Tidbits From my Mind

Blogger, It's Been Great

2010-02-19T15:34:00.001-05:00

...but I've MOVED!!!!!

http://tidbitsfrommymind.wordpress.com/

Tidbits From My Mind is now on Wordpress!! Please change your links on your dashboards and continue to follow along my silly journey through life! :)

Random Thoughts For Thursday

2010-02-18T14:52:00.006-05:00

- Things are slowly coming together again on this little blog of mine - thank you for sticking with me! I've been having a hard time keeping up with my blogging this year for some reason. Perhaps I've taken on too many tasks that my mind just isn't up to it? I'm really not sure. I did know for a fact, that I was still unhappy with the look of this blog. Although changes have been made, I'm still not 100% happy with it. I think I might consider switching over to Wordpress with the goal to try and finally get the clean and simplified look that I want. Any thoughts on Wordpress vs. Blogger?

- Work has been dragging a lot lately... they say the recession is over, but I'm thinking that it's going to take a very long time before things are back to where they were business-wise. I'm not liking how slow it is still. On top of everything we're creeping up on inventory time. I have to come in to work Saturday morning for mandatory pre-inventory setup, then next week after working the whole week, we start counting at 4:30 Friday and work until about 9:30pm... then have to come in next Saturday as well!

- On a positive, C only has 3 more weeks of his internship left after this one. 3 WEEKS!! We are almost at that point that I thought would never come! I keep my fingers and toes crossed daily in hopes that his current employers realize what a great contribution he's made in his short internship and want to hire him on come March 12! The sooner he gets a job, the sooner he can move his butt in with moi! :)

- Not sure if any of you are following my running blog, but I'm happy to report that I hit a major milestone last night! I just completed my 6th week (of 9) of the Couch to 5K training program and ran for 25 minutes with NO walking! This is quite the feat since 6 weeks ago, I thought 2 minutes was tough. I am now only 5 minutes off of my first big goal.

- LL @ Home is off to a great start! The shop has been open for only 1 week and I already have 2 sales! Thank you so much!! I'm going to do my best to branch out and add new and different items asap.

Anyway, sorry for being sort of a Debbie Downer lately! I promise things will pick up once I'm through this dreaded inventory time at work.

Please Bear With Me

2010-02-17T15:01:00.004-05:00

Tidbits From My Mind is undergoing changes again... this time MAJOR changes!!! As in, I'm having issues fixing my formatting changes!!

Please bear with me! Hopefully I can get this all cleaned up soon.

New Beginnings!

2010-02-10T15:48:00.005-05:00

So.. remember at new years when I mentioned I had a goal of opening my very own Etsy store this year??? Well that time has come! As of today, LL @ Home officially has some goods for sale!

Logo courtesy of my incredible bf C

The store isn't 100% complete yet as C is still working on a banner, but I just couldn't wait to get the ball rolling! I am starting out this business with ceramic tile coaster sets. If I get a good response, I eventually want to branch out and include things like aprons, oven mitts, place mats, etc.

I'm really excited about this recent endeavour, so please do check it out and let me know what you think! :)

LLatHome.etsy.com

Edible Love

2010-02-08T09:12:00.002-05:00

What came out of my kitchen yesterday...

Yawn

2010-02-06T06:51:00.003-05:00

Good morning everyone!

I'm writing to you this morning from the comfort of my parents' couch this morning with the cutest golden retriever pup, Charlie, laying on my lap. I am here puppy-sitting so that my parents could attend a valentine's day dance last night. Although Charlie is a great puppy, I've never had to sleep with him, and damn! that boy moves around a lot during the night! Ugh.. I had a horrible sleep because I kept hearing him stretch and move in his crate thinking it was morning. He finally got me up at 6:10 LOL

At least I can't say that I didn't have enough time to get things done today!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

What's In Your Bag???

2010-02-04T20:38:00.004-05:00

A few of the lovely ladies on my blog roll did this post this week, so although my bag is a complete disaster - and usually is - I figured why not?!

I promised not to hide a thing... so here she is! ....along with all the crap I carry around with me every day.

So let's start with my lovely purple bag. :) I bought this baby from H&M a few years ago and love the fact that it fits tons of stuff! ..as you can see

On to what was/is in my bag... from the top left, let's work out way across. First we have my little portable drug store lol cramp meds, headache meds, allergy meds... my trusty coupon holder...coupons that have yet to go into my coupon holder...throat drops (from the last time I ws sick)...a stack of receipts....my camera (well camera case representing my camera)..yes that is 2 pairs of sunglasses you see - my crappy pair which I wear to ride in the spring/summer/fall (no idea why they're in my purse now), and my good pair which I wear day to day...2 pens...some mints..face lotion..deoderant..nail file..makeup stick..bandaid..tampon..cell phone..ipod..mittens..my favourite wallet..lipgloss pouch (I took out my blistex and 2 lip glosses to show)..and last but not least, my tusty keys!! :)

Hahaha yes, I carry a lot of crap around. I admit it.

So... what's in your bag?

Sometimes Coffee Is All I Need

2010-02-02T08:55:00.003-05:00

...McDonald's coffee that is.

If I had my way, I would start each and every day with a cup of this delicious drink. Sadly, my bank account and lifestyle just can't handle it. I tend to drink either white or green tea in my travel mug every morning at work, and every afternoon at work. On the weekends, I treat myself to some coffee at home when I wake up, but that's it. I've loved McDonald's coffee for the past few years now - since they changed their brew - but only seem to get it on special occasions.

I kind of had a bad day yesterday, mostly for hormonal/emotional reasons, and went to bed thinking to myself - I need to cheer up! And what better way to do that, but to leave a little early for work and go treat myself to a McDonald's coffee.

That's exactly what I did this morning. The moment I left my house this morning I felt just.. happier! I felt completely out of place marching into Walmart (where the closest McD's is) all dressed up in my 3 inch heels and work attire, while people were literally shopping in their pyjamas!!! SERIOUSLY!! But that didn't matter. I had my coffee.

I'm nursing this cup now, wishing I got an XL instead of a M... but at least i got some, right?

I am now in a happy state of mind and am looking forward to powering through this day.

Happy groundhog day everyone!!! (yes... they saw their shadows.. but can we really complain? this winter has been pretty rockin so far!)

Dear John

2010-02-01T14:24:00.005-05:00

I'm not going to lie, I am a complete sucker when it comes to romance movies/stories. The older I get, the more they just pull me in and consume me. I can't help it.

Last week, when watching one of my usual shows, probably The Biggest Loser or something, I had the pleasure of seeing a short trailer for the movie "Dear John". From the very moment, the trailer began, I knew it was a movie I would have to see. I couldn't wait for the movie though to know more about the story and found myself without even realizing it, quickly going to amazon to see if there was a book, and to my luck - there was/is! At least I know that I'm not the only crazy woman out there as within a day, amazon's stock had been depleted and their website stated there would be a 1-2 week delivery. I couldn't wait that long, so Saturday I made a point to go to my local Chapters with hopes that they would have a copy left for me. I was in luck!

I got home around 4:30 Saturday afternoon and immediately found myself curling up on the couch with my new book. Even though I was currently part way through "The Girls", I just couldn't wait and had to start reading "Dear John" right then and there. I honestly only put the book down to eat and sleep, and then to do my barn work Sunday morning. Last night in bed, with a tear in my eye, I finished "Dear John". I read the book basically in a day and loved every single word, on every single page.

I warned C last night that I'm going to have to go and see this movie when it gets to the theaters. He said that he would take me. I have the best bf ever!

I Think I Almost Just Passed Out

2010-01-28T19:50:00.003-05:00

So, I just received an email from my all-time favourite band, Our Lady Peace, containing the following set of teaser vids...

This spring, OLP are embarking on a historic tour where they will play two of their most epic albums, "Clumsy" and "Spiritual Machines", in their entirety during 2 nights. I am lucky enough to hold a pair of tickets to their "Clumsy" show on March 12 and honestly am bursting with excitement! Now that these teasers have been released, I can't contain this excitement any longer!!!

To make things even better... also the reason I almost passed out, I just heard an interview with OLP front man, Raine Maida, saying that there's a very good chance that 2010 will be another year of new music! Not only are OLP working on releasing another album this year (hasn't even been a year since their last new one!! excited!!!!!!), BUT... Raine is also planning on releasing another solo album this year!!!

Phew! I need to take a little breath here!! Someone pinch me!!

The Magical Moulin Rouge

2010-01-27T10:43:00.003-05:00

Umm excuse me? Where has this movie been all my life?????

I don't know why, but before last Friday, I had actually never seen this movie before. Me! The one who absolutely loves musicals! Musical shows, theater, movies! I honestly can't say why I never watched it before, but oh my am I ever glad I did! It's never too late, right?

Moulin Rouge has always held a place high up on C's favourite movie list and we've talked about watching it before, but never really found the time to actually put it in. Last Friday we were both tired from a long week and decided it was the perfect time to snuggle up and put this movie in. Knowing my love for musicals, C figured I would love it and boy did I ever!!!

I remember him telling me as the movie started that the first 15 minutes or so could be weird and it seems to throw a lot of people off from the entire movie. I think I almost completely blanked him out at that point because the moment the movie began I was hook! I didn't want it to end! The music! The sounds! The colours! The scenery! The VOICES!!! Wow! I honestly never realized how good Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGreggor's voices are!

I have this odd little knack when it comes to hearing/seeing new albums/movies that I absolutely love. The love kind of turns into a mild obsession for a few weeks. I don't know why, and I can't explain it, but it happens every time. Moulin Rouge was brought into my life last Friday and I have not been able to stop listening to my favourite songs on the soundtracks over, and over, and over! (thankfully C has both soundtracks as well) I have even asked C to bring the movie over to my place tonight so I can watch it again this weekend. I am in love!

...so do you think I'm crazy yet???

Thinking Positive and Moving On

2010-01-26T10:38:00.005-05:00

I am back and my mind is racing with ideas!

Some of you might have noticed that I had gone on a little hiatus from this blog over the past couple of weeks. There has been some personal issues that I had to deal with which I just didn't really feel like broadcasting on here. Through the help of some great friends, I have worked through my issues and am now thinking much clearer and trying to promise myself to look towards the positive in all situations! Life's too short to be down on yourself right?

Along with these personal issues, I've been having trouble figuring out where this blog should lead in 2010 considering my new goals and aspirations. I don't want to lose readership by any means, however I don't think I should ever be struggling about what I should be writing about - all while thinking if readers would like it. I had promised myself when I started this blog that I would just write about whatever I felt like at any given day. No pressure. So this year, expect to see many more pictures of cupcakes, posts about etsy, and really anything else I can think of. ;)

Now that I am in a more positive frame of mind, I have decided that it is the perfect time for me to start moving forward and acting on all of my ideas that I have for my potential Etsy store.

...I also just realized, that I've mentioned Etsy a few times here without explaining it. And maybe not everyone knows what Etsy is. So for those of you who are finding yourself stuck with this look of confusion on your face, Etsy is an online world where people buy and sell all things homemade. If you've never ventured over, I definitely recommend it.

Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes. Positive thinking and moving forward with an Etsy store! I've been wanting to open up my own store for a while now and ideas have been flowing constantly. I just haven't really gotten myself to the point where I was ready to start acting on these ideas and getting things done! I mean, I didn't want to open it up and only have 1 or 2 items to sell. I wanted the unveiling to be amazing with several different lines of things to sell! After some thinking though, I realized that some times my ideas are a little too large for this particular point in time. I'm certainly not abandoning my ultimate goal AT ALL. On the contrary!

I have decided that this weekend, I am going to work on beginning to attain this ultimate goal. I've got to start somewhere right? So why not start small? I've begun to make ceramic coasters which I think are pretty darn cute! They're stylish, and they'd make an amazing gift for someone! I considered posting pictures, but I want the Etsy store to be a surprise for everyone. I'm pretty proud of what I've accomplished so far, and don't want to share it until I know it's 100% ready. So, if all goes as planned, I should hopefully have several sets finished on the weekend and get this thing started!

Only have one tiny issue that I'm trying to work out right now.... I need a name for my store! I'm so bad at choosing names for things! You'd have no idea how long it took me to even think of "Tidbits From My Mind". Do any of you have suggestions??? I'm 100% serious here!

From My Kitchen

2010-01-26T10:32:00.002-05:00

The latest cupcake creation to come out of my lovely little kitchen. My icing skills are slowly improving each time!

Chocolate with key lime frosting

I Can Always Dream .. Right?

2010-01-21T09:12:00.004-05:00

It's the dead of winter, everyone around me is either already away on vacation, or is going to be leaving very soon. Everyone but me. I was crazy enough to buy a house at 23 allowing me to never have enough money to ever go on any sort of actual vacation. I've never actually been anywhere during my 26 years aside from going to Disney World twice as a kid, and LA once when I was 16. I've lived a pretty sheltered life in that aspect, but boy do I have dreams.

As much as I would love to vacation in a warm sunny spot during the winter, like many Canadians do, I would pass up that opportunity in a heart beat if it meant I could save for my dream vacation.

If I had the choice to go absolutely anywhere in the whole world, my choice would be Rome.

To those of you who are new readers to this blog and might not know, I received my Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Classical Studies -- which in basic terms is Greek and Roman art/architecture/literature/history. Although everything about ancient Greek history is amazing, I really found myself drawn towards everything Roman during my 4 years of university.

Absolutely everything about Ancient Roman history interested me and within my last 2 years of school, I found myself completely immersed in that world all while day dreaming about the moment when I would actually be able to physically immerse myself into everything Roman. I honestly am having trouble putting my feelings for Rome into words to write this blog post. The ancient Roman people were a brilliant group of artists/engineers/architects. It still completely blows my mind that so many of the structures such as buildings, aqueducts, arches, etc. are still standing over 2000 years later! You can't even find more recently built structures standing even close to that long. The Romans were geniuses in their own rights and should always be recognized for that.

After my first class in Ancient Roman Art and Architecture, I knew that I had to go to Rome. I have been dreaming about that vacation ever since and to this day, it still remains my number one MUST-GO-TO place. I constantly find myself dreaming of the moment where I can plant my feet within to Roman Forum. Standing on ground that was once walked on by the likes of Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, Augustus! Wow! I must sound like a HUGE nerd in this post, but the passion I have for this is intense! I remember when I was writing my thesis on Augustus' role in Roman art and architecture, I made a pact to myself that I would one day visit every landmark that I learned about and wrote about. It will absolutely make my life to be able to see everything built be the Ancient Romans in person. It would be incredible to actually get a true sense of the sheer size of everything, but most importantly to walk on the same streets as so many great people.

One day I shall go to Rome!

So now I pose a question to you all, I'd love to hear your answers!

If you could go absolutely anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

The Friday Night Knitting Club: A Review

2010-01-18T09:34:00.002-05:00

I think I picked up this book for the first time back in November. ..... WOW this one took me a while to read! I'm not going to lie, for some reason it took me a while to really get into this book. I really don't like starting to read something and then just dropping it, so I kept giving it a chance until finally last week, I got a point where I really did want to keep reading. Once I really started to feel an attachment to the characters, I found myself not wanting to put it down no matter how tired I was! This past Saturday, I picked the book up with about 1/3 left to go and about 2 hours later, I had the thing finished!

Looking back, I really did enjoy this book. I think the only reason it took me so long to get into it was that I decided to start reading it right before the busy holiday season. I was so busy through November and December that I found it really hard to just sit down and read. I know this is so, because when I really had the chance to immerse myself in this book, it was wonderful! Kate Jacobs tells a wonderful story about how women from different walks of life are able to be brought together through a common interest - knitting. These women manage to bind together through good times and bad and overall the story is really uplifting. It actually made me a little jealous wishing I had a group of women like that around here who have my back!

This book was definitely not what I expected when I first started reading, and I'm really glad I didn't give up on it. All in all, a great book.

Haiti Is In My Thoughts

2010-01-15T16:15:00.004-05:00

..and I did what I could do to help and donated $20 to the Canadian Red Cross. It's not much, but every little bit counts right?

I just can't comprehend all of the devastation over there right now from the earth quake and the fact that there are still people vacationing in the Dominican Republic only 600 miles away! One of my coworkers has a trip booked for the Dominican in 2 weeks and according to his travel agent, everything is still good to go! Personally, I just would not feel right vacationing so close to all of the death and destruction. Actually, I wouldn't feel right vacationing in the Dominican ever considering even before the earth quake, Haiti was considered a 3rd world nation. Something just doesn't seem right about sitting on the beach holidaying on one end of an island while millions are suffering on the other end.

My heart and soul goes out to all of the people of Haiti, and any readers who's friends/family are over there.

I only wish I could do more.

