Pot Shop Pops Up

My hometown of Toronto has opened their first few public cannabis shops. By today’s post, I believe there are three shops now. There are a few towns/cities in the Greater Toronto Area that are not going to open any shops at all since their councilors have voted against having public cannabis shops open in their areas. Not only have some places banned public pot shops but they have also banned the public consumption of cannabis. It can only be used in private places/residences.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this at first. I live outside of the city so I have not had the opportunity to visit any shops. My cousin waited in line at the very first store to check it out. He told me it wasn’t too exciting or worth his time. He had this to say about his experience: there was nothing special about the store. Anything you wanted to buy was also offered on the official Ontario Cannabis Store www.ocs.ca, which is the only legal dispensary online in Ontario. So the only perk to going to the actual brick and mortar store was that A) you didn’t have to pay shipping and wait for your products and B) you didn’t have to have a credit card to make a purchase, like you would need for an online purchase. That really sums it up. Looks like I wasn’t missing out on anything.

I started to wonder, what was I really expecting in the pot shops? Why did I have that feeling of disappointment (as did my cousin)? Well, I gave this some thought. I’ve been hit with a bout of insomnia again so I have time to think. 🤪 I guess I was hoping these shops would be like wineries or breweries. In my fantasy, the stores would have their own strains that couldn’t be found anywhere else, along with some of the products found on OCS’ website. So far, this isn’t the case. Maybe it will be in the future but it hasn’t happened as of yet. 🤞🏻

I guess I’ll just keep my shopping habit to the online store. I try to order ahead of time so I’m not out of products. Going to a store that would take me several buses and trains to get to just doesn’t appeal to me (or to my funky, anxious unicorn). It’s just not worth my time and energy. Happy shopping!

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! The little minions and I were outside most of the afternoon doing the annual spring cleanup. The kids were amazed at all the new growth they saw and all the garbage. We had a winter season full of wrappers, plastic bags and newspapers stuck among our bushes and dead leaves. It was a great learning tool, especially today, to talk about the environment. They’re already very cautious about rubbish and littering. They are those kids who yell and point when someone drops garbage outside. Secretly, I’m proud of them. Outwardly, I’m turning pink and cringing.

So this afternoon, as they are off school today for Easter Monday, I had them working with me out in the sunshine. We were out with our pruning shears, raked and leaf bags. I seldom use garden gloves since I like the work done barehanded. There’s something so nurturing about it. I forced them to do the same. 😆 Apparently that makes me mean. Who knew? 😉 It was the first really nice day where we are and jackets and sweaters were not required, thankfully.

We enjoyed spending time outside. Neighbors whom we haven’t seen in months were now walking or biking by us. It was fun to wave or catch up a little on life. We saw tons of tree rats (squirrels) and even a woodpecker landed on the tree in front of us on the boulevard. Another teachable moment for the kids! Saving our planet helps these little guys survive. However, that lesson didn’t help the kids when they found worms. 🙄 I was happy to see them in the earth!

Another activity we did today was a little shopping. They got to choose one snack each for their lunch bags. They don’t usually do this so it was fun for them. While we were checking out, the kids even helped me pack up the grocery bags I brought. They actually enjoyed that too. Weird. I took this opportunity to talk to the kids about the plastic bags that we cleaned from our garden. They started, once, in a grocery store, just like the one we were in.

So that got my kids thinking. I think they might even have appreciated the reusable fabric bags that I lug around. I always keep a few in my trunk. I’ve been buying them (not all at once, mind you) from my consultant at Thirty-One Gifts. She usually lets me know when the ones I buy (Large Utility Tote, Essential Storage Tote, and Fresh Market Thermal) are on sale. I don’t care so much about the patterns all matching. I just like that they’re made well and durable. Some of the ones I’ve had are years old now! Check out her month sale. MyThirtyOne.ca/RandiM or Thirty-One Gifts

Happy Earth Day! 🌎 #EarthDay #NoMorePlasticBags #SaveOurPlanet #ToteAndPurseAddicts #ThirtyOneGifts

Cannabis Reviews

Since I am now more familiar with cannabis (both recreational and medical), I have started reading and writing reviews of the products I use or want to know more about. I’ve been using two websites lately to find out all that I can about what I plan to purchase. Cannabis is too important to my medical wellbeing, not to mention too expensive, to leave to chance. I want to be informed as much as possible.

