The End of My Hard Knock Life

Annie closed on Saturday which means my life is officially mine again!! Thank you to all who came and watched, I truly appreciate your support. For those of you who couldn’t make it, here are some shots from the show, photos with some visitors as well as some backstage shenanigans.

I want to say a big thank you for everyone’s support on my Crohn’s Week Month posts. It has been great to share my story with all of you as well as the stories of so many others. Together we will continue to raise awareness of IBD.

In IBD awareness related news, I had also mentioned that I had some news to share… so here it goes! Remember when I did the Crohn’s Walk last year and raised more than $1700? This year I will be doing the walk as the Honorary Chair for the Toronto event!! (page not updated for the 2010 event yet)

I’m so thrilled to be a part of the planning committee and look forward to help raise more money and more awareness for this cause that is near and dear to my heart (and intestine…) As honorary chair I will not only be sitting on the committee, but also being a spokesperson for the event, doing local media and leading some of the proceedings on the day of. There will be lots of information about this amazing event in the coming months as well as some fun things on the blog to assist in my fundraising efforts, so stay tuned!!

Coming up in December on the blog…

• New activity chart – I need to get my butt back into gear so I will be printing off my chart (to be posted tomorrow) and COVERING it with stickers!
• Food picture catch up – I have been eating during Annie and want to share some yummy pictures with you
• “Doing it in December” (Or maybe a better name to come when my brain cells return…) I need to get my butt into gear this month and want to assist all you in doing the same. This week we’re going to talk about strategies for dealing with the people we may encounter over the holiday season, as well as tips for including the foods you love into your life! We need to achieve our 2009 goals!! I am going to set some new goals for this month and MAKE THEM HAPPEN!! Are you with me? Is there anything that you would like me to talk about that you require additional support with? Leave me a comment or send me an email and I will do my best to include it!
• The countdown to my new life – school starts in 38 days!!!

Annie was a lot of fun, but I truly feel a sense of relief when a show is over. It’s like a chapter in a book. You enjoy the beginning, middle and end, but you also recognize that it’s going to come to an end at some point. December is going to be a busy month and then I start rehearsal for the next one, so I’m going to do what I can before the cycle starts again!!

Sunday in the park with Crohn's

On Sunday I took part in my first Crohn's & Colitis Heel n Wheel a Thon in stunning Sunnybrook park. What an amazing day!

I have to say a big thank you to everyone who donated money (or bought cupcakes) because with your help I was able to raise $1,724.75!!! For someone who set their goal at $500, I think I did pretty well! I really can't thank everyone enough.

On Friday they had been calling for rain on Sunday, but I woke up to see nothing but blue skies and sunshine - hooray!

Lori offered to do the walk with me, and I was excited to have some company. (Joey was going to come along but it turned out that his band was playing in Sudbury on Saturday night). Lori has a personal connection with Crohn's & Colitis after being diagnosed quite a few years ago. She has been an amazing resource and support for me throughout my diagnosis and journey so it was quite special that she accompany me on the walk. .



Sunnybrook Park is absolutely beautiful! It was a really nice place for a walk. Since it's the Heel N Wheel a Thon, there were people walking, running, biking, and rollerblading. There weren't as many people as I thought there would be so it wasn't too crowded along the path (although I have to say that some of the people on bikes were a little grouchy...)


We were greeted with volunteers cheering as well as yummy watermelon & water along the way.

Here I am at the finish line!

Vitamin Water was handing out samples so I enjoyed the lemon version.




It was yummy and cold although rather sugary, so I'm not sure I would ever buy it. There was pizza and burgers as well, but I couldn't take part in those. Perhaps next year they would consider having some salad and fresh veggies available for those of us who can't have wheat or gluten? I stuck with a pecan larabar instead.


Lori and I decided that next year we are going to get a team together and I think that next year I will run it. It felt amazing to be taking part in this event and I look forward to doing it in years to come. Thanks again to everyone for their donations!! Watch out... next year I'm going to be setting an even bigger goal!!

Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons

(Quote - Ruth Ann Schabacker)

Have you entered my giveaway yet? Time is running out! You have the chance to win a Laptop Lunch or a fun "Ashley's choice" package. You have three chances to win - hop to it! Deadline is Sunday at 6:00 EST.

Speaking of giveaways... The wonderful Elisa at Diary of an Unlikely Housewife was celebrating her blogging anniversary too and I won!! I NEVER win anything so it was quite a pleasant surprise.

This beautiful fascinator is from Kerry at Ten Things. Be sure to check it out because it's full of fabulous accessories and pretty things!! I've been wearing more fascinators and headbands this year and I love them, so I was incredibly happy to add this one to my collection.Thank you Elisa and Kerry!!

I missed posting my WMR (Weekly Meal Recap) this weekend because I was super busy with Ashnaba!

Ashnaba is a group that I sing with and every year we perform in a concert full of eclectic tunes. They are a fantastic group of gals and I have far too much fun singing with them. Our concert was a great success and we even had t-shirts made for the occasion. We always provide refreshments after the show so I made my usual cupcakes and...