Lemon Bells

2010-01-14T10:51:00.003-05:00

I received a phone call last night from my brother - something that is a rare occasion. We had a really good chat about my running plans and ideas flew through out minds about potential races we could do together including the famous CN Tower Climb. After a nice 15 minute chat, he said there was a reason for his call. That reason: he asked me if I would be a part of his wedding party - as a grooms 'lady'! I am so excited! I had felt a little down lately knowing I wouldn't be in the bridal party since his fiancee has 3 sisters. I just never expected him to ask me to stand up with him. I can't wait!

Why the lemons? They had decided right from the start that the theme of their wedding will be lemon water. I am so interested to see how everything is going to unfold. Looking forward to July 3rd!

Tasty Treats

2010-01-14T10:38:00.003-05:00

My second attempt at cupcake making was a great success! This recipe turned out absolutely perfect! Anyone want to buy a batch? ;)

Lemon Coconut cupcakes with a Lemon Cream Cheese frosting

Cooling waiting to be iced...

The finished product

Sudden Urges To...

2010-01-12T15:29:00.003-05:00

Redecorate/rearrange!

I don't know why...

I can't explain...

But last night I got a sudden urge to rearrange my bedroom tonight. So in order to take care of this urge, I am planning on doing a good overhaul of my room later on tonight (after 8pm) when I finally get home from my day at work, and ride at the farm.

This isn't the first time I've gotten a sudden urge to redecorate. These sorts of urges happen to me from time to time and they have been happening to me since my teenage years! And I really just can't explain why they happen. It's like at a certain moment in time, I just can't stand how things look anymore and just must do something about it. Look at my kitchen makeover! I had some sort of epiphany one particular day that it must be changed, and 5 days later it was complete! I really don't know what gets into me. I think I might just be a tad craaaazy!

Please tell me I'm not the only crazy one!

Sleeping In Is Overrated

2010-01-09T07:22:00.002-05:00

Like the majority of people out there, I used to always look forward to the weekends mostly so that I could take advantage of the opportunity to sleep in. During my high school years, I was never really one for sleeping in much. But come time for university, many late nights resulted in my sleeping in regularly until almost noon! I was so stressed and tired with the school work load, and of course did my share of partying during those four years, so the extra sleep was more than welcome. Once I had been in the work world for a year, and moved into my own home by myself, the hours of extra sleep diminished naturally, but I still found myself looking forward to the weekend for that extra sleep.

One month ago, I started my second little job of taking care of cleaning the barn where I board my horse every Sunday morning. The owners of the farm gave me the option to come and to the work basically whenever I wanted during the course of the morning. I didn't want to waste my entire day for a few hours of work, so I figured the easiest thing to do would be to stay on my usual work schedule - get up with my alarm and get to the farm for 8am, just like I do for my full time job. This new job left me with only one day where I could possibly sleep in. After some thought, I realized, the best thing for me and my body would be to just leave my alarm on 7 days a week and just take advantage of having the opportunity for a lazy Saturday morning.

This is the 5th Saturday that I've gotten up with my alarm and you know what? I'm actually really liking this early wake up! I'm writing this while all cozy on the couch, coffee in hand, as I watch it gradually get lighter outside. I've already got one load of laundry in the dryer, and after one more cup of coffee, I'll be ready to get on with my day! The best part about it, is that I'll be ready to get going before 9am! 6 weeks earlier, I was still just barely dragging myself out of bed around that time! It's amazing the kind of day you can have when you actually have a whole entire day to do whatever you like! I really honestly think that I am always going to try and get up early because even the extremely quiet downtime that I am having right now is so incredible after a long week at the office. I much prefer being able to enjoy it while actually being conscious!

Are you one who sleeps in all the time on weekends, but then finds that there's no time to get things accomplished? I highly recommend staying on your normal weekday schedule and see what happens!

To Shop, Or Not To Shop

2010-01-07T08:43:00.002-05:00

How much does customer service REALLY matter to you?

I really started to think about this yesterday as I went out to purchase a new pair of running shoes.

Earlier in the week, I went to check out what SportChek had in terms of selection and most importantly, sales. Upon visiting, I noticed that they had a very large selection which would give me many choices to get a pair of shoes I wanted. However, the only 'sale' they seemed to have in terms of running shoes was buy one, get one 50% off. At first glance, this might sound fine and dandy, but realistically, who needs 2 pairs of shoes!?! Especially when they go for approximately $120 a pair! Now on to my customer service point --- I was in that store for a good 10 minutes looking at the shoes, picking up pairs to examine them, etc. not ONE SINGLE EMPLOYEE came to ask me if I had a question, or if I needed help. Not ONE. It was at that moment when I decided to abandon my quest of purchasing shoes from this particular store.

Yesterday afternoon, I was reminded that our local mall also contains a Foot Locker, so that's where I headed at 5:00 when I left the office. Honestly, customer service wasn't even really on my mind, I was just hoping to find shoes on sale! Luckily, the customer service was phenomenal and they had me sold at hello! (lol corny, but I couldn't not write that) I was looking at the shoe wall for a couple of minutes and the exact moment I picked one up to give it a better look, an employee was right there asking if I needed any help. He put up with me looking for my size of many different shoes (I have teeny tiny shoes and stores rarely have my size). They unfortunately didn't have my size, but he was quick to offer to check online to see if he could order me a pair while the sale was still running. They had one left in my size and I purchased them on the spot!

Walking out of the mall with a smile on my face, I realized customer service really does make a huge difference in our shopping experiences. If I'm ever at the point where I have the money to even pay full price on something and if SportChek has a sale at that time, I can honestly say, I'll be going to Foot Locker again. They have made a good impression on me and I will never forget that.

What do you guys think? Are there any stores out there you avoid due to poor customer service? Any you shop at no matter what due to great service?

As a big company, I am surprised at the lack at service I found at SportChek. I actually expected it to be top notch.

Awardy Goodness!

2010-01-06T15:52:00.004-05:00

I have been so behind lately that I haven't even found the time to accept and THANK Ebony Jewel from Seize The Moments for the 2 awards she has given me over the past few weeks!

So Thank YOU!

Now, those of you familiar with the bloggy world will know that in order to accept awards, there are several rules to be followed. Therefore, without further ado, there's some business to attend to here!

Here's the first award! I just love it! And the cupcakes are making me think that I just might have to make some pink girly ones this weekend! In order to accept this award, I must list 10 things that make me happy, try to do at least one of them today, and tag 10 bloggers that brighten my day. For those 10 bloggers, you must also link back to my post!

10 Things That Make Me Happy

1. Hands down, my bf C. He is so much more than I ever could have expected in a partner and friend. Most incredible person I have ever met and I thank my lucky stars every day for getting to be with him.

2. My family. My parents have been married for over 30 years (something that is very rare these days) and they bring such joy and love to our family. I don't know where I'd be without them and my brothers.

3. My pets. You can't explain the unconditional love you get from furry friends. If I'm having a bad day, all I have to do is hug my horse, or one of my cats. I swear they hug me back, and it's an amazing feeling!

4. Blogging and the internet! I've been addicted to the internet ever since we first got it when I was 11 years old. Now if only I can find an internet related job! Perhaps I'll luck out one day!

5. My bloggy/bb friends. Although out in the real world we may be complete strangers, it's amazing the love I feel from my online friends. They make my day every day!

6. My Home. Many people are shocked to hear I own my own house at my age. It's tough to carry financial wise, but it's mine and it's amazing.

7. Music. Listening to music feeds my soul. I can't go a single day without listening to music that I love.

8. Riding. I can never explain the feeling I get when riding my horse, or any horse at that. It's a magical experience and no matter how I'm feeling before I ride, afterwards, I am happy.

9. Television. As lame as it sounds, sometimes I enjoy being a complete couch potato. I have my shows that I watch religiously and they make me so darn happy!

10. Food. So many people around the world don't have access to the types and quantities of food that I do. Another lame one, but omg I love food! Eating makes me happy!

10 Bloggers That Brighten My Day (of course in no particular order)

- pieces of Awesome
- Lost In Thought
- Down the Rabbit Hole
- Seize the Moments
- Three Stride Studios
- Ramblings of A Fab Brunette
- Beauty In The Birches
- Healthy Tipping Point
- MegaNerdRuns
- Frugal Dreamer

Now to the next one... I can't believe she gave me TWO!!

This one is so pretty! Thank you again miss Ebony Jewel! Rules for this one are as follows:

1) Thank the person who nominated me for this award.
2) Copy the award & place it on my blog.
3) Link to the person who nominated me for this award.
4) Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself.
5) Nominate 7 bloggers.
6) Post links to the 7 blogs I nominate.

These ones are always tough! Ok here goes nothing...

7 Interesting Things About Myself

1. I got 100% in my grade 9 typing class. Yes, that was many years ago, but I am tooting my own horn here! My typing skills/speed definitely were a benefit to me throughout my 4 years of university when writing essay upon essay of 10-12 pages, then my 40 page thesis!

2. I wrote my 40 page thesis on the representation of Augustus in Roman Architecture. It was just sort of a mini thesis that I had to complete to finish my degree. I absolutely loved working on that paper. I'm still so anxious for the day that I'll get to go to Rome and see all the things I studied.

3. ..hopefully this doesn't gross anyone out but.. I am a complete carnivore. Honestly, I could not live without meat! Steak cooked rare is like my best friend!

4. I kind of have a 'let's get it done now' sort of personality when it comes to starting/completing new projects. If I get an idea in my head about something in particular that I want to do, I have to get it done right away. ie. I decided on a Tuesday that I wanted to give my kitchen a makeover, and it was completed the following Sunday.

5. I am addicted to the show The Biggest Loser. Bf and I watched the newest season premiere last night and if anything, it motivates us to keeps pushing and doing whatever we can to stay looking how we do and to never put on weight.

6. Almost every day after 5pm, my fancy high heels and dressy clothes get changed for, well at this time of the year, long johns, sweat pants, many layers on top and boots so I can go hang out in a barn for the evening. lol It's like I have 2 separate lives!

7. My hair annoys the hell out of me every day! It's fine and straight as a board! I wish I could make it look like Sandra Bullocks when she puts it up in a pony tail in The Proposal. I have mine in a pony tail right now and it looks OK. By 5 though it will be a disastrous mess!

I now nominate the following 7 bloggers, again in no particular order.

- Woofy's Musings
- In My Corner of the World
- Big Filly Adventures
- Three Stride Studios
- pieces of Awesome
- Lost In Thought
- Coming Home

A New Life Goal

2010-01-05T10:48:00.004-05:00

Call me crazy, but after a lot of thought and consideration over the past few months, I have decided that I have a new life goal.

What is this goal you might ask?

I want to run a marathon.

Do I run now? No. But no matter. I still want to run a marathon; the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon to be exact.

This is going to be quite the journey, something that I know will not be easy. But I believe that the fact that it won't be easy, is part of what will push me to try my little heart out.

Since this is such a huge goal, which I believe will ultimately change me as a person, I have decided that in lieu of bombarding Tidbits From My Mind, the best thing to do was to start up a new blog to document my new journey from start to finish.

Interested in following me along through this journey?

Visit me at.. I Will Run

I am so looking forward to getting started!!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T09:23:00.005-05:00

Time to start fresh for the new year!

...I chose to ring in the year with a new 'do'!

Before....

I write today from my cozy couch, with long johns on, a heated 'magic bag' on my lap, and a fleece blanket wrapped around me. The plan for today was my usual Saturday morning plan..wake up, have a coffee, eat breakfast, then head out to the farm to ride. I have decided that I was going to give my horse Chelsea a holiday for the month of January, so today was going to be the first day in little Daisy Duke's month of training.

Let me repeat, today was GOING to be the first day... until I realized how flipping cold it is outside!!!! Wow mother nature sure knows how to start a year! Currently the thermometer reads -18deg C with a windchill of -28!!!! (for you American readers, that's -0.4F with a windchill of -18.4!) I don't like riding if it's much colder than -10C, so needless to say, I'm not heading to the farm today. I will spend the day making a new years post and de-Christmasafying (I just made up that word) my house. ;)

I really just can't seem to grasp the fact that Christmas and New Years have already come and gone for another year. I honestly can't believe that it's already 2010! Seriously! Where did the last decade go?? I still remember the whole Y2K thing as if it were only 2 years ago - not 10!! It's insane how much faster I find time goes by the older I get. Now I really understand what my parents were talking about all of these years.

Reflecting on 2009..

When looking back, 2009 was overall a pretty good year. There were some downs with unhealthy pets and such, but everyone is doing great now and I really believe that despite my lack of 'like' for my job, in every other aspect of my life, I couldn't be happier. Mine and C's relationship has continued to grow each and every day and the moment that we always thought was so far away --him finishing school-- has actually come! My parents and brothers are happy and healthy, and 2009 even brought a new member to the family - a furry one - my parent's golden retriever puppy Charlie. I've had a lot of self realizations in 2009 that has only made me more excited for things to come in 2010.

Looking forward to in 2010..

One of the most exciting things that I am looking forward to this year, is for things to progress even more with C. He is currently in between interviews for a placement/internship that he requires to officially complete his program at school. We have discussed things, and as soon as his internship is complete, and as soon as he lands a job, the plan is for him to move in this big empty house with me. It is something that I have been wanting and looking forward to for the past year and really can't wait for this to happen!

Another very exciting thing for 2010 is that on July 3, one of my brothers is getting MARRIED!!! He has been with his fiancee for around 13 years or so?! No joke! They are turning 29 this year and have been together since they were in grade 11, so this is a big deal! It will be the first wedding in our family and we all really couldn't be more excited.

Resolutions. ???

I've never really been one for new years resolutions. So many people make them every single year, and so many people rarely stick to them. As I've mentioned before, I've really had several self realizations the past few months with not liking my work and such, and have decided that it's time to do something about it. There are several projects that I would like to give a go right now and I figured it would be best to just start fresh in the new year and get crackin'!

The first item of business-- I have a goal to de-clutter and get rid of things that I do not use. It's amazing how I've accumulate things over the years and just don't have the heart to get rid of them. Since 2010 marks the year that I should be getting a new permanent roomie, I have decided that it's the perfect time to rid my home of items that I have not touched in over a year. Clothing will be donated to the local women's shelter and I will freecycle any other usable items.

2010 project -- I love to sew and I love to bake/cook. C and I have talked a lot and now that he is well on his path to making a career out of something he absolutely loves, I want to see if I can sort of try to do the same. I know that there is no immediate opportunity for me make a big career change ($ is a necessity when you own a house), but there is an immediate opportunity for me to try my hand at something I love in attempt to make some extra money. What is the answer? Etsy. My love for sewing has been brought back for live the past month as I tried my hand at sewing my grandmother a bag for Christmas (which she loved!). C and I have discussed, and I have decided that I want to try my hand at making more bags, along with aprons and other items to try and sell on Etsy! It's going to be a lot of work, but I love sewing so I think this could be something really great! Stay tuned as this project progresses! All Tidbits From My Mind readers will get a discount. ;)

New Life Goal --- over the past several months, I have decided that on top of everything, I also have a new life goal. What is this goal? Well, I'm sorry, but you will have to wait. I'm not quite ready to unveil this to the blog world yet, but it is something huge and I can't wait to share it with you all and have you follow me on this journey.

Wow this was a winded post!

If you're still reading, thank you for following my thoughts and words in 2009. I can't wait to see what 2010 brings, and share future thoughts and words with anyone who wants to listen.

I wish you all an amazing year! Let's make 2010 great!

xo Laura

The Best Of 2009: ..catching up

2009-12-30T14:15:00.002-05:00

I took a little hiatus from this list so that I could get through Christmas so will do a little catch up via one single post. I found that the prompts from the tail end of this list were lacking in the interest department, so I apologize in advance for my almost fail for these last few days. I just didn't want to abort the project all together when I had come so close.

So, without further ado:

December 24 Learning experience. What was a lesson you learned this year that changed you?

I actually learned this particular lesson throughout 2008, but during 2009 this lesson has continued to change me for the good and I will never forget it. The lesson? Believe people when they tell you that everything happens for a reason. Three years ago, I would have never believed that. When I met C in 2008, my belief was changed! And as our relationship grew even stronger in 2009, I now tell everyone who is going through a rough time that everything most definitely happens for a reason! ;)

December 25 Gift. What’s a gift you gave yourself this year that has kept on giving?

I've been sitting here all day in attempt to think of a gift that I gave myself this year that has "kept on giving". I don't even really remember ever giving myself a gift this year -- does paying the bills count??? ;) seriously though, all of my $ goes towards my house, car, horse and food to live! lol

December 26 Insight or aha! moment. What was your epiphany of the year?

