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Pandemic Panic: "Communicate with family, friends and neighbours"

3/13/2020

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"Communicate with family, friends and neighbours"

This is the last step recommended for being prepared as an individual by the Canadian government for COVID-19. I figure social media is often how we communicate these days, particularly when many of us are working from home or live far away from one another.

"Share your plan with them, as this might motivate them to make their own."

Ok, I'm doing it! May it inspire you to do the same. :) So here's my plan & my supplies. Supplies first, cause that took days to track down. LOL

My Supplies
1. Soap
This is something I always have in stock. It's Dr. Bronner's soap, the unscented version. It's all-natural and concentrated, so it has to be diluted with water. So I'm set for soap. :)

2. Anti-Viral Disinfectant
I chose to get the same natural cleaner I usually get, Seventh Generation's Cleanwell products. I found and bought one of each of this type of cleaner. The cleaners contain Thymol. Here's my evidence for believing Thymol works:
  • I found a US government PDF that lists a Thymol based cleaner as a coronavirus disinfectant.
  • Seventh Generation says they've submitted an application to the EPA to be on the list of official products recommended, but they haven't heard back yet.
  • And Another Thymol product has issued a press release about their cleaner being effective against Coronavirus.

3. Toilet Paper
Yes, I got toilet paper, but not like a shopping cart full. LOL I got a package. Seemed reasonable to me. Wishing I had a bidet really. LOL

4. Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer (60% alcohol or higher)
Sadly, by the time I got to the stores there was none of this left, anywhere. I have a little bit left, but thought getting ingredients might be a good idea.

5. 70% & 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
This was also completely sold out by the time I got to the stores! I do have a little left, so I'll work with what I have until stores restock. From what I've read 70% is good for sanitizing & 99% can be used to make sanitizing solutions.

6. Aloe Vera Gel
Interestingly, even Aloe Vera gel was sold out many places I went to! I got something that was as pure as possible (98% aloe vera gel).

Note: If you choose to make your own hand sanitizer, should use 99% Isopropyl Alcohol + Aloe Vera Gel. You must include at least 60% alcohol and can go up to 72% alcohol in the mix.

7. Thyme Oil
I ran across Thyme oil at a store that sells essential oils and thought, yeah, why not? It's pure Thyme oil, or in other words, Thymol. Not diluted at all. I figure a drop of this in the homemade sanitizer won't hurt.

I also found a recipe for a sanitizing spray using Thyme oil, here it is:
  • 10-30 drops thyme essential oil
  • 1 oz. rubbing alcohol
  • 8-ounce spray bottle
Put thyme essential oil into an ounce of rubbing alcohol, shake it together, then fill the rest of an 8-ounce spray bottle with water.

I consider this kind of a last resort. I'd use the store-bought Thymol cleaners first or 70% alcohol, as I know those are proven to work. This recipe off the internet...hmmm...I don't know, but it's Thymol, so it should work.

8. Surgical Masks
I already had these in with my medical supplies. The general advice for the public is, if you have a cold, STAY HOME. If you must go out, for the love of all things, put on a surgical mask!

Rules for putting on a mask:
  • Wash your hands before!
  • Put surgical masks on with the blue side facing out. (It's waterproof on that side.)
  • Wash your hands before removing it & after you take it off. (Consider it contaminated.)

That's pretty much all the physical supplies. And people, buy what you need, but please don't overbuy! A few people stocking up does not help us all. Everyone needs basics.

It's already gotten to the point where Dentists in BC are having to cancel appointments because of surgical mask shortages!

And as I mentioned several items were not available anywhere, at any of the stores I visited & for some items that's been true for a while now.

My Plan
1. Washing Hands...more
I clean my hands a lot already. Anytime I come in from being outside, I wash my hands. Anytime I'm going to touch food, I wash my hands before. Just common sense, right?

2. Don't Touch Your face!
Seriously! This is one of the main transmission routes for any bacteria or virus. Your eyes, nose, mouth...so wash your hands before you touch your face! I already do this, just trying to be more conscious of it.

