High Value Coupons from Johnson and Johnson

For those of you who love high value coupons...(no nickling and diming)
you can know that Johnson and johnson is one of the few companies that still snail mails high value coupons straight to your mail box at no charge. all you need to do is send them an email and include your snail mail address. You can request one set of coupons to be mailed to your home once per month.
Some examples of the brands that they carry coupons for are Neutrogena skin care products, and Bandaid first aid products.


For Canadians their contact page is
http://www.jnjcanada.com/explore-our-contacts

For Americans their contact page is

https://www.ccc-consumercarecenter.com/universal-contact-us/us-jnj-ucu/www.jnj.com

Happy couponing.

The Father Sees You Blessed

Those of you who have been happening upon my blog for a couple years have probably figured out that i am a christian. Therefore this post won't come as a surprise. There are times when I am more cerebral about what I write and then there are other times when I just write what comes to mind.....this is one of those days.

Today I just wanted to give a message from the Father's heart....as in God the Father....the father of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. As cliche as this may sound...the Father loves you. He sees all that you have done and He just wants you to know how impressed and touched He is with your trials and your struggles. He is encouraged to see that you have not given up, and that you have not given in to the peer pressure that surrounds you. Take heart this day and know that Jesus paid a very dear price to give you access to all that is Mine, the Father's.

Take heart and know that I still believe in you. Even when you yourself, are not too sure about the future and what it holds, I want you to be still and know that "I am God"...that I am not yelling at you. I am at peace and I want you to walk with me by the still waters of my love...trusting that I am present with you even in the midst of your trials and tribulations.

There will always be more growing to do...more maturing and stabilizing of your faith in Me, but I want you to never doubt my love and faithfulness to you. For you are my heart, my joy , my Son's crown and the reason for His Joy. The Supernatural strength that He is giving to you is from Me.
I am Joy, from Beyond and it is your Hope and your Future.

Know that I am in charge and that I mean you no harm. Those who despise you will not be able to
stop My plan from unfolding in your life. You are Mine, and I will not allow them to slow you down nor hinder your progress in My Kingdom. For I own the cattle upon a thousand hills and it is well with My Soul as well as with Yours.


Sit down today and know that all is right with Me, and because of this...all is right with you as well. You belong to Me, my sons and daughters, and I hold you close. You have chosen well to seclude yourself and be apart from those who chase fleeting things. I hold you close for a purpose. It is my Joy.

Believe and say "This is the day that the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it".
Peace.


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Yes, Fries from McDonald's in Canada Are Wheat Free

It seems like folks are hesitant to assign a "gluten free" label onto certain products, by the slim chance that something containing gluten bumps into that menu item while it is being prepared in restaurants. So I suppose the general idea is "Consumers beware and dine at your own risk".

If you are trying to live a gluten free lifestyle there are a limited number of choices for you if you are going to eat at fast food places in Ontario Canada. Almost every popular food item comes wrapped in a bun or wrap that has been made from wheat. Therefore, to find gluten free items, you usually have to select items that are not one of their mainstream popular meals.

One great exception is Wendy's which serves a great little gluten free snack known as their
"chili cheese nacho" dish. But again, if you have any other ingredients that you are allergic or sensitive to, you are going to want to do your own research. Call the toll free numbers for the places that you want to eat and see what you can find out. Don't be afraid to let your needs be known. The more requests that fast food places receive for gluten free foods, the more likely they are to carry more gluten free menu items.

As of my last conversation with McDonald's in Canada, it appears that there are currently at least three items that do not contain wheat which are the following:
French Fries
Chocolate sundaes
Hot Caramel Sundaes

If you want to find out more and do your own research....just check out their website:
McDonalds has a menu on their website called the "Nutrition Center" which has PDF files you can download to find out the precise ingredients of each menu item. Their website is located on the web at:

McDonalds Canada

Wendy's has a Section called Nutrition Landing which can be found at the following website:

Wendy's

Remember that restaurants don't want to accept the liability for guaranteeing that their foods are 100% gluten free, because they know that a mistake could be very costly. Use your licensed medical practitioner's advice in selecting the best and most nutritious foods. Also be aware that ingredient lists can change at a moment's notice, so be sure to check regularly to see if your favorite fast food outlet has changed the ingredients of your favorite foods. They will provide you with the ingredient lists if you request it.

Be bold yet courteous and may your food sensitivities or allergies not hinder you from living a full and abundant life.

Peace,
Carla

Btw, thanks for buying my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!




