiring books about water:  “Water: For Health, Healing, and Life” and “Your body’s many cries for Water”. They explain how we are a chronically dehydrated population and how drinking chemical free, ph correct water is one of the best ways to have health and vitality, and can literally transform your health.

As we are all made up of over 70% water, and most of us drink coffee, tea, soda, or juice when we are thirsty (which either dehydrate you more or are just plain sugary)…the reality is that most of us are dehydrated and we don’t even know it.

By drinking enough good water every day, and replacing your caffeine/sugar drinks with water, you can literally change your health. From internal cleansing (obviously), to preventing all the degenerative diseases, as well as giving you beautiful, hydrated skin, the benefits of drinking sufficient water are astounding.

In fact, I have started another website deidicated to water to inform people of the importance to your health and to our planet of drinking good water (and eliminating plastic). The website will explain the different kinds of water, compare different home water systems, the benefits to your health of increasing your water intake, and how we can make a difference in our future water supply. (please be patient as I build the site little by little)

I believe that our individual health reflects the health of our planet as a whole. The more toxic it becomes, the more illness we are seeing.

The ‘floating dump’ of plastic out in the middle of the ocean, which is the SIZE OF TEXAS, is alarming. What kind of water will our children have? And our grandchildren?

We need to make immediate changes now to protect our planet’s water supply for our children’s sake in the future. By ‘going green’ in terms of the planet, and ‘going blue’ in terms of drinking more alkaline water, we can make simple but significant changes.

The ultimate ‘Pay It Forward’ experienced just happened to me and my family.

A couple of month ago, my son’s soon-to-be piano teacher, Bonnie, called and told me about a woman who was selling a piano that was in good condition. She knew was were using a keyboard and was keeping her eye out for us for a real piano.

Unfortunately, even though it was a great piano, the price was just a little too high–especially since my kids haven’t even started lessons and I am not sure how committed they are.

I forgot about the piano until about a month ago, when Bonnie called back and told me that the woman just wanted to get rid of the piano and was willing to give it to us for free if we could pick it up.

It was an immediate deal.

My husband and a couple friends picked up the piano and when they got it home, I saw that it was a beautiful 30 year old Heinzman in great shape. It just needed a tune.

The couple who gave it to us said they want to be invited to the recital, and that in the future when we upgrade, to give it to a family with kids wanting to learn to play the piano.

When my son woke up the morning after the piano arrived, he sat of the sofa and thought for a minute. Then he turned to me and said “Mom, now this really feels like a home.”

Needless to say, my kids can’t wait to start lessons in September. I have been teaching them a little myself, but am pleasantly surprised by how beautifully they ‘compose’ their own music.

I have a feeling we are going to have years of happiness out of this wonderful gift that has appeared in our life.

A number have people (moms in particular) have been asking me about how to make a website. So I thought I would talk a little bit about the pros and cons of using Ken Envoy’s Site Build it! which I recently purchased myself.

SiteBuildit! a great way to build a website for yourself or your business, but as with everything, there are few things you should know. Although many people are making profitable websites with Site Build it! it is not for everyone.

Here is a list of the main pros and cons of using Site Build it! to make your own website:

PROS

1. SBI is designed for non-tech people with little knowledge of website design. It teaches you everything you need as you go.

2. You learn how to optimize keywords and get found on the internet, which is the most important factor in any online business. It really doesn’t matter what your site looks like if  nobody is finding it. A large number of SBI sites are within the top 3% in google rankings because of how the owners use keywords.

3. The SBI course is taught at some major universities and has a highly credible reputation for getting results.

4. SBI teaches you how to monetize your passion. You can build a site on whatever you like and earn money online with it. It is a way to invest in both your personal growth and attain a useful skill without going back to school.

5. Like most companies these days, it has an affiliate program so you can recommend it to others and earn a little commission.

6. It is a simple, step by step program that guides through through the process of building, marketing, and monetizing a website… all in one place so that you don’t get overwhelmed and lose your focus.

7. It is cheaper than ‘doing it all yourself’ and there is a no question asked, money back guarantee.

CONS

1. You need to enjoy writing content (on a topic you enjoy). Every successful SBI website has a minimum of 50 good content pages. Extremely successful ones have over 100 pages. However, unlike a blog, you do not need to continuously keep posting articles forever. Once you have created a 100-200 page website, you are done. How long that will take depends on you. But once you are finished, your website will get traffic and earn money.

2.You need to be willing to spend time on your computer regularly while you learn and while you write content. On average, you can go through the action guide and get your website set up in about one month. After that, it is a matter of writing content on a regular basis. It is reasonable to assume you will start making profits in approximately 6 months after getting started. It can be done more quickly if you are a ‘super writer’ or more slowly if you have a full time job or kids. Realistically, you should invest a couple hours a day in the beginning and then about an hour a day until it’s completed.

In a nutshell, Site Build it! is a great way to create a passive form of income using the internet, but it does take time and effort. It is particularly good for stay at home moms, anyone with their own product to sell, network marketers, people with their own business who need a website, and anyone wanting to learn some useful and relevant internet skills.

