Author: Annie

Yes. I am THAT She Devil. The original, shedevil at vix.com. You know: I am: mom, attorney, fathers' rights advocate Actually, I'm a lawyer -and- I play one on tv. Yep..that's me.

Our Awesome New Electric Snowblower!

It’s the first big snow of the season! I love living somewhere where we have seasons again! But it is true that removing snow from the sidewalk and driveway can be hard, especially with a bad back and hip. We only have a few major snowfalls every year, but now, when we do, we break out our awesome new electric snowblower!

The really cool thing about an electric snowblower – like an electric lawnmower – is that they are really lightweight, and easy to maneuver. It’s like vacuuming the snow!

All you need is the snowblower, and a loooong extension cord. We like to do our neighbour’s walk too, so we string together a few 50-foot outdoor extension cords, but most people could get away with just one.

The electric snowblower that we got is the Toro 1800 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Curve Snow Thrower (Model #38025).

We chose this snowblower because of both the wonderful reviews that it gets, and how easy it is to use. In fact, with our first big snow today, using it for the first time, not only was I zipping up and down the sidewalk in moments, throwing snow with wild abandon, but our 11-year-old son was as well. It’s that easy. Just plug it in, squeeze the handle on, and instantly become your neighbour’s favourite neighbor (just be sure to aim the snow flume away from their front door!)

And it is totally fun to use! To aim the snow in any direction you just turn the crank handle to rotate the periscope-like snow chute to an infinite number of positions from extreme left to forward to extreme right, and all positions in between.

Fun, and effective! What more could you ask, right?

Here’s what Toro says about it:


“Toro’s patented Power Curve System employs a unique, curved rotor and a funnel-shaped housing, in addition to wide rubber paddles that propel the machine forward and clean all the way down to the pavement. This technology lets you move more snow in less time, and it virtually eliminates clogging, so you can be confident that your snow thrower will be ready the next time a winter storm comes your way.

With a snow removal capacity of 700 pounds per minute, the Power Curve lets you clear four inches of snow off a 50-by-20-foot driveway in just 10 minutes. The machine’s clearing width of 18 inches means that you can clear most walkways with just one or two quick passes. And with a snow cut depth of 10 inches per pass, you won’t need to repeat work you’ve already done, unless you’re in the middle of a serious blizzard.”

toro-electric-snow-blower

We ordered ours from Amazon (see link below) and it qualifies for Prime shipping, so no tax and no shipping – yippee!

Here’s the link – you can read all the reviews there too:

Is Chyawanprash the Ayurvedic Fountain of Youth?

I was at the Indian grocers’ this week, and he turned me on to Chyawanprash (sometimes also called Chyavanaprasha, Chyavanaprash, Chyavanaprasam, Chyawanaprash, or Chyawanprash – none of which trip off the Western tongue lightly).

Now, before I go any further, I should explain that our Indian grocer isn’t just any Indian grocer. He is a classically trained Ayurvedic practitioner – his grandfather and his grandfather’s father passed down the Ayurvedic traditions to him. In fact, he is now in medical school here, so that he can practice here, blending his skills and knowledge. So when he recommends something as being Very Good for you, I tend to give it some credence.

In this case he not only recommended it – highly – but he suggested I Google it, which of course I did.

Wow.

Chyawanprash is a blend of more than 40 herb- and plant-based extracts. The brand that Raj carries is Dabur Chyawanprash, which he says is the best, and Google seems to bear that out.

The recipe is said to be more than 2000 years old. Legend has it that it was developed by a monk who was very old, and was then put in a position of having to marry a sweet young thing, and asked for a week to get ready. It is said that he then developed the Chyawanprash, and when they came back for him a week later, he was a much younger man.

Now, I don’t know that Chyawanprash is actually a fountain of youth, but I do know that it is chock full of some amazing things, with even more amazing properties.

According to the description from Dabur, “Dabur Chyawanprash is a powerful combination of over 40 herbs and plant extracts in a base of Amla (Indian Gooseberry fruit pulp). Dabur Chawanprash is derived from a 2500 year old ayurvedic formula. It is completely chemical-free, natural and safe. The first historically documented formula for Chyawanprash is found in the Charak Samhita, the ancient Ayurvedic treatise written by sage Charak in the 4th century BC. Prepared from more than 40 plants, fruits, roots, herbs and minerals in a base of amla fruit pulp, it works on the vital internal defense mechanism and increases body immunity.”

Chyawanprash is said to excel at helping one to build up immunity. Raj said this as well. In addition, it can boost energy, and aid in convalescence. And it’s extremely high in antioxidants.

Some of the ingredients include:

Amla – this is the Indian gooseberry, and is very rich in Vitamin C, pectin, and tannins. It is said to stop premature graying, encourage nail and hair growth, improves vision, nourish teeth and bones, cleanse the digestive system, and regulate blood sugar.

Ashwagandha – this is said to regulate body functions to aid in controlling stress and regulating immunity.

Pippali – said to aid, assist, and strengthen respitory functions.

Kesar – boosts energy and improves the skin.

Guduchi – provides mental and physical strength, and boosts the immune system.

Karkatsringi – aids in warding off coughs and colds.

Satavari – said to promote overall health and stamina, to improve mental function, and improve eyesight.

Bala / Vidarikand – said to boost strength and stamina.

These and 30 to 40 more herb and plant extracts make up Chyawanprash.