Disclaimer: This blog is intended for conversational purposes only. This blog is not intended to provide any medical or health advice. All medical and health related advice should be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. The author of this blog as well as the publisher accepts no liability for any of the ideas discussed in this blog post as well as any other blog posts contained within this blog.

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Success Strategies, Gurus, New Age and Idolatry

Yes, perhaps that is a much too heavy title for a simple blog post.
But somehow I want to convey something about all of those four things listed.

First of all, I just want to say out loud, that I love success, and I am determined and have been for many years to be increasingly successful. What I learn today is the foundation upon which I will build my tomorrow's school of thought.

But that being said.....  in my many years of studying success "gurus", success "strategists", and after having read a boat load of their books, I have come to a few firm convictions.

First of all, we all have to have the courage to throw out the teachings of folks which are simply promoting the opposite of what we value most. For example, when I was given the recordings of the teachings called "The Secret".... I listened patiently for a while and appreciated some of the teaching. But then the alarm bells started going off when I realized that there were some portions of the teaching which were completely opposite of what the Bible teaches about Heaven and Hell. Therefore, when friends or coworkers or clients talk about "The Secret" I can appreciate certain aspects of the principles being taught, but I can also say confidently that not everything that is taught in "The Secret" is scripturally accurate.

And so, I had a similar experience again this week, when I had received a reading suggestion from a blogger that I follow regularly. Therefore I leaped to the library to find a couple of the specific author's books to drag them home and begin to greedily consume the contents. But again, lo and behold, I found again more teachings that were blatantly idolatrous and against the teachings of Christianity. Big sigh....ugh....and disappointment.

I must say that I personally don't find any moral contradiction between studying the principles of success and I find it to be in keeping with my Christian values. However, when I, who am no expert, can easily discern when a teaching is not biblical, I know when I need to stop reading. With my faith in Jesus Christ,  my guard goes back up tall and strong and I have a personal recognition that when I can not trust a certain author to respect my christian world or life view.

The "New Age" has brought a refreshing hunger for ALL things spiritual. But just because a teaching is "spiritual" doesn't mean that it is biblically accurate or trustworthy. Well, you might be saying to yourself....how do we then know if a book or author or teaching is biblically accurate?  Well , my simple answer is this.....we all need to get regularly tanked up on the reading and speaking of the Holy Bible. Read the bible often, or listen to it on line or on your smart phone. Bible gateway has a great Audio Bible app that is free to download. When we fill up our brains with His word, we become more sensitive to be able to discern when something sounds off kilter. We become better able to guard our hearts and minds from false teachings and half-truths.

So, I am not going to recommend that you throw out all your "self help" or "success strategy" books or cd's or tapes. I  am just going to say, that you have the duty to yourself to not submit to every teaching that comes up on the radar as trendy or popular. Use your common sense, prayer and your own understanding of the Scriptures to glean the goodies from the baddies. Don't fall into the temptation to become a "book burner"
and don't become fearful of bookstores or audio teachings. Just pray and ask your Heavenly Father to honor your quest as you seek to learn more and become more. God wants to bring you success even more than you want to achieve it. Let's just not be so gullible as to fall for every spoken or written word that comes our way.

Peace and prosperity.
Carla



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Assessing Your Own Work

Yes,yes, as talented as we all are, there are times when we have to get frank...not Frank, but frank.... with ourselves and what we are trying to create.

Time to ask ourselves....is what we are making or writing or molding or painting or designing really good?
Better yet....is it good enough?

Well 'tis a tough question. Really.. are we qualified to even assess our own works?
Or is it smarter to hire an outsider with a critical eye to give us the real goods on our own work?

Well, as Ecclesiastes reminds us, there is a time and a season for every activity under the sun.
Therefore, I do recommend one thing, don't apply a critical eye to your own work when it is in it's infancy stages. Nobody criticizes a toddler for wobbling when he/she takes their first steps from the couch to the coffee table. Nobody argues with a baby for missing their mouth and smearing strained peas onto their cheeks the first time they handle a spoon.

Therefore, you must be gentle to yourself, especially if your work has not yet ripened to maturity. Perhaps you need to read one of my older posts "Your First Try Isn't Going to Be Your Best Work" and give yourself a break. You might, after all,  have the extra sensitive soul of an artist.
We don't take criticism lightly...in fact we are more likely to sob into our pillows for nights on end over one harsh comment. Even if our work is brilliant our hearts remain soft and vulnerable.....because that is simply what it takes to stay good at what we do. Crusty hard hearted folks are rarely creative and when they are, it comes out in vicious ugliness. Therefore learn to guard your sensitive creative soul. It thrives only when protected.