I guess you can say that I sort of had an epiphany only a few short weeks ago. After seeing C go back to school and finish school with a future now of doing a job he absolutely loves, I've realized that there's no way I will be able to stay in my current job as my life-long career. I dread going to work every single day and it's not a feeling that I want for the rest of my life. I am currently in the process of trying to figure out what I love and what I'd like to do work wise. Many ideas have been flowing through my head, so we shall see what happens! I do have some ideas that I'd like to start right away... I will share in my New Year's post!

December 27 Social web moment. Did you meet someone you used to only know from her blog? Did you discover Twitter?

I can’t say that I really met anyone from the web in 2009. And Twitter? Twitter? What can I say… I really am not even entirely sure what the point of twitter is. And, I really don’t think I want to know what the point of twitter is. I think I will remain far, far away.

December 28 Stationery. When you touch the paper, your heart melts. The ink flows from the pen. What was your stationery find of the year?

Seriously? Stationary? Who came up with this list! lol

December 29 Laugh. What was your biggest belly laugh of the year?

As lame as this may be, my biggest belly laugh of the year occurred during the long fart scene in the movie Step Brothers. I could literally still watch that scene over and over and laugh hysterically every single time. There's just something about farts that I find totally and completely hilarious!!

Am I Now A Cupcake Queen?

2009-12-29T14:14:00.004-05:00

Remember THIS post that I made a couple months ago about my sudden want to make cupcakes?

Well, I had sent my mom the link to Bake It Pretty asking for cupcake supplies for Christmas. I did not receive Bake It Pretty supplies, but I did however receive a nice little selection of items to help me get started. My gifts included 5 different types of patterned paper cups, decorations, a cake decorator starter kit with 4 food colourings, pastry bags, and 6 different icing tips, and REAL VANILLA! I was determined to start right away, and it just so happened that I had a pot luck to attend on the 27th. So I promptly found a recipe to try out, and along with the icing I whipped up, here is my first attempt at making 'fancy' cupcakes! The consistency of my icing didn't turn out how I wanted, BUT they still look pretty cool and they tasted phenomenal. So.. it wasn't a complete bust!

Christmas Baking - Final Product

2009-12-29T13:48:00.004-05:00

The process took several weeks, but my mission of baking for Christmas gifts was a complete success! They looked as good as I had hoped, and my family just loved them - which is what mattered most. I contemplated posting all of the pictures on here, but I took so many throughout the process, so if you're interested at all, click HERE to check out my Flickr photostream.

The finished product

Happy Holidays!!

2009-12-23T16:48:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers a very wonderful and happy holiday season!

As of this moment, I luckily have 5 whole days off of work... so, I have decided that I am also going to take a 5 day break from the blog world! I will catch up on my best-of list Tuesday!

Enjoy your family time everyone!

The Best Of 2009: Web Tool

2009-12-23T13:13:00.003-05:00

December 23 Web tool. It came into your work flow this year and now you couldn’t live without it. It has simplified or improved your online experience.

Hands down my answer to this one is swagbucks. It hasn't exactly simplified my online epxerience but it has certainly improved it by giving me rewards for my day to day searching. Rewards which I have been able to redeem for $250 worth of amazon.ca gift cards! (to date) I wish I would have come across this site sooner because thanks to swagbucks, I've been able to fullfill my music and book habit without hurting my bank account!

The Best Of 2009: Startup

2009-12-22T10:22:00.002-05:00

December 22 Startup. What’s a business that you found this year that you love? Who thought it up? What makes it special?

I can't say that I started any sort of business in 2009. But many ideas have been flowing through my head lately! Providing I can find some great deals on fabrics, with designing help from my bf, I hope to open my own little etsy store in 2010 to sell homemade bags, aprons, and anything else I can thing of. Stay tuned!

The Best Of 2009: Project

2009-12-21T08:33:00.003-05:00

December 21 Project. What did you start this year that you’re proud of?

Well, when you own a house, there is always an endless list of projects on the go. I'm sad that I don't have a current picture of this one, but a particular project I began and finished this year is my front porch. The project started with painting my front door a lovely shade of deep purple - had to girlify the place a bit! I also recovered the porch and steps with this stone paint to give it a nice fresh look, and the job was completed by giving all of the wood work a fresh coat of paint. :) Besides my kitchen, that's the only other project this year that I started *and* finished!!

The Best Of 2009: New Person

2009-12-20T08:29:00.000-05:00

December 20 New person. She came into your life and turned it upside down. He went out of his way to provide incredible customer service. Who is your unsung hero of 2009?

Is it bad that I can't for the life of me think of a new person I met this year?? If this 'best of' list was for 2008, hands down I could have said C! But I don't recall even really meeting any new people this year.

Do I live a sheltered life or what?!

Christmas Baking Part 4

2009-12-19T14:34:00.005-05:00

It is the last Saturday before Christmas -- holy cow it's coming fast now! -- and the baking is going full steam ahead!

So far today I have made 3 mini whole wheat banana bread loaves, and chocolate/vanilla pinwheel cookies.

I also managed to package up the biscotti I made the other day. They are to be included into the final product of my baskets.

Now I must take a break and head out for a family supper. :)

The Best Of 2009: Car Ride

2009-12-19T07:58:00.002-05:00

December 19 Car ride. What did you see? How did it smell? Did you eat anything as you drove there? Who were you with?

The best car ride of this past year, had to have been back in October. C and I finally had the majority of a Saturday together and began our day bright and early. We stopped at Mc D's to enjoy some egg McMuffins before hopping onto the highway. Our first destination - Greenhawk warehouse sale. If you're wondering what the hell Greenhawk is.. it's a store that sells horse supplies. So I was pretty pumped that C even wanted to come with me as the warehouse was about an hour away.

Traffic was light, so we made it there and finished the shopping in good time. Since it was early when we were done, we decided to first trek down the highway a little further west to say hi to my grandpa and make sure his grave stone was in good condition. (---my grandfather died 4 years before I was born. He is buried on the other side of the big city, so any time any of us are in the area, we like to stop just to say hi---)

It was still early after we left the cemetery so C agreed that we continue on to Guelph to visit my former home of 4 years. I've always wanted to show him the university campus that I loved so much and this was the perfect opportunity. I had only been back once since I graduated in June of 2006, and the sensations/feelings that came over me as we drove into the city were so unexpected. The moment we arrived in Guelph I just felt home. I couldn't stop smiling and was so happy and excited. Eating on campus... walking around campus... seeing all of my old hang outs and class rooms... it's amazing the effect that place has over me. I think I will see that as my 'home for the rest of my life.

There was nothing fancy about our car ride to Guelph, but I think it's one that will be grained into my memory for as long as I live.

Christmas Baking Part 3

2009-12-18T11:25:00.005-05:00

I finally found some more time to bake last night, so I baked up a storm! ...I predict my weekend will consist of baking as well as it's crunch time now!

Here's what last night resulted in.

Mint Chocolate Fudge

Orange/Almond Biscotti with and without chocolate

The Best Of 2009: Shop

2009-12-18T11:06:00.004-05:00

December 18 Shop. Online or offline, where did you spend most of your mad money this year?

Most of my mad money was spent at amazon.ca this year. I purchased many books and cds throughout the year from this site. Want to know the best part about it? I got it all for FREE thanks to my discovery of SwagBucks!! Seriously, all I do is do my internet searching via swagbucks instead of google and it has allowed me to earn free gift cards for amazon.ca. I have won $250 so far! If this sounds like something you might like to do, sign up HERE and we can help each other out. :)

The Best Of 2009: Word or Phrase

2009-12-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

December 17 Word or phrase. A word that encapsulates your year. “2009 was _____.”

I think I'll have to say that 2009 was interesting; in a good way!

2009 proved to be quite an unlucky year for my pets, however that aside, I think it was a pretty good year.

Early in the year I discovered the absolutely amazing online community of SmartCanucks which thus fuled my couponing ways and ideas to save as much money as possible.

C and I have continued to grow together with each passing day, and we've recently hit an amazing milestone that seemed so far away even a year and a half ago! ... He has finished school! He actually just finished 3 interviews this past week in hopes to start a placement early in the new year. I couldn't be more proud! :)

I have also discovered my love for blogging and writing in general. I have realized that I am pretty unhappy in my current job, perhaps writing in some shape or form is my calling? Who knows. It's my goal for 2010 to find that out.

The Best Of 2009: Tea Of The Year

2009-12-16T08:50:00.002-05:00

December 16 Tea of the year. I can taste my favorite tea right now. What’s yours?

Hands down Tetley Blueberry Green!

I discovered this flavour early in the year. I won't forget that first time I made my first cup. I was hook from the very instant that the boiling water hit the tea bag in my mug. I love it so much that I literally drink a big travel mug of this every single afternoon. The blueberry flavour is absoltuely incredible and it blends perfectly with the green tea leaves. Mmmmm...

Dear Mother Nature

2009-12-15T20:43:00.001-05:00

What are you trying to do to me?

Last night I'm driving home in the pouring rain... tonight I drive home in a little snow storm?!

Please do me a favour and make up your mind.

Thank you,

Laura

The Best Of 2009: Best Packaging

2009-12-15T10:50:00.004-05:00

December 15 Best packaging. Did your headphones come in a sweet case? See a bottle of tea in another country that stood off the shelves?

Best packaging? what kind of question is that? hmm.. I honestly can't think of any sort of packaging that stands out. I can only think of shitty packaging! ..such as those items you purchase that are trapped within this sharp plastic casing? the packaging that give me a plastic cut every time! Yes, a PLASTIC cut -- not a paper cut, a PLASTIC cut! Damn you crazy companies who think this is a good way to package things!

The Best Of 2009: Rush

2009-12-14T21:09:00.000-05:00

December 14 Rush. When did you get your best rush of the year?

This one was a tough one to narrow down, but I think I'll have to say that I got my best rush when I heard my name being called for 1st place when showing little Daisy Duke.

For those of you who are newer to my blog, Daisy Duke is a little pony that we rescued from a horse auction late October 2008. The couple who own the farm where I board Chelsea bought Daisy to be my little training project with the goal in mind that she will eventually help teach little kids to ride once I had her trained. I started from the day they brought her home. We figured she had been trained to pull a cart, but not to be ridden. It took many months of hard work and included several set backs, but in the end, she's turned into a pretty great little pony.

By August of this year, I had proved to Daisy's owners that she had come a long way and was ready to go to her first competition. Daisy did not disappoint and we came home with 1st and 2nd place ribbons! There's just something about the rush I felt when we went into that ring to compete and our names were called for those ribbons. Months and months of patience and hard work paid off at that very moment and I couldn't have been more proud!

The Best Of 2009: Change To My Home

2009-12-13T08:54:00.000-05:00

December 13 What’s the best change you made to the place you live?

Hands down this will have to be my little kitchen makeover. I didn't do much .. only painted. But, I am just so much happier with it. I took on this project at the perfect time too because ever since, I have been completely inspired to do my holiday baking. I've been baking almost every day since! (kitchen makeover post HERE)

The Best Of 2009: New Food

2009-12-12T08:48:00.000-05:00

December 12 New food. You’re now in love with Lebanese food and you didn’t even know what it was in January of this year.

My new favourite food as of this year would definitely by California rolls.

I was always scared to try these before... I think the sea weed was what really turned me off. My mom started buying them regularly from the grocery store and got me eating them. And then C started buying the spicy ones and now it's safe to say that I LOVE them!!!

Christmas Baking Part 2

2009-12-11T14:39:00.001-05:00

Here is the second item that will be added to my Chritmas gift baskets for family.

Mini Lemon Cakes frosted with snow and snowflakes.

The Best Of 2009: The Best Place.

2009-12-11T14:15:00.005-05:00

December 11 The best place. A coffee shop? A pub? A retreat center? A cubicle? A nook?

Well the best place for me is definitely nothing new for this year. This particular place has been my little retreat since the moment I first touch my little feet on the property.

What is this place you ask?

The barn.

It's not a fancy place by any means, but there's just something about it. No matter how upset or stressed I may be on a given day, the moment I pull up the driveway of this place and open the door to exit my car, all negative feelings melt away. And for the few short hours I spend there almost every day, I am in heaven. It is a place where I am not judged and can be 100% myself. It doesn't matter what I look like, or what I do for a living... all that matters is that I am there because of my love for horses. It's amazing how a common interest can bring together such different people.

I also doesn't hurt that I'm met by this gorgeous girl when I show up.

No matter where I've kept my horse Chelsea for the almost 10 years that I have owned her, that barn has been my retreat from the world. It's amazing how being at the farm completely tunes out the rest of the world and the only thing that matters is me and this horse.

I know this is making me sound like some lovesick little girl talking about her horse.... but it's not like that. It's so hard to explain in words the feeling I get when I am there. But it's true, and real.. and there's nothing childish about it. When I really think about it, it's pretty amazing that I have such a close bond with an animal that is 1200lb and could turn on me in a heartbeat if she really wanted. It's almost magical.

The Best Of 2009: Album of the Year

2009-12-10T11:17:00.004-05:00

December 10 Album of the year. What’s rocking your world?

Well, if you know me at all, this is a given.

My absolute favourite band in the world, Our Lady Peace, released their 7th full-length album "Burn Burn" back in July after a hiatus of several years. I reviewed it HERE. OLP changes their sound ever so slightly from one album to the next, so I took this one in with an open mind and although it is vastly different in comparison to their iconic album "Clumsy", I think it is absolutely brilliant.

I absolutely loved it when I first listened to it, and can honestly say that it is still amazing to me today.

This year was a great year music-wise in my books. Other albums came close, but no one could ever beat OLP in my eyes.

Christmas Baking Part 1

2009-12-10T09:11:00.003-05:00

For the third year in a row, due to my lack in finances, I will be giving away baskets of baked goodies for gifts. I love to bake, and they really seem to be a hit, so I figure - why not? :)

Since this is the third year in a row, I decided that I wanted to try out some new recipes just to make the baskets a little more exciting for my family. I've been playing around with a few recipes over the past couple of weeks and last night I finally completed my first one that will be incorporated into the gift baskets. They are so pretty that I couldn't not show them off! ;)

Sugar cookies with a buttercream frosting and white chocolate detailing.

This was my first attempt at decorating cookies with frosting and I'm pretty proud with my work. Hopefully my giftees like them!

The Best Of 2009: Challenge

2009-12-09T10:02:00.001-05:00

December 9 Challenge. Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. What made it the best challenge of the year for you?

I've been sitting here all day attempting to think of one really big challenge that I was faced with this past year and my mind is completely blank. I faced most of my big life-changing challenges to date in 2007 and early 2008 when I was forced to grow up really quick and become a single first-time homeowner and take care of all the responsibilities that go along with it. Since this has been my third year in my home, I wouldn't say that home ownership has been a challenge for me in 2009. I've pretty much figured things out, know what works for me and I've been taking each day in stride.

The only major challenges that I recall facing this year were both 'close-calls' with my pets. Since I'm not married yet, and don't have any children, my animals are some of the closest things to me, so... you get to hear about them again! ;)

Piper's close call incident in October was definitely a challenging time for me. I've had Piper for 5 years now, and he's been through a lot with me. He lived in Guelph with me for my final 2 years of university in Guelph, moved back home with me and then into my house. He's been by my side through some of the best moments in my life, and my worst. So when he got sick and I had to seriously think about possibly putting him down, I knew I had one of my toughest decisions ahead of me. My number one priority was to cause the least amount of suffering as possible. Thankfully with the support of my parents, I was able to help him out with the surgery and give him a second chance at life. I'm glad I made that choice, because he certainly had the fight in him!

I was met with another major animal-related challenge this year right at new years when my horse Chelsea choked. Choke in a horse is a big deal. If severe enough and not taken care of in time, it could kill a horse. It has been almost a year, but I remember that night as if it was yesterday. I was ready to leave the barn for the night and passed by Chelsea's stall to say good night. I looked in her stall to find her standing there with her head drooping and thick mucus coming out of her nose. I called over my BO (barn owner) right away and she told me Chelsea was choking. She then showed me the lump in Chelsea's neck where the build-up was in her throat.

I remember trying to make her walk in the arena in attempt to get her to pass it herself. I felt so absolutely helpless watching my poor girl suffer. My big, majestic mare looked sadder than I ever seen her and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I had thoughts that night that my best friend of 8.5 years might have to leave me that night. If I ever had a bad day, she had been my go-to girl. I had spent hours, upon hours on top of her back floating along, flying over jumps, and really just being at peace. I couldn't stop thinking - what would I do without her? How could I ever show up at that farm again if she wasn't there? I quickly realized my negative thinking was not going to help the situation at all, so even though it was tough, I had to put those thoughts to the back of my mind as I continued to walk her and wait for the vet.