I stumbled upon Lift & Co. and Leafly as two excellent sources for all things cannabis. They provide excellent information and reviews made by my peers on a vast number of products, strains and helpful education. I pretty much start my research on new strains with either (or both!) of these sites. They have a wealth of information. I’ve also used the reviews to help choose accessories or replacement parts. I highly recommend anyone who is using cannabis to do their research so they can find a product that’s right for them. #KnowledgeIsPower #CannabisEducation @Leafly @LiftAndCo

I have learned so much about the growing process, cannabinoids, terpenes, and health benefits. It amazes me how long cannabis has been used for medical purposes all over the world! Luckily, I live in a country that has legalized (and taxed!) cannabis. I haven’t replaced my medications for pain or mental health issues with cannabis, but maybe I will be able to somewhere down the road.

Cannabis use, for me, is still largely trial and error. I have to tweak things all the time to find the right dosage depending on what I’m feeling that day (or hour). Sometimes I find I have to even create my own hybrid strains by using two different strains in one vaporizer (that’s my delivery method of preference). Again, it’s trial and error for me and I’m sure it will continue to be for a very long time.

I know cannabis is not for everyone, hence one reason why I don’t talk about this with everyone around me. However, if it’s something you’re interested in trying, get as much information ahead of time as you can. #Its420Somewhere

In no way am I affiliated with or receive remuneration of any kind from Lift & Co. or Leafly, or any other company mentioned here.

Cannabis Labeling

So it’s finally happened! I’ve been complaining to anyone who wants to listen about the labels they have for medical and recreational cannabis. I’m in Canada and it’s legal to buy cannabis. I’ve been using it for over a year (medically prescribed). I’ve also been wrestling with the complicated labels they’ve made for the bottles. Whether it was dried flowers or oils, I was always confused as to what I should be looking for to treat my medical issues, anxiety and depression. I was so confused so I brought my questions to the counselor I was seeing for my prescription, but even he couldn’t explain it to me.

Let me back up for a bit. I’ve always been told to look at the Sativa or Indica portion of the label. Sativa is what I would want to stay active and alert/awake in the daytime. I would choose an Indica (referred to as ‘In da Couch’) if I wanted to get help with my insomnia as it would help me sleep. So that’s what I had been following. These were the wise words of my counselors and a plethora of cannabis bloggers.

Having started my cannabis journey a year and a half ago (started old in life), I was so confused to find labels that said Sativa but had a very high THC percentage. That didn’t seem right. 🤷‍♀️ Why would I take something that was high THC for daytime use (no driving for me!) so this made me very confused. I headed over to Google to find out what was going on. Again, I found a number of sites saying that I should focus my search for a useful cannabis strain based on the Sativa/Indica label. 😖

I brought my concern to my cannabis counselor who just echoed what the websites were telling me. In fact, he seemed more confused than I was! Eventually, I decided to continue my research. What I found was that Sativa and Indica referred to the plant itself. One grows in the northern hemisphere and the other in the Southern hemisphere. This basically describes where the plant grows and the physical characteristics. That’s about it.

So now that I’m armed with this knowledge, I know that for my own use, I need to look at the percentage of THC/CBD in the strain I’m interested in using. Then I received an email from Aphria, whom I use for my medical cannabis and oils. They have rebranded and changed the labels on their products to focus on the important aspect (THC/CBD ration and content) rather than the misleading Sativa/Indica label. Hallelujah! Looks like I was on to something! They are a large cannabis producer in Canada and are based in souther Ontario. I can only hope and assume that other cannabis producers will follow suit at some time. I totally feel vindicated!! 🙂 I hope this will make it easier for newbies and others to choose the best strains for their own situation. A little bit of education never hurt anyone. ☺️

(In no way am I affiliated with or am I receiving remuneration of any kind from Aphria).

