It’s final! This blog has officially now been moved to IdeaRabbit.ca, meaning this is the last post through this wordpress blog!! There is a new subscriber box for you to sign up. I’ve got lots of upcoming blog posts, so please check it out! Thanks!
This Blog is moving to IdeaRabbit.ca !!!
Sorry everyone for the delay in my blog posts! I certainly haven’t abandoned it! I have been busy trying to move all my posts to my new domain at idearabbit.ca
There’s a lot of technical issues, updating links for social media and configuring the site has been a bit time consuming. (which I will blog about the process later on) I’ve also created a new Facebook page, so please also check that out, and ‘Like’! 😀
All the posts from this old blog (the one you’re reading now) has been transferred to idearabbit.ca
I haven’t announced it yet though since there are still some backend setup and configurations that I’m working on.
I don’t want to announce and drive traffic to it when it’s not all ready.
So please update your bookmarks! Unfortunately, if you are a subscriber to idearabbit.wordpress.com (this old blog), then your email wont be transferred to the new blog automatically.
If you’d like to keep receiving notifications, please subscribe again. (however, I still haven’t gotten the email subscriber widget running on idearabbit.ca yet…so please wait a little longer…>_<
I will also announce on the new blog once the email subscriber is up and running)
I will post one last time again on this blog when I’m done and can officially announce that the new site is up and running. 🙂 I just didn’t want everyone to think that I had forgotten about this blog 😉
Stay tuned~ or already move to idearabbit.ca! 😀 Thanks!
Heart Month
Happy Valentine’s Day! 
February isn’t just a month for couples look forward to, or be dreaded by those of us who are single, or simply don’t care about the hype that the mass media creates. There’s something that everyone should be aware of – your heart. It’s important to know the risks that Canadians (both male and female) face since 9 in 10 will have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke. You definitely look at life in a different way when you do find out of a particular heart condition. But whether you have a condition or not, it’s essential to keep your heart healthy for a long and happy life.
Things to remember for a healthy heart:
- quit smoking (will be beneficial for you and those around you)
- exercise (if you have a heart condition, remember to talk with your doctor to see what kinds of exercises are right for you)
- eating a healthy balanced diet
- reduce stress levels (yoga is great!)
- go for regular checkups (a bit tough to do in Canada…hard to get hold of doctors here!)
There has been studies which showed that participants who had 270mg of magnesium daily had a 30% lower risk of stroke. (recommended daily does of magnesium is 280-500mg). You can get magnesium from eating spinach, nuts, yogurt, soybeans, bananas and much more.
Most people today are consuming two or even three times the recommended amount of salt. The Heart and Stroke Foundation suggests that Canadians use no more than 1 tsp (5 mL) of salt a day (2,300 mg). This includes salt that you actually sprinkle on your food to sodium in processed and packaged foods. Too much salt in the system can increase the amount of blood in the arteries, raising blood pressure and increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Reduce taking in too much salt by:
- cutting down on prepared and processed foods
- eating more fresh vegetables and fruit
- reduce the amount of salt you add while cooking/eating
- use other seasonings (ie. garlic, lemon juice and herbs instead)
Look for the Health Check™ symbol on foods.
Health Check is the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s food information program, based on Canada’s Food Guide.
Let’s keep our hearts happy! Love the heart!!
References from 24 Hours, Heart and Stroke Foundation, and Choices Newsletter
Meet Locals with Similar Interests through Meetup.com
Have you just moved to a new city? Want to meet the locals and make some friends trough a safe and friendly groups? Well, 
then try out Meetup.com It’s possibly the world’s largest network of local groups. Meetup.com makes it super easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one according to their interest. The site has 10.8 million monthly visitors, and 11.1 million members (though this number is somewhat biased since many are inactive), but with 2 million RSVPs, the website mission to connect the locals through social groups is working.
Check out if your city is part of Meetup.com – there are apparently 45,000 cities that host these Meetup events. For example, if you just moved to Montreal and want to improve your French, you might decide to join the French Meetup. You don’t have to be a newbie in a city to join a group. If you want to improve your photography skills, or have started taken interest in hiking, you can find those too. Regions do play a role in how many members or how active a group is. The Japanese Meetup in Vancouver has over 1000 members and have 2 regular events every month for the last 5 years with each one with 20 people or more. Go to Calgary, and there is less than 300 members with about 5 members sign up for each event – not a sufficient number to make good connections.
With so many things today being online, and connections only through the web, we’ve deprived ourselves from real socialization. This is a perfect opportunity to interact with real human beings once again – whether it’s to make new friends or for business purposes.
A lot of the Meetup groups are free to attend (unless specified for a special event, or if they charge a attendance fee per event – usually $1) This request for the small fee is usually to cover material costs and to have the Meetup.com group. The cost to run the groups on Meetup.com vary depending on the plan you choose: (all fees are in US Dollars)
- $12/month for 6 months (a single $72 charge)
- $15/month for 3 months (a single $45 charge)
- $19/month for the month-to-month billing option
With any of the above plans, organizers can run up to 3 Meetup Groups without any further costs.