The vet finally came and as per his instructions we had many buckets of hot water ready awaiting his instructions. The only way for him to clear the blockage in Chelsea's throat was to run a tube up her nose and flush it out. (**warning graphic coming up**) I held my girl as the vet prepared to force this tub up her nose. The look of terror and worry in her eyes was nothing I had ever seen and it scared me to death. It was at that point when her terror overcame her and she started to become violent trying to strike out at the vet. My emotions were going crazy, I started to feel faint and no longer had the strength to hold her. I then had to just sit and watch. Watch as the vet drugged up my horse and continuously put a tube up her nose followed by many, many buckets of water in attempt to flush out whatever was stuck. There was lots of water and a TON of blood. I was terrified through the whole ordeal, but he got it. After an hour of this back and forth process, pieces of grain started to come out and the blockage was gone.

She ended up being ok in the end, and is back to her self now, but boy was that ever a hard night.

People are right when they say that sometimes you never realize how good something is until you come close to losing it.

The Best Of 2009: Moment of Peace

2009-12-08T09:22:00.002-05:00

December 8 Moment of peace. An hour or a day or a week of solitude. What was the quality of your breath? The state of your mind? How did you get there?

One particular moment of peace that is fresh in my mind happened about 6 weeks ago, after the scary ordeal I went through with my cat Piper. Over the span of 9 days, he went from looking sort of sick, to needing emergency surgery, to not recovering well, until finally some relief. I went through a yo-yo of emotions during this time thinking if I'm doing the right thing, or if I should have just let him go. I wasn't able to get the support I needed from C at the time either because he was too busy with school and work, so everything about those 9 days was rough.

The relief and peace came this one Sunday, 4 days after Piper had surgery. After bringing him home that Thursday night, and monitoring closely I was worried that by Saturday morning, he was still unable to pee (his problem in the first place). I called the vet and they asked me to bring him back. I think poor Piper hit his bottom when he ended up back in the cage in that office and the vet felt sorry for him and felt that he would be happier to just be home. Once I had him home on the Sunday, I knew at this certain moment that the road to recovery was going to begin then and there.

I was laying on the couch with piper on my lap. As gross as this may seem/sound, I felt my stomach start to get wet and then Piper seemed to take a very deep breath and then he fell asleep. The poor guy had no control holding it in, but the fact that he was able to pee was such a relief for him - I could tell by the deep breath that he took. I knew at that moment that he was going to get better and although I had a wet lap, I was finally at a moment of peace. I knew that I did the right thing in getting him to the vet in time and allowing them to operate. Piper is now happy and healthy again and I'll never look back.

The Best of 2009: Blog Find of the Year

2009-12-07T16:21:00.003-05:00

December 7 Blog find of the year. That gem of a blog you can’t believe you didn’t know about until this year.

Hmm... this is going to be a tough one because this is the year that I really got into blog reading and I came across a vast list of gems in the blogging world. If I have to pick just one though, I'd have to go with David's blog titled, The Rest Is Still Unwritten. David writes about anything and everything. He is more open than I would expect from any man and it's refreshing to read his words and his point of view. I always find myself looking forward to reading what he has to say next.

Why Must We Be Punished To Be Healthy?

2009-12-07T09:22:00.001-05:00

The title says it all...

Doctors, nutritionist, friends and family all preach and preach how North Americans are so unhealthy and need to change their diets to eat better. I'm talking about North America as a whole because many Canadians are just as unhealthy/overweight as many Americans.

One of the most important things that individuals need to do to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle is to eat healthy foods. Unfortunately those on the selling end of foods we must consume are a tad greedy and care more about the money going into their pockets than allowing for all individuals to be healthy.

If you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about, let me lay this out for you. Imagine walking into your local grocery store. You're walking up and down the aisles... picture what you're seeing lined on the shelves, but also picture their prices. If you really concentrate and take a good look, you might be surprised at what you see.

I was raised to be a very healthy eater, so since being on my own, my good eating habits came with me. Unfortunately, over the past few years, money has been really tight for me due to my home ownership. The less money I have in my pocket, the harder it's been to keep my healthy eating habits. Before money became a problem for me, I never realize how damn expensive it is just to eat properly!!! Everything that is cheap and affordable in a grocery store is just garbage for your body! So many companies are spending their time mass producing product that is cheap for consumers to purchase, but at the same time is literally shit for their bodies! And why do they do it? Because they know people will buy this crap, thus making them money in the end.

Seriously, try and do a grocery shop and purchase fresh healthy foods.... it takes so much effort to even find healthy items while trying to stay within a budget!

And this little rant of mine can also be directed towards cat food companies as well. Since my little Piper had his surgery, it was recommended that I change his diet. Well after doing a lot of research, I realized that the pet food I was buying for him in the past because it was affordable, was full of shit that he shouldn't have been consuming in the first place! Cats are carnivores, thus should be eating actual meat. The affordable pet foods in the grocery store are just packed full of by-products and grains acting as fillers! I know must buy an all natural cat food for my cats to ensure that Piper does not get sick again. After being on this food for over a month now, he is healthier than he's ever been. The downside - it's costing me $10 a week in cans, and $18 every 2-3 weeks in a bag of dry! I used to spend about $6 every 2-3 weeks... *sigh*

When you just look at things from a certain perspective, my little statement is 1000% true! We as a society are actually being punished just for being healthy!

It's ridiculous.

The Best Of 2009: Workshop or Conference

2009-12-06T12:07:00.001-05:00

December 6 Workshop or conference. Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?

Wow, only 6 days in and I already have another fail. *sigh* I never attended any workshops or conferences this year due to major cutbacks in my company. Maybe next year!

The Best Of 2009: Night Out

2009-12-05T08:15:00.000-05:00

December 5 Night out. Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?

I think I would have to say that my favourite night out this past year was in the summer, with C of course. We were in Ottawa and the event of the evening was Our Lady Peace at Bluesfest. We started the night with supper at C's favourite restaurant, Lone Star. After a yummy dinner, we began a nice walk down to the Lebreton Flats where the concert was being held. There was a lot of traffic, so we decided doing the trip by foot would be best. The ambiance at the Bluesfest grounds was magical for me. Concert going is one of my absolute favourite things to do and I was so excited to be sharing this experience with C for the second summer in a row. He enjoyed his very first beaver tail and we got to watch an amazing sun set as we waited for the show to start.

The biggest highlight of the night would have to have been when Raine Maida came over to our side of the stage directly in front of us to climb the rafters and get a better look of the crowd.

This was a big moment for me because Raine has been my celebrity crush and musical idol for years now and to see him so close.. *gasp!*. It was also really amazing to be able to be so close to see the expression of surprise and shock on his face. He is one of few celebrities who is really still very humble. He really couldn't believe that such a huge crowd had showed up to see his band perform. C and I could both see that in his face and I think that moment made the night for both of us.

Looking Forward To A Day With Friends

2009-12-04T16:31:00.003-05:00

I am sitting here in a virtually empty office late on a Friday afternoon. It's already dark outside and although the sight of the darkness at this time of day usually depresses me, I find myself feeling very excited in anticipation of tomorrow. You see, tomorrow I will be spending the day and evening with a group of wonderful friends that I was lucky enough to meet just under 2 years ago. We all met and came together via an online bulletin board called Saucy Piaffe and tomorrow is our second annual "Saucy Dinner". About 20-30 of us horse lovers will be gathering for a night of great food and great company and I can't wait!

The Best Of 2009: Book

2009-12-04T13:25:00.002-05:00

December 4 Book. What book – fiction or non – touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies?

This is a tough one for me because out of the many books I read this year, there are 2 in particular that stood out for many different reasons.

I finally decided to pick up and read The Time Traveller's Wife at the end of the summer. The movie came out, and I wanted to see it, but I never like to see movie adaptations of books until I read the book. So my reading began. I absolutely loved this book... the story, the characters, the way it was written. My mom has it now and it's in her 'must read' pile.

The other book that really touched me this year was The Book Of Negroes which I blogged about here. If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be BRILLIANT. I absolutely loved the story from start to finish and I didn't ever want it to end.

Failure Thursday

2009-12-03T16:03:00.003-05:00

I unfortunately have to report that I am a complete failure today for my posts corresponding to 3X Thursday and The Best of 2009. My mind is sadly at a complete blank on the topics brought forth for both postings, so I will have to come back strong tomorrow!

On a positive note, I followed through with my idea of changing up my template. I wanted something clean, bright, and fresh looking. You like?

The Best of 2009: Restaurant Moment

2009-12-02T14:00:00.005-05:00

December 2 Restaurant moment. Share the best restaurant experience you had this year. Who was there? What made it amazing? What taste stands out in your mind?

The best and most memorable restaurant moment from this past year would have to have been at Pizzeria Liberetto downtown Toronto. C and I went to visit my brother and his fiancée for the day and we ended up here for supper with them and her sisters. What an experience! They make authentic Neapolitan pizza at this restaurant and I've honestly never tasted anything like it. I ordered: Pingue Prosciutto, Tomato, Basil, Ontario Fiore Di Latte Mozzarella (pictured below) and couldn't believe when I ate the whole thing!! They even have a duck confit and pear pizza at this restaurant, which one of the girls ordered and I tasted. SOOO good! If you're ever in the city and looking for a place to eat, I definitely recommend this place.

The Best of 2009 Challenge

2009-12-02T13:47:00.006-05:00

I have decided to take part in The Best of 2009 Challenge put forth by the folks at 20SB. The challenge is to reflect on the year over the next 31 days. It will definitely be a challenge, but I'm up for it!

Since I only came across this today, December 2nd, I will cover the first two days so that I'm not behind.

So, here goes nothing! What should have been the December 1st entry:

The Best of 2009: Trip

December 1 Trip. What was your best trip in 2009?

C and I went on a trip to Ottawa in July which I would have to say was the best of 2009. Since he began his current job, mixed in with school, we weren't getting as much time together as we were used to, so having the opportunity to take off just the two of us for a week was amazing. We had a nice visit with my brother, got my first parking ticket - which C fought and got removed, saw my favourite band Our Lady Peace perform at Bluesfest, and much much more. The two breakfasts in a row at Cora's, many km of walking... it wasn't a fancy trip, but it was definitely the best of 2009.

Some Randomness For Tuesday

2009-12-01T23:10:00.002-05:00

How is it already December 1st? I really, honestly don't have any idea where this year has gone! I guess my parents were right all those years when I was a kid and they'd tell me to cherish every moment because when you're older, you won't know where time goes.

We've entered the last month of the year and I'm finding myself and my thoughts sort of all over the place. Due to this, today will be a day of randomness!

if you live in the gta, I'm sure you've heard of the arrests made at the Toronto Humane Society last week. As an animal lover, I've been completely enraged with this news and really have been finding it hard to even put my thoughts on this issue in words. For those who have no clue what I am talking about, top officials, and even a veterinarian from the THS have been arrested on several charges including animal cruelty. I honestly can't even bring myself to describe the horrid things the OSPCA have found in the THS facility. It just disgusts me. I hate the thought that all those poor helpless animals have had to suffer due to some disgusting humans. I think I'm going to make it a goal to volunteer for my local humane society in the new year.

I'm having thoughts... of changing my blog layout again. I don't know what gets into me, but every few months I just sort of get sick of the look of my blog and think I am in need of something new and fresh. Thoughts?

This week is proving to be a very exciting week for me as C is in his last week of school! Yippee! C went 'back' to school as a mature student 3 years ago to pursue something he absolutely LOVES (a move that I am so proud of him for) and he is on the final stretch! So happy for him/proud of him.

As for me, I've realized that I am pretty unhappy with my work. Each an every day is almost painful as they slowly drag on and on. I know I just took this job when I finished university because it was here and I really didn't have to put in any effort to get it. I've done a few courses since being here and learned more about the industry, but deep down, I know this isn't for me. I just can't see myself doing this for 25-30 more years. *sigh*

On a happier note, I have won another award!!! Thank you! Thank you! ..to my friend Meg over at Lost In Thought

Just like with most awards, accepting this means I have to follow a few rules. The first, seven things about myself:

I am the youngest of 3 in my family, and the only girl. My brothers and I never really got along when we were kids, but it's pretty neat to see how close we've become over the past 5 years. It's really nice.
I am so totally and completely envious of the talent that is Lea Michele (Rachel Barry on Glee). When I was a kid, I used to be in the school choirs, and would act out plays like Cats and The Phantom of the Opera at home. I wish I had the talent that Lea does to allow me to pursue something like that.
I may be a little thing at 5'3, but you might be surprised to know that I'm a little power house! lol Perhaps working with horses since I was 9 has made me stronger? I don't know. I do know though that I'm extremely strong (physically) and it takes a lot to make me give up.
My horse kicked my in the face accidentally 6 years ago. It broke my jaw in 2 places, resulting in me having to get emergency surgery to wire it shut. My jaw was wired shut for 6 weeks, and wires remained in my mouth for 2 months. I was supposed to be wired shut for longer, but the accident happened in November, and my surgeon felt bad and wanted me to get to taste my Christmas dinner that year. So he cut my mouth open December 23. He did an amazing job though! You wouldn't know it happened, unless I told you.
I'm so addicted to music that when I find a new album that I like, I will listen to it non-stop for weeks at a time. ie. have been listening to the Glee soundtrack for about 3 weeks now.
Monday-Friday, I must start my day with a green or white tea. But on weekends, it's all about coffee.
I am completely spoiled by having an incredible mom. I go to her house every day during the week for amazing gourmet lunches. It's such a nice break away from the office.

...why are those things always so hard to do?

Anyhoo, next task is to pass this award on to 4 other blogs.

These four blogs top my do not miss list every morning, so I definitely recommend that you check them out!!

Kitchen Makeover Complete!

2009-11-30T08:25:00.007-05:00

Well I spent practically my entire weekend working on my kitchen, but I'm happy to say that aside from a few tiny touch ups, I managed to get it all done! My Saturday was spent painting up a storm, and yesterday was devoted to cleaning and organizing. It's safe to say that I am extremely happy with the finished product! This will definitely tide me over until I have the extra money to be able to afford new floors and a new counter top.

So without further ado...

After Pictures:

Kitchen Makeover: Part 2

2009-11-26T21:45:00.006-05:00

Since I work from 8-5, my little project is having a slow start. I am however making some progress. Still find myself extremely excited and eager to get this paint on the walls though!

Day 2:

Tonight I managed to sand down the spots that I patched up last night, as well as prime those spots so that my walls will be ready for painting Saturday morning. Since that was only about a 15 minute job, I also worked on painting my butcher block cart. I never did anything to this cart since removing it from the box and assembling it after I brought it home from Ikea..so, I figured that since I'm doing a makeover of the rest of the kitchen, I figured this cart could use a makeover as well. Here are the pictures.

My little helper Boo

3X Thursday: Happy Turkey Legs! (To My American Friends)

2009-11-26T10:17:00.003-05:00

Well, this week's issue of 3X Thursday isn't exactly geared towards me since I am Canadian. But, I will play along anyway. :)

1. What’s up for Turkey Day this year?
Turkey day for me was back in the middle of October - see my post here. It was a fantastic day though! I cooked up a storm and we just had a great family day.

2. What’s on the menu for Turkey Day?
This years turkey day menu was pretty fabulous. I cooked a delicious bird, stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes and squash, while my mom made a dish of sweet potatoes and spinach. All was finished off with a pumpkin cheesecake (my new favourite dessert recipe) and my mom's dutch apple pie. It was amazing.

3. Besides all of the good food, what’s your favorite thing about Thanksgiving? Why?
I think my favourite thing about thanksgiving is having the opportunity to get a lot of the family together. We all live such busy and hectic lives these days and it's so hard to get together - even if some of us live in the same city! Thanksgiving, along with other holidays are so nice as they give us all the opportunity to stop and be with the family we love.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American Friends!!

Call Me Crazy...Time For A Kitchen Makeover!

2009-11-25T19:13:00.007-05:00

I'm approaching my 3rd Christmas in my house, and as I started gather up my recipes for my Christmas baking over the weekend, I took a look in my kitchen and decided that I just can't stand this uninspiring place anymore! I've hated my kitchen since I bought the house and have always wanted to re-vamp it, but have just not gotten around to doing anything yet. C and I spent some time over the summer planning what we would love to do with the place, however that plan would cost much more money than we have right now. Since the money isn't there to do the overhaul we'd like, I've decided to do the next best thing - paint. Painting the room in the 2 colours I have chosen should hopefully help brighten up the place and bring some cheer and happiness into the room. I NEED to do this because honestly, I have absolutely 0 desire to do any cooking or baking in there anymore which is not a good thing for me! I love to cook and bake!