I used to be enough

I used to be enough. I was a good enough employee. I was a good enough friend. I was a good enough daughter and sister. I was a good enough wife. I was a good enough mother. I was a good enough provider for the family. Now, I’m not really good enough. I just feel like I’m not good enough for anything at this point in my life. It seems like everything I try to do, it’s just not good enough.

This illness that has taken over my body and the one that has taken over my mind has wreaked havoc on everything and on every aspect of my life. I have no direction, no goals. It seems like everything I try to do, it becomes undone. Like self sabotage. Maybe it’s being undone subconsciously. I’m not sure. But one thing is absolutely certain: Depression and Anxiety, my dumbass unicorns, rob me of my happiness. They not only rob me of who I am and my future potential but they LIE to me!

My damn unicorns lie to me and I am 100% sure of that. The unicorns tell me I’m hopeless and helpless. They tell me I’m not good enough. They tell me that people don’t want to be near someone who has no drive and complains of pain all the time. They tell me to get over myself, that it’s all made up in my own mind. That I’m making this shit up. That I have a privileged life and should be grateful for what I have instead of making up issues or looking for problems that aren’t there. Plus, the unicorns say a million more things to me. Every. Single. Day. Damn, it’s no wonder that I’m tired all the time. I’m trying to fend off these unicorns every moment of the day. I’m tired just writing this. I don’t always believe in this myself. It’s hard and takes a lot of practice, self love and positive self talk. It’s an ongoing process and I don’t think there is a cure.

Before you give in to your own unicorns, I know it’s hard, but try to remember that unicorns lie. Don’t do anything rash. Get a coffee. Or hug. Or text a friend. Or call someone you love. Unicorns. Lie.

#SickNotWeak #UnicornsLie #MentalHealth #MentalHealthMatters

Dinners (or I’m Not Creative)

I am not a cook. I find cooking to be stressful and sometimes complicated. I’m not great at following recipes. I hate the mess that occurs from cooking. It’s like the world’s worst prize. Oh look! You made a wonderful meal for your family and to reward you, we would like to give you some cleaning! Blah. It’s just not for me. I’m not particularly good at it. I’m not very adventurous or creative (when it comes to figuring out what we should eat). But for some reason, I need to figure out how to keep my family fed. Since I am not rich, I can’t eat out/order in/hire a cook. Looks like I’m stuck cooking after all.

Last Valentine’s Day, my hubby bought me an Instant Pot. They were so popular at Christmas and so many friends on social media swear by them. They would post photos and recipes all the time. Once they figured out how to work the machine and could share recipes with me, I got one of my own! Now it’s not a magical Jetson’s style food-maker (much to my dismay). I still have to do all of the food preparation, which can be long and complicate. The pot just does the cooking, but quicker.

So I’ve been using my Instant Pot weekly for over a year now. I love it! I’ve pinned a ton of recipes and I’m in a couple FB groups where we share recipes. I made this Tuscan Chicken recipe on Tuesday for dinner and I have leftovers for tonight’s dinner. It was so yummy! Chicken was tender, the pasta cooked perfectly and it was so flavorful! Here is the link: https://sweetandsavorymeals.com/instant-pot-tuscan-chicken-pasta/ Enjoy the dish and let me know what you thought of it! 🤤

(I just wish recipe blogs wouldn’t go on and on for so long before the actual recipe is posted).

*I am in no way financially or otherwise being compensated by Instant Pot or Sweet & Savory Meals.

Consequences for Little Ones

This morning started off just like every other morning in my house. Chaos is the norm when I’m trying to get my little minions ready for school. It’s not easy when they both want me. At the SAME TIME. Arguments start. Yelling and crying follow. My headache is usually what occurs in the aftermath of the kid storm. I do admit that it wasn’t as bad as some mornings. I implemented a new reward system at home for the kids. It’s to help them become more independent and problem solve. When they do something without being asked, or they do something independently (like getting dressed, making their beds, hanging up their school bag, etc.) they get a sticker on their Positive Chart. Once they reach a certain threshold, they receive a prize. Pretty simple and effective in my house. My kids are 7 and 8 years old and appreciate the work it takes to get their prize.