For me, the biggest benefit has been the skills I have gained through it. What I am finding is that I am finally learning how to use keywords and search engine optimization to get found on the internet. If I had used these techniques when I started this blog, I would have saved myself a lot of time and money and had a much larger internet presence. Once my site is up and running, I can see myself teaching my kids how to do one of their own.

You can find out which Universities SBI is taught at and see their 12 week course by CLICKING HERE. (the 12 week course is separate from the “do-it-yourself” program they offer)

…or any living creature for that matter.

1. Aspartame

It’s a chemical. It is linked to all sorts of nasty stuff including cancer. I never have anything ‘diet’ in my house because it usually contains aspartame or another of the insanely unhealthy chemical sweeteners that our society is addicted to. The only powdered ‘sweetener’ that is truly safe is Xylitol. We often use honey, maple syrup, agave or xylitol to sweeten our food and they are yummy.

2. Food Colouring

Food colouring is another chemical that humans simply should not consume and has been directly linked to behavioral problems.  (duh!) It boggles my mind when I see what companies manufacture specifically for innocent children. There are others ways to ‘colour’ your food if you absolutely have to–and lots of fun, healthier decorations to top a cupcake. Shred some dark chocolate or add some gummie bears that have been coloured naturally (find them at health food stores). Get creative… mother nature is a very colourful being.

3. High fructose corn syrup

This is in almost everything and is really hard for our bodies to absorb. It is a very harmful ingredient causing inflammation of organs, weight gain, and contributes to our skin aging faster.

4. Margarine (and other products containing trans fats)

Butter is waaaaay healthier than margarine. It comes from a cow. Did you know that is you leave margarine out in nature, the bugs won’t even eat it? it comes from a factory….It’s not technically ‘food’ and is associated with all sorts of health related problems.

5. Refined White Sugar

White sugar is empty calories and contains absolutely no nutrients whatsoever. It can cause premature aging, digestive problems, and obesity, much like high fructose corn syrup. Do your kids a favour and teach them about alternative ways to get their sweet fix–like with fruit or even something sweetened with honey.

6. MSG (monosodium glutamate)

MSG is a flavour enhancer that can cause headaches and nausea when eaten. It has also been shown to destroy brain cells in mice. Yikes.

7. Soda Pop

In a hugely dehydrated population, soda pop is simply not good. Water is the best choice of beverage by far. By simply increasing the amount of water (even tap water) you drink, your body will respond amazingly–you will lose weight, have more energy, have better skin, and your insides will be cleaner. Give your kids the best health you can give them and teach them why so they can make good decision later.

8. Enriched or Bleached flour

The nutrients and fiber are stripped away when they removed the husks from wheat–the part that makes it brown. Sure, it may be prettier white but it is also empty calories. Look for 100% whole wheat… or even better: kamut, spelt or rye flour for a nutrient rich bread option.

9. Table Salt

Regular table salt adds up very quickly in our diets. It causes bloating, high blood pressure, heart disease, and make you thirsty. A good option is himalayan crystal salt–it is full if good minerals and is actually good for you. You may need a salt grinder but you it’s a small investment in your family’s health.

10. Sodium Nitrates/Nitrites

This colour enhancing preservative is potentially cancer causing and is the reason your meat is so nice and red–instead of a greyish colour like dead animals should be. Just check the label. It’s in a lot of stuff but my theory is if you follow the 80/20 rule and eat well 80% of the time, you will live a well balanced and healthy life.

Here is today’s quote from kabbalah.com, a site that my wise mother introduced to me:

Do you love what you do?  If no, then how can you find what you love to do?

Ask your soul for guidance. Your conscious mind may be confused, but beyond that, your true essence always knows where you really want to be.

Begin with a request:  ”Soul, reveal to me my true place in life.”

Today, repeat this request often to your deeper self. Be patient and the answer will come. It may be a feeling, a gut instinct, a thought, or an awareness. Trust what comes to you.

Sometimes our kids can teach us the greatest lessons if we take the time to observe them.

The other day as my kids walked out the front door on their way to school, my son did something that got me thinking all day.

He stopped and smelled the flowers.

“So what?” you may ask… but really it’s a big deal. It’s something we all should do more often.

So when Keenan, toting his big backpack, stopped and turned toward a blooming bush beside our walkway, closed his eyes, and took in the smell of one of the flowers, I watched. His world seemed to stop and I could tell by the smile on his face he was fully in the moment.

“How does it smell?” I asked

“It’s so beautiful.” He replied, and then turned and skipped down the driveway.

What a great start to the day.

Then, before I closed the door, I went out and took a sniff myself. And he was right.

As a proud mother I had to share this video of my son and his teammates, Robbie and Carter, winning first place for their beautiful team kata.

A few weeks ago, my mom gave me a book called Smart Women Finish Rich : 9 Steps to Achieving Financial Security and Funding Your Dreams (the Canadian Edition) by David Bach for my birthday. At first, I didn’t get too excited because…although I am smart (heehee) and WANT to finish rich… I didn’t think this book was going to really affect my life very much.