So without further ado, this evening I made a trip to Canadian Tire, purchased paint, came home, and began my project. I will document this little solo project of mine for something neat to look back on, and also perhaps for your enjoyment. ;)

Day 1:

Removed all wall plates, sanded down shotty patchwork done by previous owners, washed the walls, and filled in any holes. So basically, these are the BEFORE shots.

Snow. My Love/Hate Relationship

2009-11-25T10:01:00.007-05:00

I am sitting here in my lonely little cubicle, looking out to see a grey sky and raindrops trickling down the window. I sigh a little as it is yet another grey and dreary day, but then I find myself pausing for a moment. My eyes wander over to my calendar and I suddenly begin to wonder why I am sighing. Should I not be happy that it's only raining? It is the 25th of November and we have not seen one single snowflake yet this season. Shouldn't I be jumping for joy? Don't I hate snow?

...at least I thought I hated snow...

Last winter had to be the worst winter for snow accumulation since I moved to the GTA from Eastern Ontario. Growing up in Eastern Ontario, the norm for my winters were many dumpings of snow and very cold temperatures that hovered around the -20s and -30s. I was actually surprised when I first moved to the GTA how different the season is around here. Up until last year, the winters around here have been tolerable. We've gotten snow, but not as much as back home so I've been happy. But last year, all hell seemed to break loose in the skies!

Last year was definitely the year of the snow. It started falling November first and didn't seem to stop all winter long. The worst part about it to me was the shovelling. You see, I share a driveway with my neighbour, so it only allows me to shovel snow to the one side onto my front lawn. By February this year, my snow banks were over 10ft tall! No joke! The shovelling was getting so hard, that every time it snowed, I'd almost be in tears when I had to shovel in attempt to launch it over the high snow banks.

By this past spring, I had vowed that I officially HATED snow. If Canada had a place where it never snows, I'd want to move there in a heartbeat. Unfortunately though, I'm SOL.

So... since I vowed that I hate snow only 8 months ago, why am I finding myself sighing as I look out into the snowless world that is my work's parking lot?

I was happy when I heard several days ago that Environment Canada announced that we would have a warm winter with not very much snow. Thoughts of the possibility of minimal shovelling this season excited me! So why am I sighing now?

Could I actually still really like snow?

When I really think about it, I actually do think I'd prefer to look out and see a nice white blanket of snow covering the ground and a sky bluer than a robin's egg...rather then a ground covered in mud from the constant rain and a sky so grey that it makes you just want to curl up in a ball and hibernate until spring.

Photo Credit: Sam Javanrouh

The Biggest Winner - Eat and Exercise

2009-11-24T15:47:00.003-05:00

I want to bring up this topic today because winter is quickly approaching. The days are getting shorter, we're seeing less daylight, and even I'll admit it, we're starting to hibernate and become lazy. I say lets kick it in the butt ahead of time and get cracking before we get too comfy ;)

The current season of The Biggest Loser is quickly coming to an end. And although I have not made any posts about it, I am indeed watching and loving it just as much as every other season. There is something about this show that I think is so magical. It's so good to see people who, at the beginning of the season are at their all time low, finish off as completely different people! And they accomplish this not by taking strange pills, or practising fad diets like you see advertised on tv. They accomplish this simply by learning to eat right and exercising! Who would've thunk it?!

It really amazes me how so many people seem to fall at the hands of advertising and believe that all the fad diets and pills will actually make them lose weight and be healthy. Yes they might lose weight, but they certainly won't be healthy.

I thank my parents every chance I get for raising me to be healthy and active. Thanks to them, I luckily never had any sort of weight or health issues. They have also given me enough knowledge to continue on the healthy path on my own which I have been able to do for the past 7 years since leaving the 'nest'.

To those who aren't so aware of the simple ways to stay healthy and happy... watch The Biggest Loser. Seriously! Yes, that means 2 hours on your butt in front of the TV, but the things you learn via that show are endless.

...I even let Jillian Michaels kick my butt once a week via her 20-min workout dvd. That woman is even scary via a dvd! It's so worth it though.

Going In The Right Direction

2009-11-23T08:38:00.003-05:00

Yesterday proved to be a pretty good day for me in that I managed to make a little step in the right direction finance-wise. I lucked out and happened to be in the right place at the right time.

While un-tacking my horse after a really nice ride, my BO (BO = barn owner) and I had a nice chat. I miss my chats with her as the seem to come by at rare moments, when the barn is empty. I'm actually surprised that no one else came out to ride yesterday morning because it was so nice out! Anyway, back to our chat. She mentioned that one of the other boarders who has been doing the Sunday morning barn chores for the past few weeks has quit already, due to personal reasons. My BO seemed a little bummed out since I think she was finally happy to be getting Sunday mornings off, and wasn't really looking forward to her 7-day-a-week job again. Well I thought about it for well.... ummm... maybe a split second and chimed in "I'll do it!".

I desperately need the extra cash in my pocket, and after working 40 hours during the week, could not justify going out and getting any other sort of part time work to take up ALL of my time. So... starting a week from Sunday, I now have the job of doing the barn chores. All I will have to do is muck out the stalls every Sunday morning and make sure there is food and water in the empty stalls ready for the horses when they come in. I figure it will probably take me 2 hours and in the end, I will get a killer ab workout, AND I get money taken off my board! Sounds good to me!

....I also happened to be in the right place at the right time when one of the other boarders showed up, while I was riding my third of the morning, and offered me money to clean up her horse's mane. My immediate response out loud to her - "Sure!"... and my immediate response inside my head - "Score!".

Things are definitely going in the right direction now.

3x Thursday: Music Check-In

2009-11-19T14:21:00.003-05:00

I'm always trying to think of new ways to express my opinions on certain topics, but sometimes I just find myself having a hard time thinking of topics to talk about. So, I am going to try something out here. Providing I can keep up with this, I think it could be fun. Starting today, every Thursday will now be dubbed "3x Thursday".

The whole purpose of 3x Thursday is to answer 3 random questions about a similar topic. Sounds fun to me! Enjoy the ride.

1. Have you gotten any new music lately? If so, what? If not, why not?

I actually purchased 2 new albums last week. They only cost me $1 thanks to swagbucks!

The first being volume 1 of the soundtrack for the show Glee. I am completely in love with Glee, so it was a given that I'd get the soundtrack. I have had it for over a week now and it has not left the cd player in my car. My singing skills have certainly improved in this time! ;)

The second album I purchased last week is The Swell Season's new release, "Strict Joy". I fell in love with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova about 2 years ago when I came across their movie "Once". This new album has definitely not been a disappointment. These two are just magical together.

2. Have you been to any concerts lately? Are there any coming up that you want to go to?

I unfortunately only got to go to one concert this year due to my lack of funds. However, it just so happens that that one concert was for my favourite band, Our Lady Peace. C and I went to see them at Bluesfest in Ottawa back in July and it is a night that I will never forget. I sadly just had to miss two shows that I would have loved to attend - one being for Pilot Speed, and the other The Swell Season. Here's hoping I'll have more opportunities next year.

3. In your opinion, has 2009 been a decent year for music? Why/why not?

I think that 2009 has been an amazing year for music, for me at least. Of course, the musical highlight of the year was the long awaited new release from Our Lady Peace. I've been waiting for several years for this and "Burn, Burn" did not disappoint me. Other notable releases from this year include new music from Metric, Pilot Speed, and The Swell Season. Can't wait to see what comes out next year!

New SATC Book! .. Well, Sort Of

2009-11-17T16:40:00.002-05:00

On a happier note...

I just read on Perez that Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City (my all time FAVOURITE series), is publishing a new book next spring! The book is to be titled "The Carrie Diaries" and will be all about Carrie's high school days.

This news has totally made my day! I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

Getting Something Off My Chest

2009-11-17T16:02:00.003-05:00

So I've been feeling pretty low lately. I hate complaining, especially because things are completely out of my control and the main reasoning is out of any one's control. But it does suck.

David from The Rest Is Still Unwritten made a good point on his Sunday post when he recommended that we all just write like no one is reading. Because in all honesty, as a blogger, why should I really care what other people think? I need to write what I'm thinking and feeling in order to portray my utmost honestly. I shouldn't write to try and please people, in attempt to try and gain more readers. I should write because I love to write. I should write from the heart and if something is on my chest, just get it out in the open because I know that deep down I will feel better in the end.

So here goes nothing.

My little rant of the day.... if you can even call it a rant.

As piddly and measly as this sounds, I haven't seen C (despite 2 quick trips to his work to say hi) in over a week. Before that, for the past month or so, I've only gotten to spend time with him a few nights a week and it's really starting to get to me now. I know most couples almost seem to thrive on time apart, but C and I aren't one of those couples. We have been as inseparable as possible since we met just over a year and a half ago. We fully admit to each other that we're 'clingy' and need to be with the other, but we're both like that and it works for us. We are so madly and deeply in love that we just can't justify being apart more than we have to (ie. when I'm at work, or when he is at work or school). He is currently in his final semester of school, and although we've made it through the grind at the end of his two previous semesters with flying colours, this time it's a lot tougher.

He's been working part-time at a grocery store since February to help out with his bills and such. Up until October, things were ok and manageable. He'd get every 2nd or 3rd weekend off meaning we'd get our time together and all was good. All was good up until Halloween time that is. C asked his boss 3 weeks prior to Halloween for the weekend off so we could partake in some cool holiday activities. 3 days before, his boss wrote on the calendar at work - "Not Possible". From that moment on, it seemed as though his boss had completely turned on him and decided to do no more favours. Ever since then, C has worked every Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday. Basically, when I've been off work, he's been working. On top of this, he is in his last weeks of his program and the work is piled right up on him causing lots of stress for him on top of having it be extremely time consuming for him. It sucks.

I really know I should not be complaining, because the job is temporary and it's just to get him through school. He is literally in the final stretch now of school and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The light being him finally being done school, and being able to get a job which will give him the money to finally move in and allow us to really start our life together. You see! It's a REALLY good light at the end of that tunnel. But...as much as I tell myself it's almost over, and it's not his fault, or any one's fault at that, I still find myself completely bummed out and very low. I'm just seriously missing my soul mate and my best friend and am at the point where I don't know what to do with myself without him! I can only clean my house so many times! lol

Here's hoping the next 3 weeks go by quickly.

There. Phew! Off my chest.

A Review: The Book of Negroes

2009-11-16T10:42:00.003-05:00

Wow. Where do I even begin?

I didn't know what to expect when I purchased "The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill. I had some free money for amazon to purchase a book (thanks to swagbucks), saw that this book received some great reviews, so I figured - why not! Now that I have read this book, and wished it was 3 times longer at the moment when I read the last word, I know that buying this book was totally worth it.

Lawrence Hill did an absolutely outstanding job telling the tale of Aminata Diallo who was abducted from her village in Africa at the age of 11 by slave traders. The book follows Aminata throughout her ups and downs from the time of her abduction, to her last days. Hill's amazing use of fiction alongside history just had me totally and completely immersed in Aminata's story from the first word, right to the last and I really honestly wished he would have kept on writing!

An amazing book indeed, and definitely one that will be added to my must-read list for all other book worms out there!

Let's Talk About Hot Dogs!

2009-11-13T11:06:00.005-05:00

Yes, you read correctly. I said hot dogs!

Seriously though, what is it about hot dogs that makes them so delicious?? (I will respond to that myself by saying that was a rhetorical question. I really don't want to know what is in those juicy little tubes of meat.)

Imagine it is a hot and sunny summer day. You're having a back yard bbq with friends and family. Since it a big bbq, you couldn't afford to buy steaks for everything, so you serve the next best thing .. hot dogs! Your face lights up as that perfectly grilled dog is placed in your bun and you slather it in your favourite toppings. (My favourites are ketchup and mustard.) You take that first bite and as that delicious, juicy flavour surrounds the inside of your mouth, it is like you are taken away for a moment; perhaps to a moment in your childhood, or any particularly happy moment. It's like you're in your very own hot dog bliss.

I don't think I've ever met a person who was not fed a lot of hot dogs when they were a kid. Hot dogs are an affordable meal for parents to feed their kids, and to be even more direct about the whole thing, kids LOVE hot dogs! I have a cousin who would eat nothing but hot dogs for several years when he was young! Almost everyone loved hot dogs when they were young, and I really believe that they are one of only a few childhood staples that so many of us adults still love to this day!

C and I both still adore hot dogs. He loves them so much he can eat almost a whole pack at once! Whenever we are stuck with what to have for supper, we look at each other and laugh while saying ummmm.. hot dogs? I almost get embarrassed when I decide to make them for supper because there's 0 effort involved. But when it comes down to it, I really shouldn't feel any embarrassment what-so-ever because they're too damn delicious!

And don't even get me started on street meat. Oh my.. whoever invented selling hot dogs on a cart in the streets of big cities (or at select Canadian Tire stores) is/was a GENIUS!!! Without question, if I am out walking in a big city and am hungry, where do I usually go? Not to a fancy restaurant, or to a fail safe fast-food joint. I go and get street meat!! (yes, that is me below enjoying some street meat in Ottawa)

I think the hot dog will forever be on my list of favourite foods. It's simple, affordable, and so gosh darn good!

Lest We Forget

2009-11-11T10:25:00.003-05:00

At 11:00am today, the 11th day, of the 11th month, all Canadians will take a moment and remember. We will remember all of the amazing people who fought for our country in order to allow us to live in a land of freedom and peace. We will wear our poppies proudly above our hearts, and remember.

I feel very lucky to have met a very amazing man around this time last year. He was a veteran of the 2nd world war and was C's grandfather. We unfortunately lost him this past March; he was in his early 90s. I will be thinking of all the veterans today, but most of all, C's grandfather will hold a special place in my heart on this special day.

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Worried Over Christmas

2009-11-10T13:51:00.005-05:00

Lately I've been having a lot of trouble focusing. Let it be at work, or home. I've noticed that even my riding hasn't been top notch the last little while. My mind has been racing in attempt to figure out the cause of this and I think I finally know why. Or maybe I should say, I've finally been able to find it in myself to admit why.

My name is Laura.

It is coming close to holiday season, and...

I am in debt.

Like major debt.

I have been in debt for a while now, (as in more than my car and mortgage) but I was managing. Things only really seemed to get worse when Piper got sick. It was such an emotional time for me not only just because my pet was REALLY sick, but also because in order to make him better, I had to dig my hole deeper and deeper.

Now I'm not looking for any kind of pity party here. I'm just using this blog of mine to vent a bit while thinking via typing as to what I'm going to do to fix this. I've been on my own in this big house for almost three years now and although it's been tough, I've been managing. I only have a few more months to go until C hopefully finds his dream job and can move in, so I know I will manage until then. It's just extra hard right now because we're creeping up on holiday time. I love Christmas time! I love decorating my house and giving my loved ones amazing gifts!

Rewind 2 years, right about this time of year... I'm single, working on getting over the devastating end to my engagement, wondering what my first Christmas would be like alone in my first home. It was at that time that no matter what, I was going to make sure I was going to have a fantastic Christmas. I would decorate my house as much as I wanted, however I wanted, and not let anything get me down. I've spent two Christmas' in my house so far and loved having my own tree and decorations. I'm kind of getting down on myself right now because due to the fact that I am in some major debt, I've actually been having thoughts that I might not be able to get my Christmas tree this year!

I've had a real Christmas tree every single year since I was born and it's actually killing me a bit inside to think that it just might not happen this year. I realized today that I just might have to improvise, but deep down am hoping that I can really do it. Perhaps I'll be able to find a little evergreen in a pot that I can decorate and then attempt to keep alive long enough to plant in my yard next year? Or maybe I'll luck out and find a real one for REAL cheap somewhere? (It cost me $40 last year! Ouch.) It's actually scaring me because this Christmas might actually really be different. I know it's just a tree, and family and friends should be what matters during the holidays, but there's definitely still that little girl inside of me that NEEDS my tree!

On the positive side of things, I've decided that I'm going to try and use my craftiness to make some very affordable gifts for my loved ones. I've been having fun searching the web to try and figure out what to make this year. Hopefully everyone loves the finished products!

For interest sake, here's my very first Christmas tree from my very first Christmas, in my very first, very own home. :)

Thank You Piper

2009-11-09T08:55:00.002-05:00

It appears as though today is just one of those days...

After having a very busy weekend filled with lots of yard work fun, I decided to get organized for bed about a half hour early last night. I proceeded with my usual bedtime routine of brushing my teeth, washing my face, feeding the cats, shutting my curtains, and turning on my alarm. Well... so I thought.