So this morning, the argument before heading out to the school bus included name calling (it was actually pretty funny and I’m glad they didn’t see me smile!) and telling the other to ‘shut up’. In the grand scheme of things, it was pretty tame stuff. However, as a mom, I’m trying to show my kids that there are consequences for their actions and that they need to be responsible for their behaviour and words. Hence the reason for the consequence. Now you are probably wondering how severe the consequence was. Especially after ruining the day of two kids, right? Well, I removed a sticker from both kids’ charts. They were warned when this process started that stickers can be removed as consequences. I actually stuck to my word (I know, right?!) and followed through on this. Then the meltdowns began because both of them were in the prize zone.

By the time my daughter’s bus arrived, she and I had made up. She apologized for making the morning difficult and hoped that my day wasn’t ruined because of our spat. Awwwwwww. This was very mature of her (especially if I forget all that transpired before this apology). My son, however, was taking a different approach to the fight this morning. He felt that I unfairly punished him. He believes that he only shouted out in retaliation for the name that his sister called him. He is very rigid in his stance and I have a very upset little guy on my hands. He eventually blame ME for the start of this argument. Had I not made a comment that got this nasty ball rolling, he wouldn’t have needed to lash out at his sister since she wouldn’t have called him a name in the first place. (As a side note, he better be a lawyer when he grows up because he argues a lot and feels strongly about his beliefs).

So we get to the bus stop where my little one decides to walk away from me because he feels that he is being unfairly persecuted. By the time the bus comes, he still isn’t anywhere near our stop and won’t talk to me (or return to me when I call for him). It’s not the first time that this has occurred (shocking!) but it is just as exhausting. The bus comes and he starts to slowly walk back to the stop. The bus ends up waiting for him and his gloominess. His bus driver even starts to get out of the bus to help move it along. That’s when he picks up the pace, and his backpack, and climbs into the bus. I blow him kisses and tell him that I love him. He doesn’t even turn around to look at me through the window. Oh well. They’re both off to school now, I’m working in my office, and I wish their teachers lots of luck today!🤣#MomWin #GoodLuckTeachers #BadMoodKids #Freedom

(Unnecessary) Unicorn Worry

This morning, I had a lovely massage at a new place in town. My chiropractor was treating me last week for injuries and said that she couldn’t treat me properly because the muscles were sooooo tight that she was having trouble getting in to properly treat me. I was really not surprised in the least. I was having so much pain there and this was causing a terrible chain reaction in the rest of my body. To be honest, I was having a crap month since I last saw my chiro. Everything was hurting, nothing was alleviating the pain. My daily meds didn’t do anything. My cannabis was also barely helping me function. Even sleep, the one thing I can usually count on to help me, was letting me down. So, when I went back to my chiropractor for my monthly treatment, I was not even a little bit surprised to hear her say that.

After my session with the chiropractor was over, she told me to see a registered massage therapist. She said this might help with the muscles so that I’ll not only feel some relief, but by the time I see her again in May, I might be in a better place for her treatments. So fast forward a couple of days and I’m in to see the new RMT in town. The clinic was gorgeous and so calming. My RMT was very knowledgeable as she use to deal with MVA patients all the time. Once my magical massage session was complete, they told me that a health form was emailed to me and asked me to send it back to them once I complete it. I was also told to come back soon as she has a lot to work on with me. 😆Again, I’m not surprised!

I was going over the health form and it was like mindless work. I had to wrack my brain once or twice to remember when I’ve had specific injuries or surgeries they were asking about. Other than that, it was boring and quickly forgettable work. Then I stumble upon a question about unicorns. I literally froze and my fingers just hung above my keyboard. First off, it asked about ‘Mental Illness’ and ‘Mood Disorders’. Just reading that caused me to be taken aback. I just don’t like that term, mental illness. I don’t expect anyone else in the entire world to refer to mental illness as ‘unicorns’. Really, I don’t. I do, however, prefer to have it worded as ‘mental health issues’. In my opinion, it sounds less accusatory and more accepting. This could totally just be me. I was really shocked at my reaction to that wording and I’m not sure why.