3. Namaste
Handshakes are definitely out these days. I'm kind of hoping we can all switch to Namaste. :)

4. Clean Your Phone
Really, it's one of those objects that gets dirty and you touch it a lot and you sometimes put it near your face. Clean it, often! Again, something I already do...

5.  Avoid Touching Surfaces
Elevator buttons, handles on doors, etc. Alternatives:
  • Gloves
  • Edges of Jackets
  • Paper Towels
  • Sanitize surface &/or clean hands after contact

6. Indoor/Outdoor Protocol
  • Shoes Off & Wash Hands
I ask people to remove shoes at the door and invite them to wash their hands after entering, particularly if they've been on public transit.
  • Outdoor Clothes
I hang outdoor coats in a closet. I also tend to change from outdoor clothes to indoors clothes when I get home. For visitors, I keep track of where they sit & if they've been on public transit, you can bet I'm cleaning a bit after they visit. :)

7. Avoid Crowded Places
Ok, this is new for me, but my friendly Canadian government says, if COVID-19 becomes common in your community, you will "want to have thought" about how to change your behaviours to reduce risk. I'm having thoughts...

Since we've now had at least one incident of "community transmission", I'd say the GVRD now qualifies as a community risk zone. In the Vancouver area, someone got COVID-19 and they have no idea where they got it or who they got it from, they didn't travel or have contact with anyone known to have it. I'm pretty sure it was a combination of that announcement, the first local death, and the WHO officially saying it was a pandemic that made everyone rush out to buy supplies at the stores this week.

So, the Canadian gov says your plan should include reducing exposure to crowded places. So here's my plan for that:
  • Working from home when/where possible.
  • Limiting social contact. I spend time with a small number of people rn.
  • Attempting to avoid peak times for stores. (I find this is getting hard, cause everyone seems to be doing this, so stores are busy off peak too.)
  • Keeping my distance from people physically, particularly if they're coughing, etc. Nothing personal, just avoid, get away. (But isn't this always true?)
  • Avoiding public transit. I've started avoiding public transit in general. Normally, I'd take Skytrain, but for now, my car is my friend.
  • Considering whether I want to attend social events. I attended one small social event, but I'm considering if I want to do the larger gathering and events I'd normally do this month.

8. Wellness
I know the government is suggesting having some food on hand & that's probably a good idea & I generally do. Here are some highlights of what's in my kitchen.
  • Powdered Bone Broth: Just add hot water for a basic broth, veggies &/or meat for soup, some egg for egg drop soup. Easy to use and versatile.
  • Canned Soup: I always try to keep a couple cans around. :)
  • Frozen Foods: My freezer is filled with fruits, vegetables, gluten-free bread, pre-made meals, lots of food...and that's the usual state of my freezer.

I guess this is a good place to mention supplements too.
  • Vitamins: I usually keep Vitamin C & a multi-vitamin in stock.
  • Spirulina: It's something I believe can be healthy based on the reading I've done, but you do need to be picky about brand, quality, purity. It's basically a supergreen food.
  • Quercetin: I choose to buy some based on this article. I understand the Quercetin I got probably isn't the same thing they're testing, but from what I've read it seems like a relatively safe supplement that's good for lots of things, including recovering from colds. My theory was probably won't hurt, might help, I'll get some! :)

I think eating well is important. You need to make sure you're taking care of yourself physically. I think the same is true mentally. You need to take care of yourself mentally too.

Make sure you educate yourself. Make sure you meditate, pray, relax. Sleep well. We need calm rational actions the most right now & acts of compassion. And belief does play a large role in how we feel and even how well our immune systems work!

So go ahead and read about The Extraordinary Decisions Facing Italian Doctors, but also make sure you read Coronavirus: Ten reasons why you ought not to panic. Both perspectives are important to have.