I had an amazing sleep with no tossing and turning, or having to wake up to empty my damn bladder in the middle of the night. Piper started bugging me a bit in the early hours of the morning - something he's taken to since he had his operation and I decided to let him sleep with me - but it was a usual morning. Until Piper really started bugging me! Usually he just lays on my shoulder, or my chest, or back - depending how I am laying, all while purring his brains out in attempt to wake me up so that I will go and feed him. This morning though, he suddenly started going nuts playing on my chest! Pulling at my blankets and everything! I got mad at him for a second for waking me like that until I uncovered my clock to find the time showing 6:45!!!!! My alarm usually goes off at 6:15! Apparantly, although I thought I set it, I didn't.

Needless to say, my morning was pretty rushed as I tried to shower, get dressed, make and eat breakfast, feed the cats and clean their litter all in less than an hr! Thankfully Piper knew that I had to get up and did his darndest to make sure I did!

Isn't it amazing how animals just know things? Piper knew that I needed to get up at that exact time to be able to make it to work! I thanked him all morning at home and will thank him publicly now --- thank you Piper!!!

***...for those readers interested, Piper has recovered 100% from his surgery and acts younger now than he has in a few years! So glad my little guy is back to normal now! :)

Cleaning Green

2009-11-03T11:20:00.016-05:00

I think it's safe to say that we as a species (well most of us at least) have finally come to term with the fact that we have been slowly killing our planet over the years and that the time has come to really step up and do what we can to save the planet we have left.

I have always seen myself as someone who was conscious about the environment and how I went about my day-to-day life. I turn of lights when I need to, use a thermostat in my home, limit my water usage, embrace my local recycling/composting program and really just try not to waste anything. The one area where my attempts at being greener lacked has been in the cleaning department.

To be completely honest, I've never been an advocate for "green" products. I'm not sure if it's the mentality that was enforced on us growing up, but I really never believed that a green product could actually clean like the normal fail-safe brands out there. Due to this thinking that I admit to having, I decided to jump at the opportunity to sign up to test a new line of natural laundry detergent from Clorox® Green Works™.

I was only hoping for a coupon to give it a shot, but I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I was one of 50 Canadian bloggers chosen by matchstick.ca to participate in a word of mouth campaign to promote this new product!

Last Friday, a box showed up at my office with some wonderful goodies inside! Along with these goodies, I received some instructions. The first being to try these Green Works™ products myself and share my opinion on this blog. And the second being to SHARE Green Works™ with some friends and get their input. Sounds easy enough, right?

So let's get down to business. :)

Since my box of goodies showed up at my office, and due to the fact that I couldn't contain my excitement, my co-workers got curious. So.. I started off this little project my sharing samples and FPCs (FPC = free product coupon) for Green Works™ natural laundry detergent with my co-workers. I gave them their own little project to test out the detergent over the next few days and report back on this blog post on their thoughts on the product. Can't wait to hear from you all!

I wanted to share more! So I then decided to hold a little contest on one of my favourite message boards, Smart Canucks! I made a post calling out to all Smart Canucks readers saying that I would send out an FPC for Green Works™ to the first 8 people who posted a picture of their dirty laundry! It made for a super fun afternoon and 8 people did actually post pictures of their laundry pile! I mailed the 8 participants their FPC yesterday in hopes that they test out the product and report back here with their thoughts! Click HERE to check out all the fun we had!!

Now that I had completed one of my tasks by sharing the majority of the coupons and samples I was given, I figured I better try this stuff out for myself! And that's what I did on the weekend! Here's what I thought of it:

Clorox® Green Works™ Natural Laundry Detergent

Again, I can't say again how excited I was to have been picked to do this. I have contemplated trying out green laundry detergent, but when I really thought about it, I came to the conclusion of - how is something green going to clean something so grimy as my horse's dirty saddle pads? So... this past weekend, I put it to the test on all of my laundry, including a load of dirty horse items. And you know what? IT ACTUALLY WORKED!!! Seriously, I was shocked! A laundry product that is 95% natural actually cleaned horse laundry! To those of you who might be reading this and thinking - well what's so special about horse laundry? Well do I have an eye opener for you! You see, miss Chelsea, my lovely horse, despite having "Lady" in her registered name, believes that it is most comfortable sleeping in her poop! Poop mixed in with dirt from rolling outside, mixed with sweat from our workouts = some pretty dirty saddle pads. And Green Works™ Natural Laundry detergent actually cleaned them! This is a big plus in my books.

Putting horse laundry aside, all of my clothes and towels now have an AMAZING lemony fresh scent that can almost be compared with the likes of Gain! Gain's scent is pretty special, but I think that since Green Works™ is 95% natural, I think it has managed to inch just above Gain for my overall new favourite detergent. I have actually found a green detergent that does the job, smells great, AND is good for our environment! A+ in my books!

Clorox® Green Works™ Natural All-Purpose Cleaner

I was also lucky enough to receive a bottle of Clorox® Green Works™ natural all-purpose cleaner to try. It couldn't have come at a better time because I was in need of a new bottle of all-purpose cleaner and I had a *big* cleaning job to do. I'm almost embarrassed to say, but before this weekend, my fridge was pretty nasty. Like beyond gross. It was full of rotting food, had stains all over, and stank. I contemplated taking a picture to post on here, but it's embarrassing enough telling you all about that situation now! Needless to say, I was eager to give this natural cleaner a try.

Well, Clorox® Green Works™ managed to surprise me yet again! After completely emptying my fridge I sprayed this natural cleaner all over. I couldn't believe how easy it was to clean! There was honestly huge brown piles of rotting stuff on the shelves... stuff that had been so long that it sort of dried on the shelves - gross, I know! Well this cleaner took it off in one easy wipe! My fridge now smells great, and looks great too! My boyfriend said it looked like new!

After completing my fridge clean-up, I have come to the conclusion that if this cleaner, that is made of natural ingredients can clean nasty, brown fridge sludge, I don't think there's anything it can't clean! Another A+ in my books!

All in all, I was extremely impressed with the Clorox® Green Works™ products I received. Both the detergent and all-purpose cleaner did their jobs by cleaning how they were supposed to clean, and all why being natural, *and* smelling great!!!

If you've been contemplating going green with your cleaning supplies, I highly recommend that you try out this brand. I don't think you'll be disappointed!

***UPDATE!! To those of you who have sampled this detergent, please take a moment to fill out a small survey conducted by Matchstick by clicking HERE !! For every completed survey they receive, Matchstick will be making a $2 donation to The Redwood, a family support shelter that offers assistance to those less fortunate (http://www.theredwood.com/). Thanks!

The Decline of Halloween?

2009-11-02T11:04:00.002-05:00

Is it just me? Or does it seem like the whole essence of Halloween has been diminishing over the past couple of years? It just doesn't seem to be as big of a deal anymore. Not like when I was a kid.

Back in September, C and I were really excited for Halloween. I even made this post showing my excitement. You see, Halloween is C's most favourite holiday and we were planning on going all out this year with some amazing costumes. That was until his boss had to step in and ruin everything for us. C booked off the weekend about 3 weeks and only last week he was told that it was not possible for him to have the time off. To make things worse, out of the 3 possible shifts on Saturday, his boss put him on to work until close. So, due to his boss, any possible Halloween plans for us were thrown out the door. I carved my pumpkins and brought them to my parents house where I hung out for the night in hopes of seeing many cool costumes on the kids that came by.

But here's the kicker! My parents live in a pretty large subdivision and they only had maybe 30 trick-or-treaters! Upon speaking to everyone in my office, it was the same at their houses as well. My office is full of candy right now because there were no kids out trick-or-treating to get it! Where were all the kids?

In my first year in my house, I received over 100 kids. Last year, the numbers dropped drastically and I got maybe 30-40. And this year, even lower. What ever happened to kids making such a big deal about trick-or-treating? What are they doing instead? Are parents keeping them in for some reason? In attempt to protect them from something?

It's just such a shame that a holiday that seemed so BIG when I was a kid has diminished so much over the past few years. I can only hope that the holiday doesn't completely decline by the time I have kids!

Hiding Behind The Monitor

2009-10-30T14:04:00.003-04:00

Due some recent events in the horse world, I am finding myself very frustrated with a certain online forum today and can't keep my mouth shut any longer. I choose not to post on this particular forum anymore, so my little rant gets to be posted here. And I must add, I was an AVID poster on there in my teen years when people on that forum were actually nice!

Since most of you probably have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, here's what's been going on.

Last night, a brand new horse 'reality' show premiered on CMT. Basically the show follows three young entrepreneurs as they go through the ups and downs of running their own stable north of Toronto. I have yet to see the premiere since it aired at 11pm, but I am already almost disgusted with the feedback they have been getting on this certain forum.

This past week leading up to the premiere, one of the girls from the show started posting on this forum in attempt to hype it up and make everyone aware. The girl was excited, so I certainly don't blame her for her actions. Maybe two days ago, the rudeness on the board began. The show had not even aired yet and people were already on this girl's case. One poster even took to wishing nothing but failure on the show, it's participants, and the farm they run!

Now that the show has aired, the flaming and rudeness just continues. I know I have yet to see the show, but still. What good does it do to hide behind your computer screen and bash someone else for at least giving something a try?

Maybe the show sucks! Maybe it's actually great! My opinion - who cares! As someone who's been involved some way in the horse industry for the past 16 years, I find it exciting that they're actually putting forth an effort in airing more horsey programs! Heartland, the drama set out in Alberta has had much succces, so it's great to see a reality-type show coming forward. All involved in UnStable have put a lot of work and heart and soul into their show. People should just be happy that there's something horsey on tv rather than continue to pick it to shreds. It's amazing how people can be so rude when they are hidden behind a monitor.

Rant over! :)

Instant Gratification

2009-10-28T15:43:00.006-04:00

I'd like to say that I am a very observant driver. I like to know what's going on around me and what other drivers are doing - at ALL times. C has a great time making fun of me while I drive and constantly comment on the stupid driving maneuvers I see around me. I didn't use to be like this. It just seemed to happen over time. It also doesn't help that my daily commute is on one of the deadliest stretches of highway in Canada.

I honestly never encountered so many bad drivers before I moved to the GTA. (to my American readers GTA = greater Toronto area) I come from a smaller town in Eastern Ontario where it's rare to even encounter 3 or 4 cars as you pull onto the 401 -- unlike here, where you're pretty much guaranteed to pull right into traffic anytime you get on. In my city/town here in the GTA, a yellow light suddenly means "go faster and lets see how many more we can get through the intersection before the light turns red!", not "time to slow down and stop". I actually even got rear-ended several years ago because I stopped when the light was yellow! It was a very snowy day, the roads were bad, so I felt it would be safer to stop rather than attempt to turn left on a yellow. I stop, then suddenly feel a BANG behind me! Unbelievable!

Another big thing I noticed here in the GTA is SPEED. Holy cow, people around here are always in such a rush! I've learned to not even bother going the speed limit because if you try, you will have a pile of cars right on your but, or zipping by you. The speed limit on the highway is 100 km/hr. In the mornings on my way to work, I quickly realized that if you don't want to die, you best be going at least 120! It's nuts!

Yesterday on my way back to the office from lunch I was driving on a main road in town where the speed limit is 50 km/hr. I was driving around 56 km/hr and there was this complete douche bag on my butt. He eventually passed me and that was it. Fast forward several intersections and I see a police car coming up behind me in the other lane. After a few lights the officer ended up ahead of me a bit, but I could still see him. Good news, the douche bag from earlier certainly did NOT see him! I don't know how he didn't see him either since the officer was in the right lane, about 2 cars back from douche bag in the left lane sitting at a red light. Well light turns green, douche bag speeds off. He was probably going 65 in a 50 and BANG... lights go off on the police cruiser and douche bag gets pulled over.

Instant gratification.

I've Been Hit By The Bug

2009-10-27T15:43:00.007-04:00

...the cupcake bug.

I don't know what it suddenly is about cupcakes that is making them such a rage these days, but you see them talked about on blogs everywhere and all I know is that now I want in.

I've loved baking for as long as I can remember. When it comes to the kitchen, I have the mentality of "Give me a recipe and I can cook or bake anything". Trying new recipes excites me and I love to see the outcome. I never really put much thought into cupcake baking or even starting to bake more until this morning when a friend of mine introduced me to the online store, Bake It Pretty.

OH...... MY....... GOD........

This store is absolutely drool-worthy for anyone who likes to bake - ie. me! I've been browsing this store all day long while making a mental list of things I would like to purchase with money that I do not have. If there was only some possible way that I could bake and actually make some money for it!

Despite my current lack of funds, I just might have to purchase a thing or two from this store and possibly try my hand at the cupcake thing. Who knows, maybe I'll actually be really good at it and something could actually come out of this silly new-found obsession of mine! Am I crazy?

A Visit to a Former Home

2009-10-26T09:16:00.007-04:00

For the first time in a LONG time, C and I actually got to spend a Saturday together. Due to his crappy part-time job which he has to work while finishing up school, he very rarely gets time off to spend with me on weekends, so this was a big deal to me.

I already had plans to attend a warehouse sale for a store that sold horse-related products and he gladly decided to tag along with me. So we woke up early and made the trek across the big city as the sale was of course, on the opposite end of the city from where we live. The sale was great and I purchased everything that was on my list and nothing more. I was very proud of myself!

Since we were already on that end of the city and not far from where my grandfather is buried, we decided to drive over and say hi. Anytime someone from the family is in that general area, we try to stop in and check on things and make sure is all good. Several years ago, his grave was actually sinking and falling off it's base, so we like to keep an eye on it, and of course say hi. I never knew my grandfather because he passed 5 years before I was born, so it is always kind of nice to stop by and say hi.

When we were done at the cemetery, I looked at the time and it was only 10:30. We were only 20 minutes away from my University town so my mind started thinking and planning. I have always wanted to show C my campus from my University days, and especially in the fall when the leaves were different colours. He agreed it was an optimal time to go, so we continued down the highway.

Oh how I miss my former home.

The University of Guelph.

When I was there, working on my degree, I LOVED my school and the campus, but I never realized that down the road I would have such an emotional attachment towards the place. Prior to this weekend, I had not been to Guelph and on campus since '06, the year I graduated. So that moment when we drove into campus on Saturday I was almost surprised how my heart started going and I instantly felt this overwhelming feeling of joy and comfort and HOME. I really truly MISSED this place!

Although it was a little windy and chilly, the campus was exactly how I remembered it. As soon as we entered the University Center, which is like the main building, it honestly felt like I had never left. The feeling I had was almost surreal, and I loved every moment of it.

There was so much that I wanted to show C, but due to limited time, we just made the general walk around campus. I brought him to 'my' building, which was where 90% of my classes were held, thus most of my time during those four years was spent in this building. Everything was the same, even the smell. He thought it was kind of a funky smell, but again to me, it was home. It was incredible. We also walked by my old residence building where I lived during my first year and then made a stop in the campus store where he bought me a new U of G travel mug.

When we finished out walking tour and our lunch, I didn't want to leave. But, I knew it was time. As much as that place feels like home to me still, it was my home of my past, not my future. It was the home that helped enable me to be able to provide for my future and I love it for that. I hope to continue to visit this former home of mine periodically over the upcoming years, and can only hope that this feeling of home that I had when on campus never fades.

The Inevitable Post About...

2009-10-22T14:07:00.002-04:00

H1N1.

I've been toying over the idea of even making a post on this topic and after mulling over it for the past few days and having it be the main topic of conversation in the office, I figured why not.

I'm not really sure as to how things are going down in the US in terms of new cases and vaccinations, but I imagine, H1N1 is still 'the talk of the town' down there too. Up here in Canada, the vaccine was approved yesterday and Canadians in New Brunswick will be the first to start receiving the shot on Monday, with other provinces to follow shortly thereafter. One of the biggest questions on everyone's mind is "Will I get it?"

Personally, I really don't think I am going to get it unless, and only UNLESS someone in my family, or someone I work with contracts it. You may think I'm stupid for not getting it, but I have my reasons. My main thought here is what are the side effects? You can ask, but no one knows yet because this hasn't even really been tested. I'm assuming that companies usually spend at least a year developing and testing new vaccines and medications, not months! It just seems too fast. Then I read about the fact that although vaccines in Canada are not supposed to have mercury, that the government allowed for mercury to be put in the H1N1 vaccine if that meant it could be distributed quicker! I don't know, the whole thing just doesn't sound right to me.

H1N1 is just like any other flu. Hundreds of people die of the common flu each and every year, we just don't hear about it! Due to this alone I find it hard to understand why this is such a big deal. I guess the only reason there's such commotion over H1N1 is because it's so new. But, as long as you're healthy and practise practical hygiene, you really shouldn't have an issue. *Knock on wood* I never get the flu shot, and I've never gotten the flu. *knock on wood again* because I exercise, eat well, get my 8 hrs of sleep every night and wash my hands!