Again, for Meetup members to attend, it doesn’t cost anything unless the organizers ask for any, so start joining! As far as I know, there aren’t any limits to how many groups you join, so let the fun begin! 😀
Clinique
Do you suffer from acne? Are you an adult, but still breakout like you’re a teenager? Tried everything on the market and frustrated that nothing ever seems to work? Well, then Clinique may be the answer for you.
I was introduced to Clinique by a guy who didn’t seem to be having that much skin problems. But he was trying everything on the shelf, so he knew way more than I did. I have been suffering from severe acne since I was 11 or so. I don’t know how many times I went to the doctors to get it treated. I tried all kinds of creams, but nothing ever worked. It wasn’t until I went to live in Japan that I was given some TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) which REALLY helped. I was super happy. I stopped taking them, but it didn’t get worse again and stabilized.
However, it didn’t mean that I was all free from acne. I still broke out, never as bad as before, but still. When I went on the one year of being on a strict healthy diet, I noticed that my acne significantly decreased. Since then, I’ve noticed that if I eat chocolate, sugar, buttery food, or chips, I break out – so I mainly avoid those foods as much as possible.
To help the skin from the outside, I now use Clinique. I started using the 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula $24.00 CAD and Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion $17.00 CAD. I wash my face with a gentle soap, then massage the scrub. I rinse and dry. Then I apply the Acne Solution with a cotton pad. After a week, I noticed that I was clearing up. I noticed that I didn’t break out as much. I was really satisfied.
Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion $17.00 CAD
7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula $24.00 CAD
When I bought the two items, they were doing a special at Hudson Bay where you got a free gift bag with samples inside. One of the samples was the Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator. I apply it at night around my eye and corner of my mouth to soften the wrinkles. I am hoping to buy the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel next time since my Mary Kay’s moisturizer is running out.
Free gift bag during promotion with creams, lipstick, eye shadows, mascara, etc.
The prices are pretty affordable compare to other competitors. And if you can buy when they’re giving out the free gift bags, bonus! What I like about Clinique is that they’re 100% fragrance free. That doesn’t mean that they smell like crap. I’m really sensitive to fragrance so this is good.
However, after talking about acne with one of my friend, she said that Clinique didn’t work for her. So I guess it doesn’t work for everyone. Before taking the leap into investing into Clinique, go to one of their booths in major department stores like Hudson Bay or Sears and ask for samples. They’re really good out handing samples out (on certain items though).
Good luck!
Glenmore Printing: Promotional Piece
Recently at work, we received a promotional piece from Glenmore Printing. I couldn’t resist to blog about it, so here it is.
It came in a cute little box with 4 circles with 1950s illustrations of people. which opened up with 4 square boxes – 2 red and 2 yellow. Each with a tea bag inside which was supplied by Secret Garden Tea Company. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try out the tea…
As you can see in the video they put together on how it was made (http://www.glenmoreprinting.com/packaging.php), the boxes were assembled by hand! Well, the boxes are really delicate, so I guess you would have to do them by hand.
I personally haven’t worked with Glemore, so I can’t really say about their service and print quality (other than the promotional piece), but if you need big print jobs, they are the printer to go to. Their website says they do custom printed paperboard, corrugated boxes, cartons & sleeves, large/small sized boxes or small, long run or short and much more.
“With full in house finishing, your packaging is printed and assembled locally under our roof to lower costs, improve turnaround times, and maintain high levels of quality. Our team of packaging experts can quickly provide you with a correct layout and printed samples to help you visualize your finished product.” – Glemore Printing
Website: http://www.glenmoreprinting.com/
Tel: 604.273.6323
Toll Free: 1.866.333.6323
Email: sales@glenmoreprinting.com
Address: Unit 150 – 13751 Mayfield Place, Richmond, B.C. V6V 2G9
Learn German from Girls4Teaching on Youtube
With my plans to go to Germany this summer, I have started trying to pick up some basic German…I’ve attempted learning some 
Italian, French and Korean before, all which never went very far…I found pronunciations in Italian easier than French. Grammar and sentence structure easier in Korean. French, neither. Now I find the grammar hardest in German. And such loooooong words! ‘Ninety-seven’ is siebenundneunzig. The word for ‘speed limit’ is Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung. Like I can pronounce or remember how to ever spell that! lol
Anyways, if you’re interested in learning some basic German, check out girls4teaching on Youtube
It’s really hard to find a good online learning method, but these videos are really great. The process is well thought out, visually interesting, as well as helpful in being able to read what the teacher says. There are some typos and errors in some videos which viewers have commented, but it’s not a big deal.
With learning any new language, it’s always a good idea to ‘hear’ the language’. The tone, intonation and pronunciation makes it key in being able to communicate better with natives. At the time of this blog post, there are #28 lessons by girls4teaching on German, so plenty of material to learn.