If you're looking for some light edutainment, I highly recommend "Cells At Work", which is on Netflix. I think now is a great time to watch it, cause you'll understand how the immune system works so much better. And it's cute. :)

#pandemicpanic #coronavirus #covid19 #makeaplan

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International Women's Day: Be a Lady They Said

3/8/2020

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I thought I would share the video, "Be a Lady They Said". I found it to be very powerful in speaking to the many contradictory expectations of women.
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Your New Dating Checklist: Early Warning Signs

9/28/2019

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I wanted to share this article about 9 very early signs of emotional and verbal abuse. I think it's a good list to look over and check if you see any of these warning signs, when you're dating someone new.
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Tomorrow, I'll be performing with Shimmy Mob. We're doing an extra performance this year, which is focused on raising awareness about emotional abuse.

It's a flash mob, so times are approximate:

Time: 11-11:15am
Lafarge Lake, Coquitlam, BC
Pinetree Way across from Douglas College.
We'll be performing in the bandshell on the North side of the lake.

Time: 11:45am
50 Queen's Street, Port Moody, BC
Between Spring street & Clark St.
We'll be performing beside the Aroma Indian Restaurant & Lounge.

From there we may continue to Queen's Park in New Westminster and maybe down to Vancouver as well.

If you're in the area, come see us perform. :)

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World Suicide Prevention Day

9/10/2019

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Today is World Suicide Prevention Day.

Close to 800,000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds.

S
uicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds globally.

Please take a minute to learn how to recognize the signs and what you can do to help!

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5 Minutes of Awareness to Help Save Lives: Please Read this PDF

5/8/2019

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This Saturday May 11 is World Bellydance Day & it's the day Shimmy Mob will be taking places in locations around the world with thousands of participants.

Shimmy Mob is an annual flash mob dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence.

It's an important topic, the statistics are still around 1 in 3 women & 1 in 7 men who have experienced domestic violence, and that's what's reported. I think everyone knows the numbers are higher, because people generally only report serious issues, and police and courts are often involved.

5 Minutes of Awareness to Help Save Lives
If you have just 5 minutes for this important topic, please read this PDF. The focus for this year's campaign is on awareness and learning to recognize the early signs of emotional abuse, as this often occurs before physical abuse...and domestic violence can be fatal, not everyone survives when the abuse becomes physical. So the idea is that everyone should learn to recognize the signs, so you can spot it if you encounter in your own life or see a friend or someone you know who is experiencing abuse. Awareness is key and the earlier signs can be recognized and the abuse can be stopped, the better.

If you have a bit more time and interest in this topic... Well, for one, come see us dance!

World Bellydance Day, Saturday May 11
This Saturday we're currently scheduled to perform at the following locations, subject to change, it is a "flash mob" afterall. :)

Tricities
  • Port Coquitlam: Shaughnessy St. in front of City Hall before the May Day parade begins (10am)
  • Port Moody: Rocky Point Park (~11am? Details to be confirmed)
  • Coquitlam (~12pm? To be confirmed, we don't even know where!)
Vancouver
  • Science World: Quebec St. (2pm)
  • Terry Fox Plaza: Beatty St. (To be confirmed)
  • Vancouver Public Library: 300 W. Georgia St. and 700 Homer St. block
  • Queen Elizabeth Theatre: 600 Hamilton St. block
  • Art Gallery: 800 Robson St. block
  • North Vancouver (To be confirmed)

For more information about abuse, here are a few good resources I ran across recently.

Why Domestic Violence Victims Don't Leave
Here's a good Ted talk video by Leslie Morgan Steiner sharing her experience with domestic violence  and talking about why people often stay with abusers. Leslie mentions at one point that she believed she "was a very strong woman in love with a deeply troubled man..." I think this is really important point to understand. Many women find themselves in abusive situations with men who are troubled, men who have suffered abuse, who struggle with mental health issues, who struggle with addiction issues... Women often stay because they love the person and they want to help them.

We all need to understand that being troubled or having a mental illness is NOT an excuse or a reason for abuse. If a partner is abusive towards you, regardless of whether they have a mental illness or not, they have no right to treat you in that manner.

Abuse and Mental Illness: Is There a Connection?
Here's a great article about abuse and mental illness. I love the reminder at the end: "You always deserve to have a healthy, loving, supportive, trusting and safe relationship 100% of the time." Yes! Everyone does!