Side note: despite everything, it's amazing how many women don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom! Although I am one of only 2 women in my office, a local newspaper rents out one of the floors in our building and the women there share my bathroom. At least once a week I am in the bathroom at the same time as one of those women and they go to the bathroom, turn the tap on for maybe 3 seconds, turn it off and leave... these are grown women people!

To my readers: Are you planning on getting the H1N1 shot? what about the flu shot?

I think there are just way to many uncertainties revolved around this so I don't plan on getting either. To good health!!

One Step Closer to 30

2009-10-20T10:41:00.006-04:00

Am I upset/worried/depressed/uneasy? Not at all!

If you haven't already guessed by my title, today is my birthday and I have officially turned 26 years old. I have passed that hump of my 20s and am now one step closer to 30. I think I must be the odd one out if/when compared to most people my age. You constantly hear about people, mostly women, dreading about turning 30. Perhaps they're worried that they haven't accomplished what they thought they would by that point in their life? I'm really not sure.

Today I find myself one year closer to 30 and I don't harbour any bad feelings at all. I'm actually excited! For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be older. When I was little, I would dream about getting married and having a family, so I looked forward to get older because it was at that point when those opportunities would come to me.

Despite a few bumps in the road over the years, I am overall pretty happy where I am today. I accomplished what I wanted to education-wise when I walked away with an honours degree 3 years ago. I currently hold a full-time job and although it is not my dream job -- YET (that will come in time) -- it has allowed me to be able to purchase a brand new car at 22, become a homeowner at 23, all while being able to keep the horse which my parents bought me when I was 16. I spend my money as wisely as I can, and although it's tough, I know I made the right decisions.

In late March 2008, I was lucky enough to come across this amazing man (C) with whom I quickly fell deeply in love and we've been together ever since. We talk all the time about the many plans we have for our future together and I honestly could not be more excited to see where our road will lead us. So, now that I really think about it, I think that C is the main reason why I could care less about being closer to 30. We have an amazing thing together that is so rare these days and I am constantly finding myself looking forward to growing older with him and seeing where we end up.

On that note, I will embrace 26 with open arms and keep on looking forward to seeing what 30 will bring me.

Reading..and a Review

2009-10-19T10:32:00.005-04:00

When I sit and really think about it, I have the strangest reading habits.

Growing up, I would read a lot. I had my favourite series' like Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley High, The Saddle Club, Goosebumps, etc.. and really loved immersing myself in the pages of each new book. That was until I went to university. While at university, since I spent the majority of my time reading for school, I just didn't have anything left in me to read for pleasure. And sadly, in a way, I actually resented reading by the time I graduated. My reading habits got so bad, that I chose to purchase a subscription to Cosmopolitan when I graduated so I was at least reading something!

Fast forward about a year and a half... my relationship of 3 years ended suddenly, and very badly. I was completely heart broken, living in a big house all on my own, in a town where I had no friends. One day something clicked in me and I decided that I had enough and needed to do something rather than sitting along feeling sorry for myself each and every day. So I made a trip to Chapters. There's something special about that store that makes me just want to spend hours on end walking around looking at all the beautiful books. I picked up James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" on that first trip. I thought it would be fitting to read about his struggles (let them be fiction or non-fiction, that didn't matter to me) while I was trying to raise myself up after my recent struggles. I literally plowed through that book in a couple of days and at the completion of that book, my love of reading was resurrected.

That winter I spent all of my spare time immersed in so many different wonderful books. I just couldn't get enough! That was until my bank account told me that I had to stop spending so much money on these things. It just so happened that around the same time I met C and spent all my spare moments with him, so I didn't miss reading all that much. We have now been together for about a year and a half and this past spring, thanks to being able to win FREE money for amazon via Swagbucks, I have begun purchasing books again (for FREE) and haven't been happier. I've been able to balance things out and get my reading fill in at night before bed and on weekends when C is working and it's great! :) My dream is to one day be able to have my own little library in my basement with all my favourite literary works. One day...

So on to my review for the day! :)

Yesterday I finally finished reading The Time Traveller's Wife by AudreyNiffenegger. A good friend of mine had been recommending it for a while, then after seeing the trailers for the movie in the summer, I decided I had to read it.

I was hooked from the moment I first opened this book. I loved Audrey's writing style, writing from each of the main character's point of view. It was such an interesting and creative writing concept and story I give it 5 starts for sure. I laughed, I cried, I felt hope and dread for the characters. I felt like I knew the characters personally and found myself so personally invested in their outcome as I flipped from page to page. I know the movie probably won't measure up a most movies don't, but I certainly can't wait until it is released on dvd. I think it's going to be a must buy.

Recovery Begins

2009-10-16T15:05:00.005-04:00

..I hope.

Yesterday, 1 day after surgery, I was allowed to bring my little cat Piper home. I was a bundle of nerves and excitement for the remaining few hours of work and the drive over to the vet's office come 5pm.

I arrived to a massive bill, special instructions with pills, and a sad looking cat. I know many people think - "It's just a cat", but he's more than just a cat to me. We've been through a lot together these past 5 years and it breaks my heart to see him hurting and unhappy. Before I left, the vet gave me the opportunity to take a look at the x-rays of my little guy's bladder. I think I literally proclaimed to the vet "Holy Cow!". On the x-ray, you could literally see a pile of stones with the crystals all around it. This mound took up more than 3/4 of poor Piper's bladder! No wonder the little guy was having troubles. The vet then compared with an x-ray post-operation and you could see that they managed to clean out about 97% of the crap in his bladder, so he shouldn't have any more issues with blockage now.

After saying our good-byes and I was given my final instructions, I packed up Piper in the car and off we went on our trek home. He let out one sad, scratchy little cry and didn't make a peep the whole rest of the trip.

Upon our arrival at home, and a hello from his 'sister', my other cat Boo, I then spent the next half an hr following Piper throughout the house with paper towels as he was bleeding as a result from having a catheter in for over 2 days. -- Does anyone have tips for removing blood from a light beige carpet?

Once he made his walk around the house, he parked himself in front of his water dish and started to drink! Yippe!!! I was so excited because for 2 days before I brought him back to the vet on Tuesday, he would not drink.

He spent all of last evening either on me, or right beside me on the couch snuggling and purring his brains out, so I guess that's a good sign that he's feeling a bit better. I decided to have him sleep in my room with me so that I could monitor his bathroom usage, although he did not go overnight. He actually spent the entire night right beside me on my bed. It was really nice to have him home.

My mom went to visit him after lunch for me since I am stuck at work and although he still has not peed, I sent her over with some new food which he gobbled right up. Now that he's eating, hopefully stuff will start to come out again. I may have to call the vet again when I get home tonight, but I remain hopeful. There are many other little things that he's been doing since being home which show me he *is* feeling better, so I think it's just a matter of time before his body starts functioning properly again.

In the meantime, I will continue to baby him and do my best to take care of him on this road to recovery.

A Big Surprise!

2009-10-15T09:01:00.005-04:00

Holy cow! I actually won an award!

I'd by lying if I said I didn't feel even the slightest bit of envy each and every time I visit a blog that is covered in lovely awards. I've secretly always wanted one, and honestly never really thought that I'd actually get one BUT.... here it is!

I'd like to take this opportunity to send big thanks to Meg from Lost In Thought for giving me this award. I came across Meg's blog not too long ago and just love it to bits! I make a point to check out what she has to say each and every day - you should to the same!

Now being awarded this blog doesn't only mean that I get to post this image for all the world to see. There are several duties I must complete in order to fully accept.

So for my first order of business, I am going to award this to three of my favourite bloggers!

Three Stride Studios - Kristen is a good friend of mine and an amazing up-and-coming photographer.

Rachel (Not Rebecca) - I came across Rachel's blog about a month ago and can't go a day without checking if she has something new to say. She definitely deserves this one.

Pieces of Awesome - Another must-read on my daily blog roll list. She's witty, random and funny - everything you need for some entertaining reading.

I really recommend you all check out these blogs. Hopefully you love them as much as me! :)

Onto my second order of business in my acceptance of this award....

7 Random Facts About Myself

1. I am a huge homebody. I'd rather stay home snuggling and watching movies over going out any day.

2. I don't drink (alcohol that is). Although I did have my moments during University where all I wanted to do was party, aside from the odd 1/2 glass of wine on special occasions, I do not drink.

3. I met the love of my life via a free online dating site. Yup, that's right! It does work people!

4. Bought my first house at 23 years old. The bills do suck still, but things will be so much better for me in the long run.

5. I got my Bachelor of Art's Honours Degree in Classical Studies - Ancient Greek and Roman History. Absolutely LOVED everything I learned about. ..... I now work in the electrical industry. Go figures.

6. One of my biggest dreams is to go to Rome and see everything I studied. I just might pass out with excitement the day I get to step foot in the Roman forum.

7. I honestly don't think I could go one day without listening to even a little bit of music. It's in my blood.

Phew! done! Thank you again Meg! :)

A Thanksgiving Feast

2009-10-14T08:39:00.004-04:00

Despite all the crappy stuff going on with my cat over the long weekend, I still managed to put that stress aside and cook up quite the tasty feast for my family. I'm totally going to toot my own horn here, because I'd be lying if I didn't say that my turkey was cooked to perfection! I think this was my best turkey yet. It was so nice and juicy and was a hit all around. I also made my first cheesecake (a pumpkin cheesecake) which was also a huge hit. That recipe will be a keeper for the future.

Here are the pics of my work. :)

Gobble Gobble!

Our spread..oh the choices!

My pumpkin cheesecake.

A Family Emergency

2009-10-13T14:58:00.004-04:00

I've had quite the eventful Thanksgiving weekend. My dinner ended up being fabulous (I will post about it tomorrow), but all the moments in between, were unfortunately not so fabulous. :(

In attempt to make a long story short...

Friday I noticed unusual behaviour in my 5y/o cat, Piper. I caught him peeing on one of my bags which was laying on my bedroom floor. That night after work, I brought him a brand new litter box to see if perhaps he was unhappy with his current one. I quickly realized he was having troubles in the peeing department. He proceeded to lay in his new litter box for over half an hr trying to pee, but unable to.

I rushed him to the vet Saturday morning where the vet chose to keep him for several hours. After being sedated and given a catheter, the vet realized he has crystals. Go here for a good explanation as to what that is: http://www.homevet.com/petcare/cystitis.html

I was allowed to bring him home Saturday mid-day and was given special food and some meds for my poor boy. The vet called at noon Sunday to check on him and he was doing ok. He had eaten a whole bowl of food and was peeing a bit, so I then went on to my parents for thanksgiving supper.When I got home Sunday night, I found three massive piles of vomit -- the amount looked to have been everything that would have been in Piper's stomach. From Sunday night, until this morning, he hadn't eaten, had anything to drink, let alone pee... so I rushed him back to the vet before work this morning.

I received a phone call around 11 this morn from the vet saying that he ended up having to do xrays and on top of the many crystals in Piper's bladder, he can also see some big stones that he will not be able to pass through the catheter. So my options... surgery or, put him down.

After giving it a LOT of thought, and talking $ with my dad, I have decided that I don't have the heart to put him down yet without giving him a chance. He is only 5 years old, so I'm going to let the vet do the surgery in hopes that it helps him out. My dad is giving me a loan to cover the costs and we will work something out for me to pay him back.. because the surgery is $$$$$.My little Piper is on an IV right now to bring up his strength, and he goes into surgery tomorrow. He needs as many good vibes as he can get!!!

Was George Orwell Right?

2009-10-09T14:55:00.002-04:00

I don't think so. But many people do.

Earlier this week, Google Street View went live in Toronto and it's surrounding areas and many people think it's as if "1984" has finally come to life. They be live that Google has invaded their lives and privacy. My response to this - SERIOUSLY??

Honestly, I think these people are just a little too paranoid. Yes, there are people who have been captured by the camera and are visible on Google now - but it's not like it's live. They've been captured in a moment in time. How is this an invasion of privacy? Google did not snap pictures of people in their homes. They drove down streets and took pictures of houses and buildings. I wouldn't say that is an invasion of privacy.

I actually think this Google Street View is a pretty clever idea. Unfortunately I have not been able to see it for myself yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to checking it out. I think it is going to be such a useful tool to people in the future.

Imagine you're moving to a new city, or visiting a new city. You have an address of a particular place you need to go to and now with Google Street View, you can actually see what the place looks like. The ability is now there to find landmarks at a corner you might have to turn at. You can find your boundaries long before you even arrive in said city. I think it's brilliant!

Say you move to a new city and want to find a certain store? You can just browse around and find one using this feature.

I think this new way of mapping is genius and it's only going to be a matter of time where those who think that they whole thing is too Orwellian are going to need to use it to find something. Only then will they realize that their original opinions might now be different.

To my readers: what are your thoughts on this? do you think it's an invasion of privacy?

Remember When...

2009-10-07T13:08:00.002-04:00

...Mc Donald's sold pizza?

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Wednesday Fun - Another Meme

2009-10-07T10:43:00.002-04:00

Happy hump-day all!

I was tagged by Rachel from Rachel (not Rebecca) and figure that since I've developed quite the blog crush on her, that I better follow through and complete this.

Five people I hope are eaten by a rabid pack of Velociraptors:

Stephen Harper (he's making a mess of Canada; I did NOT vote for him)
Jon Gosselin (so sick of seeing him slowly destroy the lives of his beautiful children via his own selfishness)
Kanye West (seriously, why does this guy think he's god's gift to the world)
Lindsay Lohan (just go away please)
George Bush (yeah he's not president anymore, and you don't hear about him much, but come on! he screwed up more than just America.)

Five drinks I love:

skim milk
green/white tea
Dr. Pepper
Tropicana's Apple juice
white chocolate café mocha from Starbucks

Five favourite quotes:

"There's no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse." - Robert Smith Surtees
"It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters." - Mother Theresa
"Life gives you lots of chances to screw up which means you have just as many chances to get it right." - Carrie Bradshaw (SATC)
"Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.” - Carrie Bradshaw (SATC)
"Somewhere behind the athlete you've become; the coaches who pushed you, the people who believed in you, the long hours of schooling, the dirt beneath your nails, the falls you've taken, the ribbons you didn't win, the tears you've cried, and the horses you've given your heart to, is the little girl who fell in love with a horse, and never looked back. Ride for her..." - author unknown

Five things to do before I die:

marry the love of my life (C)
go to Rome
have a job I absolutely LOVE
become a mother
learn how to speak some Polish

Five bloggers I am stalking *ahem* have a crush on (and therefore are tagged to also complete this meme):

Five famous famous men I’d also like to do naughty things to: (this was originally a question about chicks, but I don’t have any interesting answers for that)

Raine Maida (lead singer from Our Lady Peace)
Sam Roberts
Jim Sturgess
Ryan Reynolds
John Corbett as Aiden on SATC

Thanksgiving!

2009-10-06T08:52:00.005-04:00

For me and my Canadian readers, Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. Are you prepared?

I thought it was a brilliant idea when I decided to host Thanksgiving at my house this year. I love having people over to my little abode, and the more the merrier right? Well, surprisingly one of my brothers and his girlfriend confirmed that they would be coming! Awesome news right? Within my excitement about having the gang over, C quickly made me realize that things would be *TIGHT* and that got me second-guessing my decision.

You see, I don't have a very big house. In total my house is about 1150sq ft. It's a decent size for me, and will be a decent size for 1, maybe 1 kids. But, it's just not designed for big family gatherings. My living/dining room are nice and open, however my teeny table only sits 6. We have 11 confirmed guests including me. To top things off, my parents would be bringing their 5 month old golden retriever puppy who will be hyper about the fact that there will be many people, and my two cats around.

So... needless to say, I spoke to my parents and I will now be hosting Thanksgiving at *their* house. lol I will still be completely in charge - something that will be very tough for my mom - but it will be at their house. A house where 11 people can sit comfortably around one table and the puppy will be in the comfort of his own home.

I will be cooking the turkey and stuffing - something I am FAMOUS for in my family (just had to brag there). I will also be cooking some butternut squash, and a pumpkin cheesecake (recipe found here.) It's going to be a busy few days, but I think it will be all worth it in the end just to get the big group together.

I will definitely take some pictures to share come Monday! :)

Cops at Work.

2009-10-05T13:14:00.002-04:00

At approximately 11:30 this morning, I could have sworn I was watching an episode of "Cops" in the parking lot at my office. Oh the excitement!!

I took a peak over my cubicle to look out the window only to see an officer throw this guy onto his cruiser. This was literally right outside my office! Naturally, I decide to get up and go outside for a closer look. Pretty much everyone else had the same idea, so this criminal had quite the audience as he was being tossed into the cruiser. He was arrested for stealing a vehicle/possession of a stolen vehicle/fleeing from police. The stolen van that this guy was driving ended up in the ditch at the front of our building. After the crash, two men fled the vehicle - one went one way, and the other went the opposite way. The police followed the one down our driveway and got him right where I spotted them.