So let me tell you the two most surprising things I found out about Chyawanprash:

1. It tastes really good (Raj said that some people don’t like it). I found that it tasted kind of like a fruity cinnamon-y paste. It’s very thick – about as thick as organic peanut butter.

2. You can buy the very same thing from Amazon! As I said of the Lampe Berger – is there anything they don’t sell?? And the price is almost the same as I paid at my Indian grocers. So, you can check out Chyawanprash for yourself there, if you want!

Meanwhile, I’m taking mine every day! 🙂

Check out Chyawanprash at Amazon

Dabur Chyawanprash 1kg

The Holy Grail of Removing Cat Smell from Your House? Lampe Berger

I’m very excited – I just ordered a Lampe Berger (a/k/a Lamp Berger, Lampe Bergere, or Lamp Bergere), and have high hopes for it helping to remove the cat scent – you know, that distinct cat smell deposited by any unhappy cat – from the air in our house! For those of you wondering “What is a Lampe Berger?”, a Lampe Berger is a sort of an oil lamp with a unique distinction – it has a cataltic burner that is said to actually destroy odor, and purify the air, before dispensing the scent of the scented oil which it burns.

The Lampe Berger was developed more than 100 years ago by a French pharmaceutical chemist, Maurice Berger. Fans of the Lampe Berger, and the manufacturer itself, claims that it will remove and destroy many offensive odors, including pet odors, cigarette smoke, paint fumes, and many others.

After destroying the offensive odor (in this case offensive cat odor) it will put out the scent of whichever Lampe Berger scent oil you filled it with. Lampe Berger makes dozens of Lampe Berger oil scents – I ordered the “Atlantic Tide” which has notes of sandalwood, cedar and patchouli (doesn’t that sound yummy?!), but there are also such scents as Cinnamon Rolls, Ocean Breeze, and even Neutral (“for times when you want to lessen the impact of a scent or have no scent at all”).

I searched high and low to find this information and to find a place to order my Lampe Berger and some of the special Lampe Berger oil – had I only thought to look on Amazon first (is there anything that they don’t carry?!)

So check these out!

Lampe Berger-Wave Blue
Lampe Berger lamp
Wave style, Blue

Lampe Berger Ondine Lamp
Lampe Berger lamp
Ondine

Lampe Berger-Wave Frosted
Lampe Berger lamp
Wave style, Frosted

Lampe Berger Parfum De Maison - 33.8oz/1L Atlantic Tide
Lampe Berger oil
Atlantic Tide

Lampe Berger Parfum De Maison - 33.8oz/1L Cinnamon Rolls
Lampe Berger oil
Cinnamon Rolls

Lampe Berger Parfum De Maison - 33.8oz/1L Ocean Breeze
Lampe Berger oil
Ocean Breeze

Lampe Berger Neutral 1 Liter Fragrance
Lampe Berger oil
Neutral

You can check out all of the Lampe Berger Products at Amazon here.

Dog and Goats

Our dog loves and is fascinated by our goats. Unfortunately, they don’t share the love, and when he’s outside with them, Momma Goat tries to smash him to bits, in an effort to protect Baby Goat. Dog thinks it’s a big game and doesn’t realize the peril he’s in, so inside he stays when they are out, and vice versa (no, the goats don’t go in the house, although they do try at every opportunity! They go into their pen, which you see behind them.)

IMG00688.JPG

Bomb Her Womb from Your Huge Cannon!

Every once in a while, while I am scanning my spam folder, a subject so ridiculous – so preposterous – so laughable – catches my eye.

Such as this one:

“Bomb her womb from your huge cannon!”

My gosh – I’m hot now!

I mean…seriously, how many men actually think “I want to go bomb me some womb tonight!”

I’m pretty sure that the men who are actively trying to reach the womb of their loved one are not the same men who would think about the act as “bombing”.

Or am I wrong here?

At Last – a Dog Proof Garbage Can!

If you’ve ever had a dog that likes to get into the garbage, you know how frustrating (and dangerous) it is. And you also know how frustrating it is to try to find a dog-proof garbage can. In fact, there was only one dog-proof trash can on the market – and you had to (I kid you not) bolt it to the wall. And that dog proof garbage can cost $110.00 plus shipping. So I was thrilled to find this dog proof trash can which doesn’t need to be bolted to the wall, and which comes with free shipping from Amazon.

And which is on sale at Amazon right now for only $45.00!

Made by Simplehuman, this dog-proof garbage can features an easy to use slide lock which locks the lid in place. And, even though it’s a standard kitchen-size slim garbage can, it has wheels (pretty cool!)

Here’s a picture of it:

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It works perfectly.

We love ours. And our dog doesn’t. Nuff said.

You can buy the dog-proof garbage can here from Amazon.

U. S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Stages a Coup

According to a CNN breaking news update, it would appear that U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is staging a coup.

According to the CNN breaking news update, and I quote here:

— U.S. Treasury secretary announces plan to take over troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

—

An ambitious undertaking for an individual, to be sure. And probably the first coupe attempt in the U. S. since Alexander Haig infamously uttered the words “I’m in control” on March 30, 1981.

Sigh…why can’t copywriters..you know…write?

But to balance it all out..I was shocked to discover that Tori Spelling, of all people, writes surprisingly well! I picked up a copy of her sTORI Telling to read on the train, and was really pleasantly surprised at how well-written she is.