Also, I needed to record what my ‘Mental Illness’ was on this health intake form. Again, I was shocked and wary. Why do they need information about my mental health issues? They are massaging me, what will they do with that information? Should I bother sharing that information? If it comes up in conversation with my massage therapist, then I would be happy to share with her. But on an intake form??? What if the system they use gets hacked and that information gets out?? What if someone shares the information with others? It’s a small town and I’m known to many of the citizens here (yes, one of those towns). My name is somewhat unique so if my name is mentioned, chances are that people will think of me when they hear it.

So my anxiety has sent up a red unicorn flag at this health intake form. I tried some deep breathing techniques, then hopped onto my blog to post about it. It was important enough to me to write about it. I’m still not 100% sure why this is bugging me so much, but it is. We are in 2019 where Canada celebrates Bell Let’s Talk Day to remove the veil and stigma that shroud unicorns. We are suppose to try to be more accepting of the invisible injuries that people have. It’s suppose to open dialogue and ‘normalize’ the issue of unicorns. Well, HA! People donate their time to re-posting images and posts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. They change their stories, frames and profile pictures to show they support unicorns. They wear this day proudly like a badge to show the world how tolerant they are. Yet, if I were to start talking to them during my mommy meet-ups or knitting circles (yes, you saw that right), then some may get squeamish and either change the subject or not participate in the discussion at all. I’m not convinced that we are all that tolerant and accepting of the unicorns people carry around with them. I, for one, won’t be broadcasting my struggles with unicorns. Even in this quasi-medical situation, I’m not really comfortable admitting my unicorns. And this just makes me so sad. It’s a part of who I am, like it or not. I have to manage it on a daily basis or else my unicorns will manage me. That’s a scary thought.

Although we might be heading in the right direction, at this point in time, we are still NOT all embracing and accepting of unicorns. Many people who carry them around are still purposely hiding the fact that they have mental health issues. Those who do speak out about their own unicorns might find that they are still not completely accepted. Let us continue to lower the shroud that hides mental health issues by talking about them more openly, just as we might discuss the flu or diabetes. (Yes, I am VERY aware of the fact that even though I implore people to talk openly about mental health issues, I refer to them as unicorns in this blog in an effort to ensure I don’t upset any readers – HYPOCRITE!

So on that note, I hope everyone has a great start to their week!

Mommy Groups

I am in a bazillion mommy groups on Facebook. I’m a pro at navigating them. The key to doing so is to never ever respond! You can write as many replies to posts in your head. You can laugh your butt off at the comments. But don’t reply. It’s as easy as that! If one doesn’t reply, one doesn’t open to gates to the piranha attacks! See? Simple!

If you’ve never been in a FB mommy group, let me explain what I mean about piranha attacks. Moms can be catty, judgmental and vicious. I’m being totally honest here. It’s so unfortunate that some moms get their kicks out of putting other moms down rather than supporting and building them up. You know the saying, it takes a village to raise a child? Well, some moms didn’t get that memo and instead think it’s a raiding village who plunders instead of supports. Sigh.

I know that evolution has taught women that resources are scarce and that they need to protect what’s theirs. I get it. I really do. I’m a mom of two little minions myself and I would do anything to protect them. But I also know the value of friendships and love. Despite the unicorns that I battle on a daily basis, I know that there are women who I can depend on if I need help fighting those one horned bastards. These women are in my corner and would drop everything in a moment to help me out. I know this because I would do the same for them. In a heartbeat.