Hopefully, I can also blog about my trip to Germany in my Travel category. But for now, I must learn!!
Viel glück! (good luck!)
Goodbye Landline Phones + MSN Messenger, Hello Skype
How many of us still have landline phones? Those living in urban, modern cities probably only carry a cell now. If you’re not a business, then you’re likely out with school, work, eating out and socializing all day. You only come home to rest and sleep. It would be inconvenient for anyone to reach you through your home landline.
I got rid of mine 2 years ago. Strangely, it was a bit hard to let go at first. Growing up with landline phones, they seem to be more secure and cheaper for long distance calls. But that’s not the case anymore. With my unlimited minutes on my cell, I can call anyone for as long as I want. If I need to call any long distance number, I now use Skype. I used to buy those calling cards. They saved me a lot compared to being in a landline or cell plan for long distance since I didn’t call outside of the local area that much. Inconveniently, they usually lasted 6 months from the first time you activate the card. But with Skype calls, the savings are even greater and more convenient.
With Skype, you can chat, voice+video calls much like MSN messenger. If you purchase Skype credits, $14 increments as needed (active for 6 months) or opt for a monthly subscription that allows you to make unlimited calls for a flat rate. You can call most landlines and mobile phones, locally and around the globe. For the most part, the audio quality is pretty good. You can also receive and answer phone calls on Skype (you will need to get a Skype Number first but will help your caller have cheaper long distance rates). Download the Skype app on your mobile phone or tablet, and you call also make and receive calls from your device as well.
If you’ve been using MSN Messenger, you might have received an email saying that the Messenger will no longer be used after March, and all user should switch to Skype. For the longest time, I was a messenger user until I finally completely switched to Skype over an year ago. I kept both accounts, and they both had their pros and cons. But now messenger is telling us to switch to the competitor? Weird? Not at all. That’s because in October 2011, Microsoft bought Skype for 8.5 billion dollars. It’s they’re baby now.So goodbye to messenger…goodbye to landline phones in most people’s homes, and hello to Skype.No emergency calls with Skype
Shizenya
2 years ago, I changed my diet to avoiding canned foods, frozen/microwaable foods, processed snacks, alcohol, coffee, MSG and I wondered if I would be able to eat out again with friends. (at the time of writing this blog, I have since then started eating some these foods again at a moderate but less than before quantity)
I happened to pass by this small cute restaurant in downtown and was excited to see their sandwich board placed in front of their restaurant. Organic foods, no additives and MSG free! Most of the rice used in their dishes were ‘genmai’ or brown-rice (which is much healthier than regular white rice, much like how whole-grain bread is better than white bread).
The first time I went, I went with a bunch of friends for dinner. You’d think that being ‘organic’ and all that the prices would be outrageous. But it wasn’t! I ordered organic avocado roll (with genmai) $3.95 (8pc) and organic vegetable with chicken gyoza (dumplings) $5.25 (6pc). I thought it was really good, and felt healthy. 
The male guests weren’t too impressed though, describing the as tasting ‘too healthy’. LoL. I guess that means bland. But most of the ladies thought it was good. If you’re already eating healthy without MSG and use to the ‘natural’ taste of foods (as in you don’t use much sauce in your cooking), then I’m sure you will enjoy their dishes. 
And with a 94% on Urbanspoon, many agree that it’s a good restaurant!
I’ve been back many times, and the dishes have always been good!! The staff are Japanese, and is excellent service. The restaurant can get really hot and humid without any windows or ventilation…that’s only my issue…but not really a big complaint.
Check them out! They’re open Monday to Saturdays 11am-10pm – closed Sundays
Tatsu Japanese Bistro
Tatsu Japanese BistroIt’s convenietnly located along Commercial, just minutes from the Commercial/Broadway train station. I went there with a huge group (social group) of about 20 ppl. We nearly took over half the restaurant.
The Japanese servers were very friendly. The restaurant was very modern and had a good atmosphere. The menu was nicely designed. I really like restaurants (most of the time Asian restaurants) that use photos to show what the dishes will look like. This is always very helpful!
I ordered the Salmon Takaki Roll $8.95
It was really good. Other people at the table were also happy with their dishes. It seemed very healthy. Upon looking at their website, it was no surprise that we felt this ‘healthy-appeal’ with the dishes, they listed:
- We use wild sockeye salmon only.
- We use organic eggs and organic spring mixes.
- Brown rice, black rice, low sodium soy sauce or gluten free soy sauce is available.
Since I was there meeting friends and new people, I didn’t get a chance to really evaluate the restaurant and the food. But it was good, so I’ll be returning again for another closer look. Their menu looks very appetizing, so I’ll try something I usually don’t order next time! I recommend!!
Food Taste: 
Price for Value:
Atmosphere: Service:
Location:
idea rabbit 