Let me just say rather mystically, that you yourself will know when you need to take a more critical look at your own work. Maybe the page views are down, maybe the online sales have stalled. Maybe your banker is not returning your calls. Time to take a second look.

On a final note, when you've bitten the bullet and decided it's time to assess the merits of your own work, don't be too harsh on yourself unless of course your ego can handle it. Be just honest enough to be able to make the changes that are going to usher in your newer better work. Give yourself that courage to make clever changes by allowing yourself to note what is no longer working and what can be let go of.

Some ambitions are temporary  occupations. Other ambitions deserve your years of faithful persistence and
determined efforts. But know the time and the season that you are in. Is it time to tweak your strategy? Is it time to acknowledge that you are actually a better artist than your family thinks you are?

Self assessments can go both ways. They can either convince you to stay the course and build momentum and stick-to-it-ive-ness....OR.....it can challenge you to accept that something you're doing was an unfortunate mistake in judgment and needs to be let go of. Have the strength to say a firm YES or an equally firm NO to yourself once in a while. Trust me, it's easier to hear it from yourself than from an outsider.

You be the judge. Your eyes and ears and heart will know what to say..

Peace.



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Update on Soylent

I blogged some months ago about the creation of a new
food replacement system named "Soylent" which was invented by Rob Rhinehart.
I'm still intrigued, but must admit I haven't yet tried it out.
Perhaps I'm waiting for it's big release into Canada.
That's the big new update. Soylent is going to soon be available in Canada according to the latest gossip.

So that's good.
There's something so wonderfully geeky and straight forward, to be able to cut out at least one meal a day and replace it with something chemically designed to replace all the major food groups.

Now, since I am a natural girl and prefer earthy whole foods, one might be thinking....why on earth would someone like me be attracted to a powdery chemically blended product such as Soylent?
Well, as much as I am a gluten free granola, organic, wild berry picking cotton wearing earth loving gal, I also happen to be a bit of science geek,and proudly so.

What is equally as interesting as the product Soylent, is the story of it's development by a twenty something start up who raised much of his over million bucks via crowdfunding online and started mixing it up
in a nondescript warehouse straight from the bags of supplies he ordered online. It is truly synonymous with every other geeky breakthrough in that the creator, Rob Rhinehart, just went ahead and did it, without waiting for permission and without asking everyone and their cousin for their approval of his grand idea.

Perhaps there's a wee bit of computer nerd in all of us, that prefers to chill infront of our laptops and sip a meal in a bottle instead of cooking up yet another uninspiring meal.

Well, nuff about me. What do y'all think about Soylent?
To glean more data straight from the horse's mouth click here straight to Soylent's website: http://www.soylent.me


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Living Gluten Free in Canada

Just wanted to chat today about what it's like to try to live gluten free in Canada. I'd appreciate it if you add your feedback. It is a national discussion....one whose parameters are expanding across many nation's lines and into mainstream culinary logistics.

All the best chefs are now very much aware that if they prepare some of their specialty dishes, that their guests may very well insist upon being served a gluten free rendition of their specialty. For all those in the culinary arts, it will pay off to be prepared in advance to serve your gluten-avoiding customers. Some customers will fall into the "gluten intolerant" category, which for me, means that consuming foods or beverages that contain gluten can cause digestive pain and discomfort but is not life threatening. But then there are the official "Celiacs" for whom the issue is a lot more crucial and can be life threatening.

If you are forming a restaurant of any kind or even a coffee shop, it will be in your best interests to have something completely sealed off and separate from your regular gluten containing menu items. Speaking from experience, I would rather eat something gluten free that has been commercially sealed in plastic and
is guaranteed to be gluten free, than something that folks "hope" is gluten free.

So what is it like to chase down a gluten free lifestyle in your home country? do you find it difficult....or inconvenient or embarrassing or too expensive?
I have found it to be all those things and more. But it is something that I have to deal with, and has become a part of my daily routine.

I do with that more fast food outlets had more gluten free menu items, as I am often on the go and don't want to have to sift through hundreds of choices before finally finding something that is gluten free. In Canada, Tim Hortons sells a great bowl of chili, that is gluten free. But sadly, Tim Hortons has discontinued selling the coconut macaroons that were their "claim to fame" in the gluten free world. Alas, not everyone likes coconut I presume.

I'm still waiting for KFC to produce a gluten free fried chicken option. Do you think my wish will come true?
Do tell!

Talk to you soon.
Carla

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Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.

Mindfulness? I Think It Depends on What is On Your Mind

Yes, yes I know it's trendy.... everyone and their cousins are preaching some "gospel" of mindfulness.
But hey it's supposed to be uncool to ask actually "What" we are supposed to be mindful of.