Financial Abuse
This is one of the best descriptions I've seen of financial abuse, which isn't talked about very often. I like this article particularly because it talks about several forms financial abuse. Including the classic form where the abuser works, makes, and controls all the money forbidding the other person to work. And the form I've seen a surprising amount with high-achieving women who worked and made a good income, yet the abuser was manipulating and controlling finances, having them pay all of the bills, sometimes even taking on debt in their names!

I hope you found this post helpful and informative. I hope you will help us raise awareness about domestic violence. I feel this is an important enough topic that I'm personally taking part in the Shimmy Mob, despite recent injuries. And my company, Hourglass Heaven, is officially sponsoring the event as well. I feel this is a good cause and one that is definitely relevant to women, so as a female entrepreneur who makes women's clothing and my customers are women, I think this is a topic we can all support!

I hope you'll come join us on Saturday!

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Step Into Power: Femininity & Feminism

1/16/2019

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I'm happy to announce a new project I've started called Step Into Power. This workshop series is dedicated to increasing women's self-love and self-empowerment. We'll be offering our first workshop, Monday, January 28 from 7-9pm. Join us as we explore the concepts of Femininity & Feminism. Sliding scale, $5 min. RSVP on Eventbrite.
Image of hairy legs with pink ribbons from
Image from "Selfhelpful"
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Ghosting & Ending Relationships

12/1/2018

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I recently had someone I was chatting with online apologize for "ghosting" because they took a while to reply.

I thought, wow dude, no that's not ghosting. We've never met. We were just chatting online. My feeling is anyone where you've only chatted online, well, you have no idea who they really are. You've never met and they could be a dog, as in literally a profile made for someone's pet dog.
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(For the tl;dr crowd, here are the two links I urge you to check out about why ghosting sucks & how to end relationships.)
So here are the ghosting levels IMO.

Level 0 : The Cold Breeze
What I just described. You chat with someone online a bit and then they disappear and don't reply. It's level 0 cause yeah it's a bit lame, but life gets busy, maybe they changed their mind and aren't sure how to explain why, maybe they're concerned you'll get mad and mean if they turn you down, etc. The critical bit here is you haven't met. You don't know each other. You've just chatted online, so dropping contact is lame, but a pretty minor thing in the grand scheme of things.

This is modified somewhat by how long you've talked online and what you said. E.g. talking for months and saying "I love you"  is a lot more significant than just chatting lightly with someone. But, and this is a a big BUT, you should meet people fairly soon after chatting online if you want to get closer. Meeting in-person is really important to find out if you actually get along, if you're actually attracted to each other, etc. So it's best to do this early! Scientists and experts recommend meeting face-to-face within 1-3 weeks (7-21 days) of beginning to chat online.

Level 1 : Slightly Spooky
You chat with someone online, exchange info to make plans to meet, then they disappear. What? You've chatted enough to reach the point where you've both decided to meet in person. You've often exchanged some personal info at this point, like name, pics, phone number. You may have discussed a day and a place to meet. Then they disappear and don't reply. This is rude IMO. I think you should at least write something short saying you changed your mind, wish you the best, etc. It's quick, painless and you don't leave the other person wondering if you're some creepy stalker collecting photos and info.

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Level 2 : Minor Poltergeist Activity (aka The No Show)
You made plans to meet! The date and time and place are all set and you've both confirmed, then the actual date/time happens and they don't show up. I think this qualifies as some minor poltergeist activity. You've just inconvenienced someone and wasted their time. They bothered to show up for your dumb ass that is NOT there. Again, WTF? It's simple enough to send a message, at least 1 hour beforehand, saying sorry can't make it, changed mind, whatever and let the person know so they don't waste their time. Lots of people spend time getting ready, make-up, hair, choosing an outfit, etc. They put some effort into it. So if you don't plan to show, just let them know! Then they can do something more useful with their time.

Level 3 : Look, it's a Ghost!
You've actually met. You've become friends with the person. You've talked about becoming closer, whatever that is for you (relationship, sex, etc.). You've both expressed mutual interest and since you've met in real life, you know there's some substance to that. Then they disappear and don't reply...