Veggiegirl almond fig blondies! They were soooo good. I made a couple of substitutions:

1/2 cup applesauce instead of yogurt
3/4 cup of agave instead of 1 c. sugar
1.5 cups of gluten free flour instead of 1.25 (to account for the extra liquid of the agave)

I loved them. They had a great flavor and texture and they weren't too heavy (like some gluten free baked goods I've had) I really enjoyed the crunch of the almonds and the sweetness of the figs. Joey even liked them, proclaiming "these don't even taste gluten free". One of our guests at the concert was so pleased that I had baked something that was gluten free because she has Celiac. I've come to realize that when you have a food allergy or condition, you come to expect that you'll have to make substitutions and in some cases you'll have to pass things up altogether, so I was quite happy that someone else could safely enjoy a baked good without having to worry about the ingredients.

I want to say thank you to everyone who responded to "What it means to be a part of Gen Y" post. I'm so happy to know that I'm not alone and it's interesting to realize that so many of us are in the same boat. We'll all paddle together and help one another out along the way.

Here are some food pics from the last week and a bit:

Coming up in the next little while...

• My last cooking class!! I'm so sad that this series is coming to an end but I'm so happy with all the recipes, lessons and friends I've made along the way. The last edition of "Making Love in the Kitchen" should be posted on Friday. The theme is Asian inspired & seaweed


• Another trip to the States! Lori and I are venturing across the border this week and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm calling it "Mission: Barney Butter"
  
  
• Boot Camp!! I start on Monday. Pray for me.


• The Heel n Wheel a Thon. To date I've raised $1724!! I would love to bring this total up to $2000. If you wish, you can help me get to it by making a donation here.


• My first public belly dancing performance! I've now been taking classes for a year and I still love it just as much as I did at my first class. I am thrilled at taking all I've learned and putting it up on stage for people!! Being on stage is so much fun for me and it will be great to be doing something different!

If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out my giveaway. Happy Wednesday!

How to raise $434.75 in 5 minutes

What a day!

I don't know that I've ever talked about my cake decorating hobby on this blog... In 2007 I took cake decorating classes at the phenomenal Bonnie Gordon school. I learned so much in 6 weeks!! Over the last few years I've been applying my skills in various cake endeavors including 2 wedding cakes and a variety of celebration cakes, including the monthly office birthday cake. It's at the point now where my coworkers are upset when I don't make the cake (and when I don't make it we get a Dufflet cake, so their love of the Ashley baked goods MUST be genuine!!)

When I sent out the first email about the bake sale, there was a lot of buzz and excitement around the office. People starting asking me questions about what I was making, confirming the date, asking if they could bring tupperware, so I started to think it could be a pretty successful event. One of my coworkers even offered to donate some of her baked goods which was so thoughtful!

The contenders:

Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla or nutella swiss meringue buttercream

Banana Split Cupcakes (banana cupcakes with SMBC, chocolate ganache, walnuts, sprinkles & a cherry for good measure - inspired by Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

Coconut Lime Cupcakes (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

Chocolate chip cookies, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, oatmeal cranberry cookies, chocolate chip oatmeal bars and coconut mud bars:

(I made Joey try everything as I was baking and decorating as the things I had made were not Ashley-friendly. I'm looking forward to trying some gluten free baking in the future, but for the sale I wanted to use tried and true recipes that I knew were going to be a hit! It also made portion control a lot easier in the kitchen!)

Everything laid out and ready to go at 10:50:

The bake sale started at 11:00. Here was the scene at 11:05:

My coworkers honestly mobbed the boardroom at 11:00 sharp. My boss took some pictures throughout and later showed me the chaos that ensued. I turned around to take money from people and I didn't see the table for 5 minutes, and when I looked back basically everything was gone. People were handing me money, giving me donations and telling me to keep the change. It was incredible!! I was so touched by their generosity and enthusiasm for the event and was met with praise and lovely comments all throughout the day. 

Their donations totaled $434.75 bringing my fundraising total to an amazing $1674.75 and there is still a month to go to the walk!!

My original fundraising goal was $500; never did I think that I could help to raise over $1600 with time to spare. I've been giddy all day and I'm so thankful to work in a such an amazing, friendly supportive environment. I feel so blessed!!

Support me in the Heel n Wheel a Thon

"I have learned, as a rule of thumb, never to ask whether you can do something. Say, instead, that you are doing it. Then fasten your seat belt. The most remarkable things follow.”

- Julia Cameron

As most of my readers know, I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease last November. It's been an interesting few months but I'm happy to finally know what has been causing me pain and problems for the last two years. Thank you to all of you who read my blog and email me to share your stories, provide suggestions and support. It has helped me tremendously. I feel very blessed to have a great doctor and naturopath who have been assisting me in figuring what I need to do to feel good as well as an amazing support system of family, friends, coworkers and readers who have helped me through this challenging time.

Crohn's Disease is part of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease family. Both Crohn's Disease and Colitis affect the digestive system and cause the intestinal tissue to become inflamed, form sores and bleed easily. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, fatigue and diarrhea. Crohn's disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus. Patches of inflammation occur, with healthy tissue between the diseased areas. The inflammation can extend through every layer of affected bowel tissue. Crohn's disease can not be cured by drugs or surgery, although either or both can help relieve symptoms. It's estimated that in Canada alone, there are more than 200,000 men and women who suffer from IBD.
This year I'll be walking in the Heel n Wheel a Thon to raise money to help find a cure. Please visit my page and make a donation. I look forward to whatever you can donate - everything counts! Last year these events across the country raised $1.8 million for research!

If you would like to learn more about Crohn's Disease you can visit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada's website.