But let's get real ok? Mindfulness is a little bit sketchy. Some folks talk about mindfulness as the next great teaching tool. But I want to say it again....just WHAT are we supposed to be mindful of?

As a Christian, I find this mindfulness idea to be rather grievous to a Christian's mindset.
We are taught to have the mind of Christ....not to just simply be "mindful".

If your mind is full, what really is it full of?

If you want to renew your mind, it's time to get in deep up to your elbows into the good ole bible, not some new age wonky unclear mystical teaching.

If you can find "mindfulness" in the bible, then please send me the verse from scriptures into the comment section below. I'm all ears.....

Peace.



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There's Never Been A Better Time to Be a Writer.....

It used to be an exclusive club....something for college professors in corduroy blazers with fashionable patches on the elbows....to be able to say that they are an "author".

But the inner self of Indie Artists of today won't stay for that obligatory purgatory any more. They simply must write, in any form and fashion they want to....and write they will.

It's not that suddenly it has become ultra lucrative to be a writer, more so than before, it's just that the
opportunity to be heard in a multitude of different platforms has exploded.

Yes, after reading Stephen Baker's book "The Numerati" I realize that many of the content farms of the net, are simply being used by bigger forces to gather data, precious consumer and personal data that will be shaped and molded into something that can be sold to a bank or an ISP or credit card company.

But after all the worries about Big Brother fade away, there still remains my joyful conclusion
that it's simply the very best time in humanity to be a writer. Write on!

Choose any platform and choose your focus.... blog with Wordpress or Blogger, make elaborate Facebooks pages for your field, and carve out a niche with your Twitter account. If you are really obsessive about it, you might even start writing socially for Hub Pages, Helium or Bubblews.

The world is your oyster folks. Be discerning. Be discriminating. Let your platform reflect a part of what you want to say. But please don't ever be silent again. The human race is awakening..... awakening to the power of their own words .....and I for one, couldn't be happier.

Write on, dear friends....write on.




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Thank you for Your Patience...

Tis a time of changes, not huge changes, just little tweaks and nips and tucks so that my blog can better reflect what I'm celebrating. So, I appreciate your patience, dear readers, who have surfed the blog over the past couple weeks to find it arranged in a multitude of different formats and configurations.
By the way, if you have some suggestions as to your favorites, I'm all ears.
I'm trying to format the blog in such a way as to not only please the appearance on PC's but also on Mobile.
Wish me luck!

Carla



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Oh Lord, You're beautiful lyrics - Keith Green

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If any of you like Karaoke and you feel like worshipping...there's nothing that beats singing with the original Keith Green. Be blessed.

Carla

I Still Believe

I still believe in dreams. I hope when I am over 90 years young that I will still be toting that party line.
It isn't just a romantic notion for me, it is a part of who I am.

If folks give up on their dreams, they become a shell of who they were meant to be.
Sometimes church folk get too spooky about life and act like we have to lay down our dreams to God and just give them all up. But I don't agree with that philosophy.

I believe that God works through our dreams and then nips and tucks us so that we stay on track to serve Him. We don't have to throw out our ambitions just because we have received salvation in Jesus.

I not only want to achieve my own dreams and to bring them step by step into reality, but I also want to be that one who will be able to teach others how to do the same. The goals can be very very different, but that foundational structure of setting goals and then putting steps into place to achieve one's ultimate goals are universal and can be achieved by anyone. Same playbook....different goal.

I am grateful for the examples of many brilliant men and women who have shown through the example of their lives, that yes indeedy, dreams can still come true. I am not sure why there seems to be so few
female role models in the field of success and motivation. There are oodles of successful women....why do so few teach other women how to do so?

I have found that  most of my mentors have to be male, just because I can not find the ferocious few women who are capable of leading and teaching others to do what they have done.....except of course for Barbara Corcoran , the real estate tycoon/author.

How about you?
Looking forward to reading your comments in the section below.
Peace.





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Obtaining Funding For Your New Business

I was reading in Nov 10ths, 2014 edition of the Globe and Mail, about how Robert Rhinehart, the creator
of the "instant" meal powder named "Soylent"......how he raised up the capital to launch his venture.
One of his sources of capital came from using a site called.Tilt  .
I was amazed that he raised over a million dollars just through that site.

The new age of funding is certainly developing. From sites like Patreon for artists like me, and Tilt for business people, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly ambitious folks are bring their dreams to reality.

Would you consider using a crowdfunding site to launch your next creative venture? Or would you only consider it if the banks turn you down?
Looking forward to your input  in the comment section below.

Peace.