I don’t mean to say that I’m perfect (no kidding!) but I have seen some terrible bullying in FB groups and I pray that I’ve never been involved in those mean comments. So to keep my nose clean from future trouble, I keep my trap shut. I make comments to myself and my husband, but that’s usually it. No use in adding to a vengeful group. I don’t want to be associated with that kind of negativity in the world. There’s enough negativity already out there. I also believe that you get what you put out into the universe. So, the moral of today’s story, kids, is be kind to each other and if you have nothing nice to say, then keep it to yourself and don’t post it online. 😊

I’ve also noted that it would seem women get most upset about things that they already feel vulnerable about. They body shame other women because they’re unhappy with their own appearance. They criticize other mothering techniques because they’re not so sure about their own skills. You get the picture. It doesn’t need to be this way but social media has exasperated this problem. It’s easy to hide behind a keyboard and sound off on others when you’re more or less anonymous. I have no suggestions on how to rectify this issue. Referring back to lessons of my childhood, where the golden rule was drilled into me by my family, just isn’t enough these days. Sadly, people say to others on social media what they probably wouldn’t say to them in person. This just isn’t right. There are days that I wish this technology would just disappear but then what would I do with the time I’m waiting in line to cash out while grocery shopping? 🤔

So the bottom line is, be nice to each other and if you can’t, keep it to yourself. If you still can’t do even that, don’t open yourself up to bullying by commenting in online mommy groups. 😆

Taboo Anyone? Welcome CBD!

I am a total product of the Say No to Drugs campaign. I grew up never having EVER smoked a cigarette or do any drugs. I am talking never, ever. Seriously. My mother was so proud! So when it was suggested that I try medical cannabis oil for my physical and mental health issues, I said ‘Oh helllllllll no’. I wasn’t going to fall for that line. Nope, not me. The issue was then dropped. It was suggested once again a little later, by my mother of all people. Again, I said ‘Are you freaking kidding me?!’ and once more, the subject was dropped. Finally, my amazing husband gently suggested (but this time he was backed by some scientific data and research), and once I looked at the info he presented, I decided to do my own research. That landed me in my family doctor’s office. We had an open and honest conversation about cannabis. She wasn’t a complete supporter of the idea as she didn’t feel enough long term research existed yet to make sure that I wouldn’t have any future issues down the road. I appreciated her honesty and concern but in the end, it was ultimately my decision to make. So I decided to try it out for a few months to see what cannabis would do for me. She sent me home with a prescription for it and off I went to a medical clinic to talk to another doctor about cannabis.

My initial consultation was fairly long. I had a long list of questions that I wanted to ask and the doctor was very accommodating. At the end of my visit, I had been set up with a local cannabis company. I would be able to purchase my cannabis online and have it delivered right to my door. I still felt weird about this entire situation. I hid the fact that I was taking cannabis from my family (most of them at least) and my friends. I didn’t want to discuss it or face their disapproval, especially if it didn’t work. This was a science experiment for me. I was going to get off of it at the end of my three month intro period if it wasn’t helping me. No use in upsetting people around me for no reason. 🙈

So here I was, with a prescription for high CBD oil for daytime use and high THC oil for nighttime use. I was semi-hopeful that the CBD oil that I was starting to use would help with my pain management. However, I was worried about the potential side effects. I started the CBD oils on the smallest dose possible. After not feeling much in the way of helpful effects, I kept increasing the dosage over time (doctor approved) until I started feeling some relief. I didn’t have much in the way of negative side effects. No dry eyes, dry mouth, or tiredness. It took those three months to figure out my dosage. I was using Aphria Rideau with it’s high CBD/low THC oil for daytime use. I did like the product, not so much the taste. I ended up buying veggie capsules to fill with the oil and take as a regular pill. It helped get rid of the taste. It took a little longer to start working so I would take it as soon as I woke up and was brushing my teeth, but it did last maybe half of the day. I would take a small dose in the late afternoon to get me through the rest of the day.

The high CBD does wonders for me. It’s not a cure and it’s not something that takes away the pain 100% of the time (or 100% of my pain, in any case), but it’s something that makes my days more bearable-ish. 😆The only downside I am finding to using Aphria is that they tend to run out of supply fairly often. At least I experienced this twice in my nine months with them and I didn’t find that acceptable. It was actually very annoying so I ended up changing supplier based on that primarily. I was worried when cannabis became legalized that this problem would just keep occurring and nobody should have to deal with that when it’s a form of medical therapy that they’re using.

*I, in no way, receive any compensation of any kind from Aphria.