Ok, this is a real ghost IMO. You've actually established some kind of relationship with the person. You've met IRL, probably more than once, you've probably known each other for weeks or months. You've talked enough to get into detail about what you want.

Again, if you've changed your mind or something came up, just talk to the person, preferably in real life. This is someone you actually met and established some kind of relationship with, some kind of emotional connection. So just talk to them. Yes, it does take a bit of effort. It's not as quick and painless as ending things early before you've met IRL. Still they deserve to know what happened. Much better than leaving them to wonder if your phone is broken or what?

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Level 4: Full-On Night Terrors
This is the worst level of ghosting. The one that hurts you both the most. This is someone who were actually involved in a relationship with, not just thinking about it or talking about it. Someone where you actually spent lots of time together, had sex, exchanged "I love you"s and all of that. Someone you've been involved with for months, maybe years. Someone you were close to and on good terms with, then they suddenly disappear and don't reply. Sometimes they may send a short text/email breakup first, other times nothing. Sometimes you may have a conversation IRL that gives a hint about what's coming, then they disappear.

I'm not talking about relationships where you clearly end things; where you talk things over, resolve things, and decide to go your separate ways and never talk to each other again. That's actual resolution! If you resolve things clearly, you can both move on and feel good, or at least ok, about that. And if you're clear about not wanting to maintain contact, then that sets a clear expectation that you won't talk, you won't try to remain friends...

Ghosting is far more nebulous ending. Where conversations are half-broken because you send a text and they don't reply. Then maybe they send something weeks or months later that doesn't really reply to what you wrote. Usually there's a lot of confusion about what went wrong, what happened, how people feel, cause you haven't had an open, honest conversation about those things.

I've had several experiences where we specifically agreed NOT to ghost on each other and talked about wanting to remain friends, only to have the person ghost on me anyway... :(

And it's often unclear if the person is going to stay a ghost or not. This is an unresolved relationship. So it's something you're both likely to think about later and you may reach out to each other again to resolve things, apologize, reconnect, maybe try to be friends...

Or the ghost may disappear completely, leaving the other person wondering what the hell happened, what went wrong, did I say something wrong, did I do something wrong... Or wondering if you fell off a cliff or have amnesia...

True story! I really did have someone drop out of contact with me for over 6 months and ignore my calls, only to find out later they were hit by a truck and had amnesia.

I know this level is the *most* challenging to face and resolve. Still it's important for BOTH of you.

Here are two links I want to share on this topic:
  1. The first is a great post explaining how ghosting sucks for everyone involved.
  2. The second is a short guide to how to end relationships in a reasonable way.

I've heard this is the season for break-ups, so if you plan to break-up with someone, please be kind and actually talk to them and resolve things.
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Cute Shoes, Earthing & the History of Houndstooth

8/24/2018

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This week's post is about health and fashion. :)

I've gotten lots of compliments on my cute shoes & I do think they're cute and they're special.

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They're a classic Houndstooth pattern. Houndstooth became associated with high-end fashion when De Pinna featured the pattern in a collection in 1933.

The shoes also have a special feature, they're designed to ground you to the earth.

If you haven't heard about earthing and some of the medical studies that have been done into this area, Dr. Laura Koniver, the Intution Physican, has a good list of studies and Wellness Mama has a good podcast interview with Dr. Libby Darnell talking about this topic too.

If you just stop to think about it though, it makes sense. Our bodies have electromagnetic fields. The planet has electromagnetic fields. Humans "people" the earth, this is where we developed. And humans spent a HUGE amount of time walking around barefoot or wearing simple shoes made of hides and other natural materials that ground you to the earth.

It's really only recently we started wearing shoes all the time and even more recently that shoes were mostly made of synthetic materials.

So go hug a tree &/or buy some cute shoes!

Pluggz is currently having a sale too. Up to 70% off, so it's the BEST time to buy stuff from them!


Note: I have no association with Pluggz or anything else mentioned above, I just like the shoes & wanted to share the info. :)
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