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Supporting Artists

Crowd funding seems to be one of the greater inventions of my generation.
It helped support the campaign that got President Obama elected and has also been the vehicle by which folks raise thousands and sometimes millions of dollars for other humans who have experienced a tragedy.

The whole paradigm shift in securing funding from a multitude of smaller donors at modest sums instead of
seeking out large chunks of cash from a few select and wealthy individuals is turning the industry of fund raising on it's head.

It is a welcome relief. When push comes to shove we really do want personal choices when it comes to who and what we support with our hard earned dollars. We want to support people and causes that we can relate to, and those that touch our hearts.

It's amazing what a click here and a link there can bring about in changing someone's life. Support for
quirky artists via the site Patreon is bringing much needed financial support to struggling artists around the globe.

Then of course, there are the folks who wind up gaining a windfall of cash for epically absurd adventures (such as making a potato salad) but hey a person can do whatever they want with their own money,.

I am thrilled that sites like Patreon exist, because it makes artists like me believe again in our dreams and hopes and ambitions.

Remember when that middle aged lady, Susan Boyle was discovered on Britain's Got Talent in 2009? Her voice turned her world upside down in one brief performance. That is the same concept that brings speedy rescue to struggling artists who post quick blurbs about their creative adventures on the crowd funding site called Patreon. If you are at all curious as what Patreon is all about, it's definitely worth a gander.

Be blessed and say creative.

Peace.

Patreon






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Marketing Your Products as an Artisan

So truth be told, I'm back on the market selling stuff I have made from earthy materials and up-cycling.

What are earthy materials? What is up-cycling.

Earthy materials are as raw as possible, and preferably not dyed or painted with any kind of toxic substance.
They are raw materials such as jute, cotton yard, soy bean based yarns, hemp string, fabric made from bamboo etc. They are usually bio-degradable. They blend in well with any kind of
"Back to Nature" theme.


So perhaps you are still wondering what up-cycling is.....Well, in my humble opinion, up-cycling is when you take a product that already exists that might be ready for recycling or the landfill, and you fashion it and rework it until it becomes something totally new, more valuable and precious. It is recycling with a moneyed twist.

For example, I have a fondness for gathering those ole wooden skids/pallets and hacking them up and using them for firewood. But I've noticed that some creative folks have taken to making incredible
household furniture out of these very same wooden skids/pallets. I've seen whole walls make out of them, along with every conceivable style of coffee table, bookshelf and even chairs. That is genuine up-cycling.

Have you ever up-cycled something? By the way, if you want to see how I've up-cycled some ole blue jeans
check out my Etsy page at  http://etsy.me/1xDNiWV
Carla's Etsy

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Lifestyle Hacker Ex·tra·or·di·naire

My heroes are bootstrappers in all their uncut glory. The more gritty and awkward their experience as they clawed their way from obscurity to success, the more I am compelled to read anything they've written or said.

To me, the most compelling part of an artist's life is the time before they rose to fame, how they survived and how they made a way through all the struggle and the folks who told them to give it up and get a real job.

Once folks reach that "slick" time when their shoes are now shiny and they don't worry about getting the electricity turned off...I kind of lose interest.

Success is kind of boring...it's too easy. It's that journey from invisibility to prominence that beguiles me and appears worthy of my study time. Once someone has become a best seller and they don't answer their own phones anymore, I am really not that interested.

Ok, so who are those folks who have fought their way to the top with sheer will power and a touch from God's grace? Folks like Tim Ferris...folks like Tony Robbins, folks like Alan Corey and Alanis Morissette and Annie Jean Brewer (aka Annienygma).
Nobody handed them their fame on a sweet silver platter. They dodged and weaved until their success was the only thing left chasing them.

So maybe some of you are gettin' tired of the chase. I want you to remember, that this is the best part. The rest is just boring smooth sailing. This rough and rugged terrain is going to be the most interesting part of your life story, the gravy that makes the mashed potatoes. You will look back on this time with great pride some day, knowing that you gave it your all, and in doing so....overcame the world.

Hang tight sisters. Keep the faith brothers.








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Ten for Ten-- Top 10 Tips to Make Cash

Tis sweet to be able to make a short and sweet announcement. I've published a new Kindle Book!
Woot woot. Way to get things done, Carla.

So if you're interested just type in Carla O in the search box of your local Amazon site and it'll lead you right to where the book is selling for your own country's Amazon site.
It's is published by Kindle. You can also download a free Kindle reader from the same site.
Enjoy and please do leave your review of the book on Amazon to spread the good news.
Peace.

Ten for Ten --Top 10 Tips to Make Cash



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