THEN! THEN! As we are watching the officer throw the first guy into his cruiser, we all spot the other criminal way out back behind our building. Other officers who were there immediately got into their K9 SUV and tore down the driveway to the back. The two officers jump out of the van, and let out one of the dogs. We hear lots of barking and then see them take the guy down.

To make matters even more exciting/interesting, we then shortly after spot the police leaving with garbage bags full of pot. Apparently there are pot plants all over in the fields behind our building. Go figures! We're not sure if the pot is related to the guys they took down, but it was interesting to see how many police cruisers just happened to be around.

This has to be the excitement of the year for this place!

Warm Fuzzies

2009-10-01T16:37:00.002-04:00

Despite how pretty much everyone around me is grumpy about the quick change in the weather this past week - ie. sudden cold temperatures - I have to admit, am secretly really happy.

I hate being too hot, and I hate being too cold. But, I would rather be too cold than be too hot.

When you're too hot, there's not too much you can do. Once you've stripped down as much as you can, you're still too hot! But when it's too cold, there's always the possibility of piling on those layers to give yourself that warm, fuzzy feeling.

At this very moment, I am looking forward to getting home so that I can put on my snuggly clothes, heat up my magic bean bag and get cozy on the couch to catch up on my favourite shows .... with my two furry friends.

I'm glad it's fall.

The Sick.

2009-09-30T11:37:00.003-04:00

Last Wednesday I woke up with the dreaded, but oh so familiar sore throat that one gets on the on-set of a cold. C had been sick since Monday, but I hadn't seen him since Sunday, so I thought that I would be ok. I was wrong.

Literally everyone you talk to around here knows someone who is sick. Everyone on C's campus has it, people from his work, people who I ride with... it's everywhere. I have been calling it The Sick. They say that this flu/cold season will be worse than normal due to the whole H1/N1 thing, and I can see already that they are right.

Since Friday I have literally felt like a big bag of crap. To put it bluntly. I dragged my sorry butt to work on Monday so I wouldn't be frowned upon for calling in sick (yes, that happens here), but ended up going home at noon making it the very first sick day to go on my record in THREE YEARS. Yes people I said it, THREE YEARS. I'm telling you, people talk around here and don't take others seriously when they call in sick. Due to this, I have always avoided doing it. But Monday I wasn't doing so great. It was so bad that even my boss told me to go home after seeing me when he came in.

I had already spoiled my perfect attendance by going home early Monday, so I figured - What the hell! and called in sick yesterday.

My day home sick was one of the most boring days ever. Daytime TV sucks! I didn't want to sleep too much and risk not sleeping at night, so I watched many hours of mindless shit.

Needless to say, even though I still feel pretty crappy due to The Sick, I chose to face the world of work for another day.

Glee!

2009-09-24T08:29:00.004-04:00

I have to admit, I was very skeptical about watching this show. There was so much hype and build up towards the new series, that I constantly found myself thinking "Can it really be *that* good?" So many critics were claiming how it would be the show of the season and it was a must-watch. But others were saying that it wasn't that great. So, what do I do? I PVR each episode to date, pick a night and just watch.

Well, I've now watched the first four episodes and can safely say ... THEY WERE RIGHT! Holy cow. This show is amazing! I absolutely LOVE it! Ever since I was a kid, I've just loved musicals. I went to see the Phantom of The Opera about 5 times, also saw Cats, Joseph And the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mamma Mia, and many others. Musicals are amazing in my books. And now there is a show where music and talent is incorporated into every single episode, along with some good ol' cheezy comedy! And on top of that, the cast is super talented! It was interesting to find out on Global TV last night that 3 of the main characters were actually found on Broadway.

I'm almost mad at myself for waiting and watching four episodes all at once. After completing the first one, I was so excited to get to the next. Now that I am caught up, I have to wait a whole week for the next! I think that I will soon be going through Glee withdrawal!

Seriously though, if you have an open mind to pretty much anything tv-wise, and like musicals, I will be completely shocked if you do not like Glee. Check it out. :)

Wednesday Fun

2009-09-23T15:44:00.002-04:00

So I woke up this morning with a scratchy feeling in my throat that has progressively gotten worse as the day goes on. When I feel sick, I get crabby - who doesn't? It also doesn't help that it is very grey and dreary out. I need to get out of this little funk I am in, so what better way to do it then by participating in a little Wednesday fun! :)

I just visited a new blog by a girl named Renée, which I really like. On this blog, Renée posted the following questionnaire. I just thought I'd take part as I actually find these mindless questionnaires quite entertaining! And hey, maybe I might have something in common with some of you.

Here goes nothing!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:15 am
2.How do you like you like your steak? Rare. Honestly, as gross as it may sound to some of you, if it's not sitting in a pool of blood on my plate, I probably will not enjoy it.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? District 9 - loved it
4. What is your favorite TV show? Sex and The City, The Office, The Biggest Loser
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? As long as I'm with C, I'd live anywhere.
6. What did you have for breakfast? Multi grain oatmeal with cinnamon & dried cranberries, 1 poached egg, and a shake consisting of 8 strawberries, 1 banana, cranberry juice and vanilla yogurt
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Italian is definitely my favourite.
8. What foods do you dislike? Peas, brussel sprouts, most seafood
9. Favorite place to eat? Too many favs. When I'm feeling like being bad though, the pizza and wings at my local hole in the wall pizza joint is #1
10. Favorite dressing? Any sort of vinaigrette
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? Mazda 3 :)
12. What are your favorite clothes? Honestly? my comfies! sweats and a tank ;)
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Rome. DEFINITELY ROME.
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? It all depends on the situation.
15. Where would you want to retire? Somewhere that's not too far from my grandchildren (providing I have grandchildren... hmmm.. that would mean I'd actually have children of my own first lol)
16. Favorite time of day? 5:00pm baby!! ;)
17. Where were you born? Cornwall, ON (Canada)
18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Show Jumping and hockey
19. Who do you think will not tag you back? No idea
20. Person you expect to tag you back first? Anyone that actually decides to do it first
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? Everyone :)
22. Bird watcher? Not at all
23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Well, I don't like waking up in the morning, but could easily be in bed before 10pm every night. What does that make me?
24. Do you have any pets? 2 cats and 1 horse
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Just over 6 months until C is done school and moves in!
26. What did you want to be when you were little? A vet
27. What is your best childhood memory? Oh goodness.. I have absolutely no idea. Too many.
28. Are you a cat or dog person? Definitely cat.
29. Are you married? Nope, but hope to be in the near future! ;)
30. Always wear your seat belt? Most definitely.
31. Been in a car accident? Unfortunately yes. Was hit on my front end while stopped at a red light. 4 months after getting my brand new car. 2 days before Christmas. It was lovely.
32. Any pet peeves? People who can't drive properly.
33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Pepperoni, mushrooms and tomatoes
34. Favorite Flower? Gerber daisys
35. Favorite ice cream? Mint Chocolate
36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Hmmm Pita Pit, Subway, Quiznos -- it's a 3-way tie
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Never. Passed it the first time.
38. From whom did you get your last email? A customer
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Not that I'd ever do it.. but.. IKEA!!!
40. Do anything spontaneous lately? I wouldn't really say that I'm the spontaneous type.
41. Like your job? Not really. Lets just say, I can't wait for the day when I go on mat leave and not have to come back. lol
42. Broccoli? Yup! I like it any way.
43. What was your favorite vacation? Hmmm.. I've never really been on a vacation. lol
44. Last person you went out to dinner with? The love of my life - C.
45. What are you listening to right now? My ipod. Current song: "Sex, Love and Honey" by Raine Maida
46. What is your favorite color? It changes all the time.. blue, pink, purple?
47. How many tattoos do you have? ZERO.
48. How many are you tagging for this quiz? No one really.
49. What time did you finish this quiz? 4:26pm
50. Coffee drinker? Weekends and days off only. On work mornings, it's green or white tea.

C'Est L'Halloween!

2009-09-22T09:59:00.005-04:00

..well not exactly yet, but Halloween is coming! :)

I haven't really been a huge fan of Halloween since my trick-or-treating days, which ended when I was 11 years old. That is until I purchased my own home and got to experience the joy of handing out candy to all the neighbourhood kids. The smiles on their faces underneath all of their cute little costumes made everything about the 'holiday' worth it. Those happy kids are what made Halloween to me... until I met the love of my life.

C's absolute favourite holiday is Halloween. He lives for the decorations, the feeling it gives, the scary movies, the costumes... everything. He just loves Halloween. He loves it so much, that his joy of the holiday has rubbed right off onto me and I find myself more excited than ever this year. We have mega plans to decorate the house this year, along with actually making costumes to year!

Funny enough, we actually decided on our costumes in November of last year. You see, C is a big gamer and I love him for it. Last November, he bought the new Prince of Persia game for his PS3. Almost immediately upon seeing the game, I had the idea that we should dress up as the prince, and his helper, Elika for Halloween. Not sure what the hell I'm talking about? Here are some screen shots:

Would these not make wicked costumes? I haven't started making them yet, so I think we're going to start making some trips to Value Village in the coming weeks to get things going. We don't exactly have any plans yet as to where we're going to go in our amazing costumes, but we still have time to figure that out, right?

Will The Smoking Phenomenon Ever End?

2009-09-18T08:41:00.002-04:00

While driving to work this morning, I was absolutely disgusted by a sight that I saw. There, standing at the bus stop on the side of the road stood a boy, who looked no older than 15, puffing on a cigarette. I drove by and immediately thought to myself - SERIOUSLY?! What is it about smoking that to this day, in 2009, the filthy and disgusting habit is still considered 'cool' by teenagers? I don't get it.

I suppose I was fortunate enough to have been raised in a complete non-smoking family. My grandmothers did smoke when I was really little, but my parents made the strong decision to tell them that they were not allowed to see us kids unless the quit. And, it worked! Both grandmothers quit when I was very young and are still going strong in their mid 70s now. I was raised to believe that smoking was wrong, and bad. When my teenage years of 'experimentation' came along, I certainly was NOT an experimenter by any means. In grade 9, everyone started partying and getting drunk all the time, while I continued to stay busy with my horses. I never actually 'got drunk' for my first time until I was in grade 11. Yes, I admit, at the time it was fun, but I still didn't do it every weekend like most of my peers. It was a once in a while type of thing, and that was it. As for smoking, when I hit my high school years, I found myself feeling very against the habit. This hatred for the habit was reflected in how I constantly pushed and bothered one of my best friends who for some reason, was completely addicted to it. The offers poured in for me to even just try it, just that one time, but I always refused. I thought, why would I want to try something that for one looks disgusting, is bad for me, and smells like trash?

I am in my mid-20s now and can proudly say that to this day, I have never in my life tried a cigarette and I never will.

Now back to my original point - why was that 15 year old boy smoking at the bus stop this morning? Yes, I suppose we can say that kids are impressionable and probably saw one of their role models smoking, or was simply pressured by the thing we call peer pressure. But I must pose the question - what about that boy's parents? With so many diseases, illnesses, and even cancer tagged to smoking, why wouldn't his parents be more of an influence in that situation? Maybe he's a relative of someone here at my work...

I never in my life knew more smokers than before I moved to this city and started working with my current company. When I first came, I was actually in the MINORITY being a non-smoker. I couldn't believe it! All these adults puffing away as if their lives meant nothing. I have been here for 5 years now and with people coming and going, I can still say that probably 60% of the employees in this building are smokers. I like to jokingly harass them and poke fun of them about it in attempt to get them to want to quit, but not a single one of them have any desire to quit. Most are all fantastic people, but I just can't get over their horrible habit. I am just dreading the cold months that are ahead of us for the simple fact that my office is soon going to smell like an ashtray when those individuals come in and out for various smoke breaks. I cringe at the very thought of that dirty stench.

I wonder if the phenomenon of smoking cigarettes will ever pass. I understand that there is the addiction aspect to it, but maybe one day, something can be done to cure that addiction? If people want to be cured? Call me crazy, but in my opinion, with all the research that has been done and all the proof out there showing how bad smoking cigarettes can be for an individual, I believe that those smoking individuals are the crazy ones out there.

Am I a Writer? .. Some Self-Reflecting

2009-09-16T13:56:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I sit and wonder why I decided to get into this blogging thing in the first place. When it seems that I really am just making a glorified journal that people may, or most likely may not be reading. Maybe it's because I have some sort of aspirations to do some type of writing? Maybe I feel like my voice needs to be heard and this is the only way I know how to make that happen? Maybe it's just because I'm bored? I really can't give any honest answer to this. But.. that doesn't stop me from thinking about it.

Come to think about it, I have had a thing with writing and words every since I was a kid. I remember always writing these little stories when I was young about anything and everything. When I was ten years old, there was this one in particular that I just wrote for the sake of writing. I had brought it into school to show my teacher, and although it had sort of a darkish tone to it, I remember her liking it and being impressed. Too bad I don't have that notebook anymore.

Throughout my high school years, my ability to put words together seemed to prove itself well in the good grades I received on essays and anything that required me to write my thoughts or ideas about a certain thing. I remember not even worrying when going into final exams in high school when essay questions would be my given task simply because I knew that I was able to fabricate an answer some way or another with my words. When I think about it now, I never thought I had any sort of talent. In my mind I simply thought "Great! Essay questions! I can BS my way out of that one!"

It's crazy how much your perspective on things can change over such a short period of time. It's been just shy of ten years since I left high school and I see things so differently now. Over the past couple of years, I've had these crazy thoughts that maybe I was meant to be some sort of writer? Maybe I should have gone to school for journalism instead of ancient history? I did my four years at university and achieved my honours degree and I am proud of it. I loved the program I took along with each and every single one of my classes. So why am I second guessing things now?

Sometimes I think that maybe I should take some online courses in journalism to get some extra schooling, but the money isn't there for anything like that. Sometimes I have ambitious thoughts and think I should just go ahead and write a book. But what about? The hardest thing for me is to actually think about something to write about. But, once I think of said thing, I can just keep going and going. I also think I fear rejection. I've never been a good one for self confidence, so maybe, just maybe, this blog is like my stepping stone in an attempt to do some writing while hiding behind the privacy of this screen in front of me. Even after reflecting while writing this piece, I am still not sure what my intentions are for this blog, but I do know it's working for me. I can write about what I want, when I want and I am loving it. I can only hope that I am able to progress enough in my writing over time to be able to drag in interest so that people will actually be waiting to see what I am going to write next. All in due time right?

My Favourite Time of Year is Upon us

2009-09-15T10:57:00.004-04:00

With the colder nights we've been having, and the slight changes in the leaves commencing, it is evident that fall is upon us. Many people will be found complaining about the end of the summer that we didn't really have. But I... well, deep down inside, I am rejoicing! I absolutely LOVE the fall season and everything that comes with it. Yes, the dreadful winter comes next, but for the time being, I am excited to enjoy the fall. I love the warm days and cool snuggly nights. I love watching the leaves change on the trees, and the ability to do physical activity outdoors without getting blistering hot. I even love watching my horse begin to develop her fuzzy winter coat as if she were turning into a little teddy bear! I am actually beaming right now at the very thought of what is ahead on this upcoming season. :)

Along with the joys of fall mentioned above, comes my return to the kitchen to play around and experiment with rich, warm, and comforting fall-type recipes. The type of food that you just really wouldn't make in the summer months because it just screams fall. I adore cooking and baking, however in the summer months, I find it hard to keep myself in the kitchen to do the experimenting that I love to do. So, last night marks my return to the kitchen and I whipped up a fantastic new recipe.

When I bake, I like to alter the recipe I find to make it as healthy as possible, while still keeping it tasty. The big change I've been making on all my recipes lately is to use whole wheat flour instead of white and I have had nothing but success! Last night I made my first every whole wheat pumpkin/raisin bread.

OH.....EM.....GEE!!!!!! How/why did I never try to make a pumpkin bread before???? This bread just screams fall and brings yummy comfort to your tummy. Want to try it out for yourself? Recipe below. :)

Laura's Whole Wheat Pumpkin/Raisin Bread

2 C whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/3 C water
1.5 C sugar
1 C canned pumpkin puree
1/2 C canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C raisins

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9X5 loaf pan and then line with parchment paper.

- In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Put aside.

- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and water. Add the sugar and blend well. Add the pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Blend well.

- Pour contents of medium bowl into the large bowl and whisk all ingredients together until blended and smooth. Stir in the raisins.

- Pour into loaf pan and bake for approx 65 minutes. Bread is ready when firm to touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

After one bite, you'll be hooked! If you do indeed decide to try this recipe, please do let me know how it turns out! :)